Hello

What routes can i solo around Chamonix, iam love to get on to the easier glacier approach routes but i dont have a partner and as iam interested in photography as well i will probably be hard finding one....thus what could i do myslef solo i.e. no glaciers involved easy F/PD- scramble type routes. On previous trips ive lead the Dent Du Geant Cosmiques arete, Petite verte, Mont blanc, (keen to do the 3 monts though) and loads of rock routes in the Aig Rouges.

If by any chance an other climber/photogrpahers are looking in and have glacier experience who might be interested.....iam be keen to do easy PD routes and possibly a longer three day hike across the valley blanc, the plan is to get into the heart of the massive and get some stunning images...iam 46 BTW.

Thanks Shaun

Perhaps you could attempt Mont Blanc by Gouter route, MB du Tacul, Vallée Blanche crossing... If I'd go solo I'd rope to a mate or guide, there are many cracks in the last

I think the Cosmiques Arete is AD-? I soloed that, but I took a rope and self-belayed a 5-meter step. That was awesome! But in general Chamonix is really "toothy" and "crevassey"...not the best place to find F and PD routes? Keep us posted on what you find because you never know when you find yourself alone in Chamonix!

Shaun why not going to Valais, Switzerland Routes are more easy there than in MB Massif and you could solo attempt some of its 4000ers

Shaun, when are you planning on going? Solo there are options in the easier grades of difficulty, as long as you're comfortable on your own and know what to look out for, many still with glacier crossings but usually on well worn tracks, such as Aiguille du Tour, by numerous routes and several other neighbouring peaks, Aiguille d'Argentiere by a couple of routes, Tour Noir, Aiguille de l'M, Aiguille du Moine, Tré la tete, Aiguille des glaciers, not to mention the possibilities just an hour or two by car away from cham in Italy, Suisse and the Vanoises. Being an 'aspiring' photographer in the region already, I might be availible near the time and up for it too!

Sure that Mont Blanc massif isn't the best place to climb solo. You can do Petite Aiguille Verte (3512 m) eventually... Other peaks and routes are quite dangerous if you're alone (many crevasses!).

http://www.teamexpe.com

BTeamExpe, even Petite Aiguille Verte could be risky for a solo climber...

Yes, it's a 3a climb, and a 45° snow ascent, so it can be dangerous. But there are no crevasses, and you can reach the summit in 1h30 from Grands Montets. For a soloist, that's the safest peak in Mont Blanc massif.

Not very far from Chamonix, I suggest you Dômes de Miage and aiguille de la Berangère a classic traverse, or the same but starting from chalets de Miage to refuge Durier via refuge du Plan Glacier much longer but so nice, or mont Tondu.

Doing a section of the Gouter route to MB would be another option though Aigulle du Gouter grade could be over F/PD-. TeamExpe, even Petite Aigille Verte normal route is over that grading...

macintosh wrote:Not very far from Chamonix, I suggest you Dômes de Miage and aiguille de la Berangère a classic traverse, or the same but starting from chalets de Miage to refuge Durier via refuge du Plan Glacier much longer but so nice, or mont Tondu.

I am also looking at routes I can solo towards the end of the summer and the Domes de Miage is high on my list. In my dreams I'd love to do the full 'Royal Traverse' carrying on beyond Durier Hut to Aig.Bionassay and then Dome du Gouter & Mont Blanc. You could pretty well avoid all crevasse danger all the way (have solo'd the full Gouter route and it is fine). But very committing with tricky descent from the Durier if conditions turned bad - and Bionassay looks scary with an awkward rock step going up and then an AD arete down the other side, to get to the easier terraine of the Dome du Gouter. But if there was a stable anticyclone settled on the Alps and good reports on the state of Bionassay I'd be tempted, perhaps carrying 20m of rope to self belay the rock step...

More realistically I think I'd like to have a go at Domes de Miage - as per one of Macintosh's suggestions - Plan Glacier/Durier first - and then down from Aig. de la Berangere. And then go round to the Italien side to go for the Val Veni and then the Aiguille de Grises route (Mont Blanc via the 'Pope Route'). This route is now 'open' again, with the re-opening of the Gonella Hut. The normal way is to climb the potentially crevassed Glacier du Dome from the Gonella, but seemingly you can avoid all glacier by the slightly longer routing of sticking to the (Aiguille Grises) ridge to get to the Piton des Italiens and thence to the Dome du Gouter. This ridge looks to bristle with gendarmes but I think you can go round any hard bits and the overall grade is straight forward at PD. If anyone has any experience of this route I'd love to hear about it - it looks a beauty.

By the way - another solo-able route in the area is Gran Paradiso, just off the Aosta Valley on the Italien side. The normal route can almost completely avoid glacier and overall grade is PD. Haven't done this yet but also a possibility for end of the summer - I am thinking Domes de Miage plus Gran Paradiso would be good acclimatisation before tackling Mont Blanc Aigille Grises route.

Best wishes
Mark

I'm planning to visit charmonix in early June, and looking for a solo too..... I was thinking about the gouter route (I'm not sure about summiting, soloing to summit doesnt see to be the best idea). When are you going there shaun?

Anyway, I wouldn't recommend you to go solo to a 3000-4000 there. It's recommended to go roped at less to a mate. If you have money contact a guide and do not climb solo. Or just find a team mate...

Hey! I am going to be in the alps the whole summer and mainly in chamonix, I'm happy to team up with anybody for anything (mount blanc, glacier etc.) So if anybody needs/wants a ropemate just send me a message!

//Markus

Thanks for everyones input

Since penning this post ive been back rock climbing and iam afriad the bug is back...ive got 10 days in Chamonix early Aug or poss early sept? 2012 (not sure where iam staying yet) maybe Argerntiere?

I will be taking the full frame and crop sensor cameras with me....but iam keen to get some routes in as well to acclimatise iam heading into the Aig Rouges ill bivy up there for two days straight off...then some routes of interest.

Cosmiques...i would like to do this as part of a traverse of the valley blanc to the torino hut,(or poss bivy even better) then get a route in the next day before returning the same way or gondala depending weather fatigue etc etc etc

Domes de Mirage long looks good if light winds and good snow

Frision roache rock climb on the brevant...(got rained off the first pitch 10 years ago)
Forbes on the Chardo
Courtes (only if my partner is keen and experienced)
Moine
Three monts....if acclimatised and bon temps.


only ideas nothing set in stone

If anybody likes the sound of those routes and likes photography as well.........and can is keen to get out to Chamonix this summer please drop me aline.

Shaun