Route Climbed: Gouter Date Climbed: 21 august 2004
After a week of unstable weather (wind and rain) we left Chamonix on fri. 20th August. Arrived at 14:00 in Gouter hut. Very cold that night (-20C), but we left the hut at 2:45 towards the top. Snow and wind made the route not crowded at all, only 20-25 climbers seen on route. Many stayed in the Gouter ridge. At 8:15 we reached the top in bad weather: hard wind and snow. After 15 minutes we had to go down. Without our guide we would be lost, the track was totally covered with fresh snow. Picked up a couple of people during the descent. Back in Chamonix valley at 16:00.
Next year again, hopefully with blue sky to enjoy the view.
Route Climbed: Three Mont Blancs - Aiguille du Midi-Tacul-Mauduit (Solo) Date Climbed: Sept. 17, 2004
Started in free-solo from campsite at Col du Midi at 12:30 am. A lot of powder snow all the way up (up to my knees) that made it a very slow and bothering ascent. For each two steps upward, went down one step. Close to Mont Maudit Col decided to turn around aswell as many other people. It was a perfect weather day but it had been snowing for 3 days before that. It was a wonderful and beautiful experience. Not a lot of people (max 15) that day on that route, because of the snow conditions, so it was nice!
(Hello to my good friend Torben from Danmark that went all the way up and down with me in free-solo aswell!)
Route Climbed: Dome Du Gouter Date Climbed: July 9, 2004
Picked the wrong day to try and summit. First nice day in a week so every joe with an ice axe was climbing that day. This is the last time I try it via the Dome Du Gouter as there are too many people who don't know a thing about climbing going up there and causing accidents.
Route Climbed: Grands Mulets Date Climbed: Aug 2004
I didn't expect that it would be that easy to get on the highest summit of the Alps. It was for me a must been done summit, but know I think that the name of this mountain isn't more than the most famoust peak of the Alps. It was a nice and relative easy climb, I had a clear sky maybe that was my luck. I'll never will go back there cause the mountain is to crowdy and commercial. But I'm glade I have it on my palmares.
Route Climbed: Traverse of Mont Blanc (via Tacul-Maudit) Date Climbed: August 16, 2004
Camped on Col du Midi the day before. Climbed the Arête des Cosmiques on the Midi in the afternoon, went back down to campsite, have somtething to eat, rested a little and and initiated climb at 2AM. When crowded bottlenecks can be found at the Tacul face below the seracs' passes and in the rimaye of Mont Maudit before reaching the summit ridge. Very frigid wind when we arrived to Col de la Brenva, accompanied us all the way up to Mont Blanc's summit. Most people that go up this way descend via Gouter route. We had to return to pick up our tent. 6 hrs. to the summit, 5 hrs. back to Col du Midi.
We camped on the ridge of the Aiguille du Gouter and left the tent a little after midnight to ensure a head start on the hoards from the hut.
The climb up the dome du Gouter was a horrid slog but on reching the top we were bathed in moonlight and the whole route stretched out before us and there were only another two climbers in sight.
Pressing on over the bosses was difficult as tiredness began to set in and the final summit ridge felt never ending.
We summited at about 5am in the morning as the first rays of the sun were lighting the eastern horizion making revealing the shadowy peaks of the Valais. We paused for a while on the summit but the bitter cold meant we soon started down. We passed many parties on our descent but were pleased that we had the summit to ourselves without the crowds.
Route Climbed: Grand Pilier d'Angle - Bovin Vallencant Couloir, TD+/ED 1 Date Climbed: summer 1992
Perfect conditions that day. Started about 4 AM from the biouvac and reached the route at daybreak. Fantastic ice climb through the couloir and over the 80-90 degree serac above (broke my ice axe there). Mt Blanc peak as overcrowded as usual, lots of trafic down the ridge to the Vallot. (not a welcome place-lot's of rubbish). We stayed there only a few minutes, couldn't stand it, and continued to the Grand Mulet. Had a monster dinner and lot's of Vin Rouge to "rehydrate". Slept there for 12 hrs before we returned to Chamonix.
