SummitPost.org

I don't understand your acclimatisation. However I have two questions:

1. Why being in a hurry
2. What will happen if there is bad weather those 2 days

Acclimating one month before is nothing IMO. I'd recommend you to get longer and spend 3-4 days on the mountain. It's by far better to climb slowly (2 nights) than acclimating one month before

Its far from an exact science but I am of the understanding that one loses acclimatisation the same length of time as one gains it. I am always going to err on the cautious side of the debate and say you wont be acclimitised.

Although for a dash to 4,700 m, and no sleeping at high altitude, I would imagine the most likely scenario would be a headache, fatigue and nausea rather than anything worse.

It could be probably worse than that radson. BTW, Mont Blanc measures 4810 m.

http://www.ohm-chamonix.com/pdf/MBAscEn.pdf

Hey Stef,

Everyone is different but having been on altitude many, many times, I can say that I don't stay acclimated for much longer than 1 week. If I go to the mountains one weekend, I still do fine the next weekend. If I wait two weeks, I'm pretty much back to square one. One thing that I do find, is that you acclimate quicker if you go on altitude a lot (something you are not doing).

So, doing a big mountain like that in two days and for the first time, seems a tough undertaking. I do remember how you got altitude sick on Mt. Dana here in CA, so I think you'll have a very hard time om Mt. Blanc. That said, if you don't mind turning around when you get sick, it never hurts to try! I've done plenty of high peaks in two days but I also can go from 0 to 4000m without getting sick.

Hope that helps !

Well, I guess anything is possible, but I sure remember plenty of green faced guys with their heads between their knees at the Gouter Hut from not acclimatizing properly.

Diego Sahagún wrote:It could be probably worse than that radson. BTW, Mont Blanc measures 4810 m.

I'm with Diego on this one. Once you get a headache and keep pushing higher, it might take a turn for the worse. It's not unheard of and I actually know someone personally that got AMS at 4500m and had to get down quickly. Heck, I've seen people puke their brains out just below 3000m. It really depends on the person.

If I go to 4000m in a day, I tend to get a pretty bad headache and I know I really can't go any higher.

icypeak wrote:Well, I guess anything is possible, but I sure remember plenty of green faced guys with their heads between their knees at the Gouter Hut from not acclimatizing properly.

Hey, I see you've done Rainier. How does it compare to Mt. Blanc difficulty wise?

Luciano136 wrote:

icypeak wrote:Well, I guess anything is possible, but I sure remember plenty of green faced guys with their heads between their knees at the Gouter Hut from not acclimatizing properly.

Hey, I see you've done Rainier. How does it compare to Mt. Blanc difficulty wise?

Rainier was for sure easier for me as it was really just a "walk" up (mind you a long one that cost me a toenail!) whereas Mt Blanc has a few quite exposed rock and snow ridges. But, both fantastic climbs!

Luciano136 wrote:

Diego Sahagún wrote:It could be probably worse than that radson. BTW, Mont Blanc measures 4810 m.

I'm with Diego on this one. Once you get a headache and keep pushing higher, it might take a turn for the worse. It's not unheard of and I actually know someone personally that got AMS at 4500m and had to get down quickly. Heck, I've seen people puke their brains out just below 3000m. It really depends on the person.

If I go to 4000m in a day, I tend to get a pretty bad headache and I know I really can't go any higher.

Chamonix' PGHM (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne) operations in Mont Blanc:

105 unharmed
84 injured
43 ill
9 dead or missing

Year 2000

Source: Montagnes Magazine, July 2001

icypeak wrote:

Luciano136 wrote:

icypeak wrote:Well, I guess anything is possible, but I sure remember plenty of green faced guys with their heads between their knees at the Gouter Hut from not acclimatizing properly.

Hey, I see you've done Rainier. How does it compare to Mt. Blanc difficulty wise?

Rainier was for sure easier for me as it was really just a "walk" up (mind you a long one that cost me a toenail!) whereas Mt Blanc has a few quite exposed rock and snow ridges. But, both fantastic climbs!

Do you need to be roped up on the standard route on Mt. Blanc? It seems that it's mostly a 35 degree snow climb with some rock? Doesn't sound too bad.

Well I can answer that one as well
To make a long story short

One is a very long hike and then a simple snow plod up a short mountian,

The other is a simple snow plod up a very high mountian.

One has a over croweded hut that you may get a place in.
The other has an over-crowded bivowak where you will not find a place

Both have very bad weather

Both are over crowded

Both attract way too many people who have no business being there

Both are crawling very snooty guides but the ones on Mt Blanc are at least well qualified

I would say with Reiner you have to be prepared to spend a few days (tent, stove,food, sleeping bag) while on Mt Blanc you can get away with-out it.

On both you have to watch the weather very closely

Finally on Mt Blanc nobody really cares if you are prepared or not to climb it. You can head out in shorts and with a Hot tub on your back.

On Reiner if you look like you are unprepared you will be turned back by a Ranger if he catches you.

If you screw up or have an accident on Mt Blanc you better have lots of cash or very good insurance.

If you do the same on Renier your rescue is frees unless it was clearly prevetable the you are on the hook for it

Oh year to answer your question any aclimitization you had 1 month before would be long gone but as other people says it all depends on the person

JScoles wrote:If you screw up or have an accident on Mt Blanc you better have lots of cash or very good insurance.

Since you are also from out of the country, did you buy a special travel insurance? How much would that be?

Luciano, it's a custom to be roped on Mont Blanc when following Goûter route but I think it's not completely necessary in August under good weather conditions. You neither need to be insured for attempting the mountain though it's recommendable. Contact your mountaineering federation if you are going there.

BTW sjarelkwint, try to avoid to attempt Mont Blanc after August 15th, you'll have worse weather than from July 15th to August 15th. September is not a good month in Mont Blanc IMO

Then choose August, not September. And read the weather forecast before leaving Belgium:

http://chamonix-meteo.com/cham/en/