Valtho - Jun 12, 2006 3:34 pm Date Climbed: Jun 4, 2006
Skiing down the Tacul in June
After a very noisy night due to people leaving the hut at almost every hour at night, or due to people who were having altitude sickness, we finally left the Cosmique hut at 8.00 o'clock in the morning in good weather and snow conditions. It was quite cold (-10c) but blue sky and 40 cm of fresh snow (it snowed the night before) and that in the beginning of June!! We skinned up to the Tacul in less than 2 hours and than we skied down all the way from 4.200m via the Valle Blanche to the ladders below the Mer de Glace Train station. The conditions on lower parts of the Mer de Glace were not so good anymore (only ice) but it was a great way of coming down the Tacul in June!
People who were trying to climb the Mont Blanc de Tacul on crampons were having a very hard time because they were often until their middle in the snow and there were no tracks yet....
bbirtle - May 1, 2006 10:28 pm Date Climbed: May 1, 2006
"Normal" Ski Route
Skis highly recommended... some people with crampons only were having a tough go at the many powdery bits especially. We were having a blast at the powdery bits especially.)
Quite enjoyable climb and great snow to ski on the way down, but this seems to me a quite objectively dangerous route. There is serac fall danger nearly from the start to finish. The terrain is perfect for avalanche danger at 25-35 degrees. Although it didn't seem very dangerous considering the angle, even a small slide would could be deadly as you are constantly traversing above angry ice falls (terrain traps).
All in all not a route I'd recommend, although aside from the two dangers mentioned, no technical difficulties and just sails right up. Good skiing potential!
Jeroen Vels - Mar 28, 2006 2:49 pm Date Climbed: Jun 1, 2003
Contamine-Negri (aka North Couloir)
At the far left end of the Triangle du Tacul is a couloir, the North Couloir. We climbed this route and abseiled down the Triangle (there is no abseil-piste!).
See also my website here.
Jeroen Vels - Mar 28, 2006 2:30 pm Date Climbed: Jul 31, 2001
Normal route
I climbed the mountain severall times by different routes, but this is the one time I reached the actual summit. This time we climbed during the high-season wich was noticable by the very deep tracks you had to follow.
See also my website here.
Paddyrock - Mar 6, 2006 8:51 pm Date Climbed: Jun 7, 2005
sunrise
camped on the mer du glas for a few days and did three 2 routes. cheree, and a rock route
on one of the satellites
check out the morning sun wow.
cedricmtpl - Feb 20, 2006 7:39 pm Date Climbed: Jan 14, 2006
Gabarrou-Albidoni
a very beautiful goulotte, with my friend gregory vannier a our guide sylvain empereur
A success within a failure. Set off from the Cosmiques Hut at 4am with Rich Cross, but didn't feel good. This should have been the start of the Trois Blancs but only did Tacul and returned to the Cosmique exhausted. Next day discovered I've got two broken ribs from a fall on Aiguille Du Moine, no wonder I was struggling!
Route Climbed: Normal- up the the Tacul face Date Climbed: July 6th, 2005
We left early in the morning reached the summit from the Aiguille du Midi in under 2 hours, very windy on the shoulder. With no time to eat on the summit and a fierce storm coming from Italy we hurried back down. Reached Aiguille du Midi before 12 PM, lightning started shortly thereafter. First time climbing the Tacul, relatively easy, part of a preparation for the Mont Blanc.
Cut a 3 summit trip short and just topped out on Tucal. The guy with me was sick from the night before in the Col du Midi and we had been climbing for 3 days straight. The weather was coming in and we knew we were going to slow to do it in one push. Great sunrise coming down Tucal though.
Valtho - Jun 12, 2006 3:34 pm Date Climbed: Jun 4, 2006
Skiing down the Tacul in JuneAfter a very noisy night due to people leaving the hut at almost every hour at night, or due to people who were having altitude sickness, we finally left the Cosmique hut at 8.00 o'clock in the morning in good weather and snow conditions. It was quite cold (-10c) but blue sky and 40 cm of fresh snow (it snowed the night before) and that in the beginning of June!! We skinned up to the Tacul in less than 2 hours and than we skied down all the way from 4.200m via the Valle Blanche to the ladders below the Mer de Glace Train station. The conditions on lower parts of the Mer de Glace were not so good anymore (only ice) but it was a great way of coming down the Tacul in June!
People who were trying to climb the Mont Blanc de Tacul on crampons were having a very hard time because they were often until their middle in the snow and there were no tracks yet....
bbirtle - May 1, 2006 10:28 pm Date Climbed: May 1, 2006
"Normal" Ski RouteSkis highly recommended... some people with crampons only were having a tough go at the many powdery bits especially. We were having a blast at the powdery bits especially.)
