Aiguille du Tour & Aiguilles Dorées – Warming Up for Mont Blanc

Aiguille du Tour & Aiguilles Dorées – Warming Up for Mont Blanc

Page Type Page Type: Trip Report
Location Lat/Lon: 45.99450°N / 7.01020°E
Date Date Climbed/Hiked: Jul 3, 2006
Activities Activities: Mountaineering
Seasons Season: Spring

Arrival

My brother Gabriel and me arrived in Chamonix late Friday, June 30. Saturday, July 1rst, we dedicated the day to visit the city and do last shopping and preparations. Mont Blanc was our target but we needed to become acclimatized to the altitude. Our plan incorporated some days around the Aiguille du Tour area, to get prepared to ascend Mont Blanc on the following weekend (story continues in Trip Report: Mont Blanc “Our dream becomes true” )

Day 1 – Getting Started - July 2, 2006

From “Le Tour” highest village of the valley we took the cable car to “Col de Balme” / “Pass of Balme” (2180m) . The day was exceptional so we could admire the wide views of the Aiguille Vert, the Drus and Mont Blanc.

Mont Blanc landscape



We headed to the Albert I hut (2702m) were we would spent the short night. Before that we could contemplate and admire the Glacier du Tour and the Aiguille du Chardonnet (3824m)

Aiguille de Chardonnet and Glacier du Tour

Day 2 – First challenge : Aiguille du Tour - July 3, 2006

At dawn we head to the Col de Tour (3282m) which passes the Swiss border and opens to a fantastic landscape comprising the Plateau du Trient, on the left the Aiguille de Tour and on the right the Aiguilles Dorees.

After short break in Col de Tour we head to climb the Aiguille du Tour. When reaching the summit, fog covers everything.

Aiguille du Tour (3542m)


Aiguille du Tour Summit

Day 3 – High Performance: Aiguilles Dorées – July 4, 2006

Its early morning. Weather looks fine. Aiguille du Tour has changed of “dress”, we are preparing to see the sun appear in the East, is time for excellent pictures, we are just crossing the Pass of Plines/Col Droit when sun appears.

Aiguille the Tour - Dawn
Aiguille du Tour at Dawn


Aiguilles Dorées
Aiguilles Dorées


Col Droit - Sunrise !!!
Col Droit / Pass of Plines - Sunrise



We then descend to the Glacier de Saleina and make a rest in the small hut-bivouac des Dorées (3010m). After recovering some energy and admiring the beautiful landscape we proceed to the south corridor that ends in the Pass of Saleina where we can admire the landscape with Aiguille de Argentiere presiding.

Saleina Pass
Saleina Pass



Glacier de Saleina and Aiguille de Argentiere.
Glacier de Saleina and Aiguille de Argentiere

Day 4 – Back to Boxes : Col de Balme & Chamonix – July 5, 2006

The following day we return to Col de Balme and to Chamonix. The experience has been excellent. We now pray to have good weather for the following Saturday when we will climb the Mont Blanc. We are excited and ready to face the challenge.



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