MIKE (United States) - JEFF (United States) - MARCO (Italy)
DOME DU GOUTER ROUTE - CHAMONIX (France)
My trip report begin earlier than the climbing date: in February MIKE from the United States posts a message on SummitPost message board, section Europe: "I'm looking for patners to climb Mont Blanc". The Mont Blanc was a my dream from several years, but my climbing partner, Fabietto, had already climbed the Mont Blanc before to know me. So when I read the Mike's message I answer to him that I would been enthusiastic to climb the highest mountain of western europe (on the border between Italy and France) with him. One month later also JEFF, a Mike's friend, decides to come with us. Through internet we plan the climbing date and the route and we discuss about our mountain experience.
Tuesday, 16th of July I arrive in Chamonix and I meat Mike at his hotel room. I sleep in a dormitory and in the night we eat together. The weather is bad, rain, but the meteo prevision is good about our climbing dates, 18th and 19th. Jeff arrive in Chamonix from Germany only some hours before the climbing.
Thursday morning we meet ourselves for the breakfast at the Mike's hotel and I know Jeff. We live with the Jeff's car to bellevue cable box (11 Km from Chamonix). The cable box bring us to the Tramway du Mont Blanc that from bellevue (1800 meters) arrives to Nid d'Aigle (2342 meters). The tramway station was burnt some day early so a message explains that run only for alpinists. We arrive at Nid d'Aigle and we begin to walk.
The weather is not good, bad visibility and sometimes snow. We lead Refuge de Tete Rousse in about 3 hours. From here a long part on the rocks bring us to Refuge du Gouter, where we planned to sleep. Oh... was so full! We sleep on the floor and we wake up at 1:30 AM. At 2:45 we start to climb, we could see a long "river" on the mountain: was the route with a lot of alpinists that climbed with their head-lights. Oh... was so cold! At the bivouac Vallot we decide to stop for half an hour. A lot of pleople have had our same idea and the bivouac is very busy. When we start for the last part before the peak, a wonderful view: the Mont Blanc at the sunrise! On the peak we stay few minutes, too clod, just a time for some pictures.
We come back to Chamonix, very tired, and in the night a good dinner to celebrate our climbing!
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Mont Blanc GROUP