See trip report.
Hazy skies, fine good enough. Good snow making for good skiing. Good friends. Good mountain views. What more can you ask for?
bbirtle - Apr 21, 2006 2:08 pm Date Climbed: Apr 21, 2006
"Normal" Ski RouteQuite enjoyable climb and great snow to ski on the way down, but this seems to me a quite objectively dangerous route. There is serac fall danger nearly from the start to finish. The terrain is perfect for avalanche danger at 25-35 degrees. Although it didn't seem very dangerous considering the angle, even a small slide would could be deadly as you are constantly traversing above angry ice falls (terrain traps).
All in all not a route I'd recommend, although aside from the two dangers mentioned, no technical difficulties and just sails right up. Good skiing potential!
Jeroen Vels - Mar 28, 2006 2:49 pm Date Climbed: Jun 1, 2003
Contamine-Negri (aka North Couloir)At the far left end of the Triangle du Tacul is a couloir, the North Couloir. We climbed this route and abseiled down the Triangle (there is no abseil-piste!).
See also my website here.
Jeroen Vels - Mar 28, 2006 2:30 pm Date Climbed: Jul 31, 2001
Normal routeI climbed the mountain severall times by different routes, but this is the one time I reached the actual summit. This time we climbed during the high-season wich was noticable by the very deep tracks you had to follow.
See also my website here.
Paddyrock - Mar 6, 2006 8:51 pm Date Climbed: Jun 7, 2005
sunrisecamped on the mer du glas for a few days and did three 2 routes. cheree, and a rock route
on one of the satellites
check out the morning sun wow.
cedricmtpl - Feb 20, 2006 7:39 pm Date Climbed: Jan 14, 2006
Gabarrou-Albidonia very beautiful goulotte, with my friend gregory vannier a our guide sylvain empereur
EQUUS - Feb 14, 2006 1:26 am
Normal route from Col du Midi Jul of 1989My first 4000 m mountain after first short experience of Acute Mountain Sickness.
fdoctor - Jan 15, 2006 9:01 am
Date Climbed: July 2004A success within a failure. Set off from the Cosmiques Hut at 4am with Rich Cross, but didn't feel good. This should have been the start of the Trois Blancs but only did Tacul and returned to the Cosmique exhausted. Next day discovered I've got two broken ribs from a fall on Aiguille Du Moine, no wonder I was struggling!
am89 - Sep 27, 2005 9:44 pm
Route Climbed: Normal- up the the Tacul face Date Climbed: July 6th, 2005We left early in the morning reached the summit from the Aiguille du Midi in under 2 hours, very windy on the shoulder. With no time to eat on the summit and a fierce storm coming from Italy we hurried back down. Reached Aiguille du Midi before 12 PM, lightning started shortly thereafter. First time climbing the Tacul, relatively easy, part of a preparation for the Mont Blanc.
TodoVertical - Sep 22, 2005 3:03 pm
Route Climbed: Normal (Guiding) Date Climbed: Some day of July 2005Nice day !! It was 13 of us in the summit that day.
roadmountain - Aug 23, 2005 10:00 am
Route Climbed: normal Date Climbed: 17 augustEasy route! But a very beautiful view!
mountaindog - Aug 18, 2005 5:12 pm
Route Climbed: Contamine Mazeud Date Climbed: August 2005Nice mixed route.
ben jammin - Aug 11, 2005 8:57 am
Route Climbed: Chèré Couloir and Contamine Grisolle Date Climbed: July 2005Superb!
brade - Aug 8, 2005 1:19 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: 12 July 2005my first 4000m high mountain. Fog + snowing. Only me and my 2 partners on the top.
davis13 - Jul 26, 2005 3:12 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: July 2005Cut a 3 summit trip short and just topped out on Tucal. The guy with me was sick from the night before in the Col du Midi and we had been climbing for 3 days straight. The weather was coming in and we knew we were going to slow to do it in one push. Great sunrise coming down Tucal though.
carruthersneil - Jul 10, 2005 8:56 am
Route Climbed: North Couloir on NE Face Triangle Date Climbed: July 2005Good route
Cautious - Jun 24, 2005 9:43 am
Route Climbed: Normal and from Mont Maudit Date Climbed: Jul 91, Aug 97Finished on Tacul having climbed Mont Blanc and Maudit.
johan - Apr 20, 2005 11:12 am
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: Sep 14 2002Cold and windy but wonderful morning! No problems to reach the top ridge.
Carbo - Jan 21, 2005 9:37 pm
Date Climbed: June 1990Climbed it in great weather, but too late in the day and made for postholing (taught me a lesson though)