Route Climbed: several Date Climbed: 1987 - 1992 - 1999
1) September 14th 1987: normal route
With a group of german alpine club. Though we had a reservation at the Gouter hut, we had to sleep just on the floor, without any matress or blanket., because the hut was totally overcrowded.. Thank god the night was finished at 2 a.m. The ascent was very cold, above 4500 m I felt the height, but we reached summit at 8 a.m. Weather was hazy, no clear sight.
2) August 21st 1992: traverse
A friend had left me durning our mountain holiday, so I booked "on last minute" a guided week at MB. Since last time, the hut had received an additional sleeping building where we as prefered guests slept very well, while other again had to use the floor. I felt a bit ashamed.
Again we started at about 3 a.m.. I was lucky that my recently injured knee did not cause problems and we reached summit at about 7a.m. Only our team (out of 3) did the descent to the other side, crossing the shoulders of Mont Maudit (where we met Hans Kammerlander with a television team) and MB de Tacul. A final ascent brought us to Aiguille du Midi station. It was a great trip, but just following a guide and not having own responsibilities was not that what I was looking for.
3) June 3rd 1999: ski route
After we had made trips for acclimatization on Alphubel and Allalinhorn we took the Aiguille du Midi cablecar to it's mid station. On the last remaining snow we traversed to Bossons glacier where we had to use the rope because of the many crevasses at the Jonction before climbing to Grand Mulet hut. There we stayed 3 nights! The next day -as expected - the weather was cloudy and windy. We started though and reached the Grand Plateau. After a thunderstorm in the late evening there were stars on the sky and it was very cold when we started at app. 3 a.m. A french group with guide were ahead of us and did a track in the fresh snow. Using ski crampons was very important because of the hard snow below the little fresh snow. At the slope from Grand Plateau to Col du Gouter we came into heavy storm. We fixed skis on an iron stick and climbed the last meters to Vallot hut with crampons. The hut was cold inside but we were happy to get out of the storm for a while. There we took all clothes we had and made the final ascent on Bosses ridge. This was not difficult but safe walking with crampons, even in the storm was very important. The french group had turned because of the storm so we four and two from austria where the only climbers on that fine day to reach the summit. After we had reached our ski agan we had still a nice downhill to Grand Mulets hut where we stayed another night. So climbing MB was almost like an expedition
Route Climbed: Dome du Gouter Date Climbed: 15 August 2002
Bivied at Tete Rousse first night,above Gouter hut at tent city on the second,easy walk but had to pop into Vallot Hut to sort out someones crampons out,not a great place to spend half an hour!Great view from summit,and a mad rush all the way back down to Les Houche for a beer.
Route Climbed: Grands Mulets Date Climbed: Summer 1998
Stormed off and had to retreat from the wee bivvy hut on Gouter Ridge. Big crevasses and seracs on the Grands Mulets route - may not be a wise ascent in summer
Holmer Roelvink - Oct 3, 2004 5:07 pm
Route Climbed: Gouter Date Climbed: 21 august 2004After a week of unstable weather (wind and rain) we left Chamonix on fri. 20th August. Arrived at 14:00 in Gouter hut. Very cold that night (-20C), but we left the hut at 2:45 towards the top. Snow and wind made the route not crowded at all, only 20-25 climbers seen on route. Many stayed in the Gouter ridge. At 8:15 we reached the top in bad weather: hard wind and snow. After 15 minutes we had to go down. Without our guide we would be lost, the track was totally covered with fresh snow. Picked up a couple of people during the descent. Back in Chamonix valley at 16:00.
Next year again, hopefully with blue sky to enjoy the view.
Miguel Angel Perez - Oct 3, 2004 12:44 am Date Climbed: Sep 17, 2004
Route Climbed: Three Mont Blancs - Aiguille du Midi-Tacul-Mauduit (Solo) Date Climbed: Sept. 17, 2004Started in free-solo from campsite at Col du Midi at 12:30 am. A lot of powder snow all the way up (up to my knees) that made it a very slow and bothering ascent. For each two steps upward, went down one step. Close to Mont Maudit Col decided to turn around aswell as many other people. It was a perfect weather day but it had been snowing for 3 days before that. It was a wonderful and beautiful experience. Not a lot of people (max 15) that day on that route, because of the snow conditions, so it was nice!
