Thanks for clicking in;
First, my name is Steve, originally from the Netherlands, hence the username. I currently live just outside of D.C. I'm an outdoorsman that has been wanting to make the jump into mountaineering for a long time now. I'm 19, tall, fit and athletic. Went to Switzerland this past summer, did some day hikes, but I'm wanting to go bigger now. So for next summer, I'll be back in Switzerland and want to do either Mont Blanc or the Haute Route (Cham. to Zerm.)
That being said, I have absolutely no experience with glacier climbing, I've never even worn a cramp-on. But, I don't really feel like paying $3000 to climb or hike with a guide, I'd rather spend that on gear. I saw a thread on here earlier about a student wanting to climb MB on the cheap, and that might be great to take part in;
http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=49959&highlight=haute
Would it be advisable to do either without a guide? I'll definitely do it with a group of people. And if I were to do the Haute Route, I'd like to do it without stopping in the huts, choosing to camp in a tent instead, is that possible? Can I carry enough food for that many days?
Anyways,
Thanks for any insight shared,
-Steve