Hi,

I'm planning Mont Blanc in August from the Italian side, and have read through the routes on signorellil's page.

Does anyone know of a topo / guidebook which gives more detail on the routes on the Italian side of the massif, as well as any suitable acclimatisation peaks?
Thanks, Sam

Suitable acclimatisation peaks: Petit Mont Blanc (easy) or Aig. du Trelatete (don't underestimate, quite steep and icy sometimes), both via the Bivacco Rainetto.
Gives you an impressive view onto the MB italian normal route. Plus lots of capricorns

See also the older threads listed below...

Last summer Mark and I climbed the Italian normal route. Mark had an English guidebook. I'm not completely sure, but I think it was this one:

Mont Blanc 4810 m
5 Routes to the Summit
ISBN 2918824038 / 978-2918824039

If the Italian normal route is one that you are thinking about, you can read about our acclimatization and the climb in Mark's trip report: Alps International Expedition 2013.


Mark's photo of me, high on the Italian normal route.

Thanks both for the responses!

I am thinking of the Tournette Spur, currently struggling to identify the shoulder between the hut and the spur on the map.

Rob - if you have any photos here you may think relevant (as you passed this on your way up) I'd be really grateful, just PM me.

Thanks again, sam

From what I read about it, the Tournette Spur route is much more direct than the Italian normal route, and we didn't even get close to it until we were almost on top of Mont Blanc. Because I had not eaten enough, I was too tired by then to take many pictures.

The best picture I have, for what it's worth, is this view from Mont Blanc de Courmayeur, right below the summit on the steep western slopes:

Dominating this view are the Aiguilles de Tré la Tête, some 5-6 km away to the SW, and on the right are the Dômes de Miage. The Tournette Spur must be somewhere on the right as well, but much closer, and I think it's invisible because of the curvature of the mountain face that Mark and I are on. It gets steeper further down. In addition, the spur might be slightly further to the right as well.

There is a Tournette Spur route page on SP - I take it you had a look at that?

Yep, that page is cracking! Bedankt voor het Foto