(Hello to my good friend Torben from Danmark that went all the way up and down with me in free-solo aswell!)
I'll be back one day !!!
phillinley - Sep 24, 2004 12:44 am
Route Climbed: Dome Du Gouter Date Climbed: July 9, 2004Picked the wrong day to try and summit. First nice day in a week so every joe with an ice axe was climbing that day. This is the last time I try it via the Dome Du Gouter as there are too many people who don't know a thing about climbing going up there and causing accidents.
Christoph De Windt - Sep 11, 2004 4:44 pm
Route Climbed: Grands Mulets Date Climbed: Aug 2004I didn't expect that it would be that easy to get on the highest summit of the Alps. It was for me a must been done summit, but know I think that the name of this mountain isn't more than the most famoust peak of the Alps. It was a nice and relative easy climb, I had a clear sky maybe that was my luck. I'll never will go back there cause the mountain is to crowdy and commercial. But I'm glade I have it on my palmares.
flearreta - Sep 8, 2004 12:23 pm
Route Climbed: Traverse of Mont Blanc (via Tacul-Maudit) Date Climbed: August 16, 2004Camped on Col du Midi the day before. Climbed the Arête des Cosmiques on the Midi in the afternoon, went back down to campsite, have somtething to eat, rested a little and and initiated climb at 2AM. When crowded bottlenecks can be found at the Tacul face below the seracs' passes and in the rimaye of Mont Maudit before reaching the summit ridge. Very frigid wind when we arrived to Col de la Brenva, accompanied us all the way up to Mont Blanc's summit. Most people that go up this way descend via Gouter route. We had to return to pick up our tent. 6 hrs. to the summit, 5 hrs. back to Col du Midi.
Andy Kennedy - Aug 17, 2004 7:26 am
Route Climbed: Gouter Date Climbed: July 2004We camped on the ridge of the Aiguille du Gouter and left the tent a little after midnight to ensure a head start on the hoards from the hut.
The climb up the dome du Gouter was a horrid slog but on reching the top we were bathed in moonlight and the whole route stretched out before us and there were only another two climbers in sight.
Pressing on over the bosses was difficult as tiredness began to set in and the final summit ridge felt never ending.
We summited at about 5am in the morning as the first rays of the sun were lighting the eastern horizion making revealing the shadowy peaks of the Valais. We paused for a while on the summit but the bitter cold meant we soon started down. We passed many parties on our descent but were pleased that we had the summit to ourselves without the crowds.
mthoelke - Aug 13, 2004 9:05 am
Route Climbed: Gouter Date Climbed: 11 July 2003A snow plod, but great weather, fantastic views.
andrea.it - Aug 3, 2004 3:09 pm
Route Climbed: Italian normal route Date Climbed: 02\08\2004Beautiful ascent began in a night of full moon.From Gonella hut accros the summit and down to Cosmique hut:17 hours!!
Jose Ignacio - Aug 1, 2004 9:17 am
Route Climbed: Three Mont Blanc route Date Climbed: July 28th 2004It was hard but worthy. Very nice weather, a bit cold in the summit.
joel2lounge - Jul 25, 2004 12:37 pm
Route Climbed: Gouter Date Climbed: November 2001Winter conditions, no lifts open. hiked full vert. Aiguille du Gouter played out as very mixed, crampons and tools. Very cold summit.
dankras - May 24, 2004 2:34 am
Route Climbed: Via Mont Blanc de Tacul and Mont Maudit Date Climbed: September 16, 2003Good but blistery day.
Gumpie - May 19, 2004 8:54 pm
Route Climbed: Grand Pilier d'Angle - Bovin Vallencant Couloir, TD+/ED 1 Date Climbed: summer 1992Perfect conditions that day. Started about 4 AM from the biouvac and reached the route at daybreak. Fantastic ice climb through the couloir and over the 80-90 degree serac above (broke my ice axe there). Mt Blanc peak as overcrowded as usual, lots of trafic down the ridge to the Vallot. (not a welcome place-lot's of rubbish). We stayed there only a few minutes, couldn't stand it, and continued to the Grand Mulet. Had a monster dinner and lot's of Vin Rouge to "rehydrate". Slept there for 12 hrs before we returned to Chamonix.
Great climbing partner!
Mathias Zehring - Apr 25, 2004 8:38 am
Route Climbed: several Date Climbed: 1987 - 1992 - 19991) September 14th 1987: normal route
With a group of german alpine club. Though we had a reservation at the Gouter hut, we had to sleep just on the floor, without any matress or blanket., because the hut was totally overcrowded.. Thank god the night was finished at 2 a.m. The ascent was very cold, above 4500 m I felt the height, but we reached summit at 8 a.m. Weather was hazy, no clear sight.
2) August 21st 1992: traverse
A friend had left me durning our mountain holiday, so I booked "on last minute" a guided week at MB. Since last time, the hut had received an additional sleeping building where we as prefered guests slept very well, while other again had to use the floor. I felt a bit ashamed.
Again we started at about 3 a.m.. I was lucky that my recently injured knee did not cause problems and we reached summit at about 7a.m. Only our team (out of 3) did the descent to the other side, crossing the shoulders of Mont Maudit (where we met Hans Kammerlander with a television team) and MB de Tacul. A final ascent brought us to Aiguille du Midi station. It was a great trip, but just following a guide and not having own responsibilities was not that what I was looking for.
3) June 3rd 1999: ski route
After we had made trips for acclimatization on Alphubel and Allalinhorn we took the Aiguille du Midi cablecar to it's mid station. On the last remaining snow we traversed to Bossons glacier where we had to use the rope because of the many crevasses at the Jonction before climbing to Grand Mulet hut. There we stayed 3 nights! The next day -as expected - the weather was cloudy and windy. We started though and reached the Grand Plateau. After a thunderstorm in the late evening there were stars on the sky and it was very cold when we started at app. 3 a.m. A french group with guide were ahead of us and did a track in the fresh snow. Using ski crampons was very important because of the hard snow below the little fresh snow. At the slope from Grand Plateau to Col du Gouter we came into heavy storm. We fixed skis on an iron stick and climbed the last meters to Vallot hut with crampons. The hut was cold inside but we were happy to get out of the storm for a while. There we took all clothes we had and made the final ascent on Bosses ridge. This was not difficult but safe walking with crampons, even in the storm was very important. The french group had turned because of the storm so we four and two from austria where the only climbers on that fine day to reach the summit. After we had reached our ski agan we had still a nice downhill to Grand Mulets hut where we stayed another night. So climbing MB was almost like an expedition
sokolxxx - Apr 25, 2004 7:27 am
Route Climbed: Gouter Date Climbed: 24 Juli 2002Weather was perfect...over the clouds
Antonio Giani - Apr 13, 2004 2:28 am
Route Climbed: via normale Date Climbed: 1973dal rifugio Gonella
maria grazia s - Apr 9, 2004 1:38 pm
Route Climbed: normal france route Date Climbed: July 1977beautiful day
Farmer - Apr 9, 2004 9:40 am
Route Climbed: normal route from Aig.midi Date Climbed: juli 1998Nice mountain with a lot of crazy people on it!!!!
Phillip Stasiw - Feb 17, 2004 8:12 am
Route Climbed: Dome du Gouter Date Climbed: 15 August 2002Bivied at Tete Rousse first night,above Gouter hut at tent city on the second,easy walk but had to pop into Vallot Hut to sort out someones crampons out,not a great place to spend half an hour!Great view from summit,and a mad rush all the way back down to Les Houche for a beer.
Eelconl - Feb 16, 2004 1:37 pm
Route Climbed: Dome de Goûter Date Climbed: August 2003With 3 Belgian guys and 3 Husky dogs we reached the top on a fantastic day!!!
Dan Bailey - Feb 10, 2004 11:54 am
Route Climbed: Grands Mulets Date Climbed: Summer 1998Stormed off and had to retreat from the wee bivvy hut on Gouter Ridge. Big crevasses and seracs on the Grands Mulets route - may not be a wise ascent in summer