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Mont Blanc in October???

PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:54 am
by Bringass
Hello, I´m from México, I have a learning trip to Europe the last week of september, and I and other two friends dont want to miss the oportunity of the travel and are planning to climb the Mont Blanc on 8 and 9 of october. We have some experience on mountains (5,700 meters in the Pico de Orizaba here in mexico), but the info we have found on internet said that is difficult to climb this mountain on octuber cause the gouter hut is closed, and the train to aguile d mid is not working and things like that.

Can anyone give us some advice??? someone have climbed Mont Blanc on october??? if is not possible through gouter route, what's the next best option???

Thank you very much!

Old fashion climb :)

PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:39 am
by Mihai Tanase
Climbing mont Blanc in October looks like and old fashion expedition :) Cables cars and trains does not really work at that period. That means you have to walk from the valley to the top. And this is very, very long, but not impossible.

In my opinion, you have to forget mont Blanc traverse route from aiguille du Midi, it's too long and the days are short. Even if aiguille du Midi cable car runs and you can sleep at Cosmiques hut.

My self I climbed begining of November, 20 years ago, but we followed TMB railway with an old Jeep from Saint Gervais to Mont Lachat, and then by foot to Goûter hut. As far as I remember, the weather was very nice but COLD !

Anyway, all huts have one room open all year long for winter climbers and safety reasons, so no problem to sleep at Tête Rousse and Goûter huts. The main problems are :
- short days
- very low temperatures
- long aproaches
- extra gears to make food, water, etc
- extra clothes
- sleepeng bag needed!
That means you have to be fast because short days, but you can't because extra weight :)

What I can say is that is very long but no impossible
:roll:


Anyway, ask for more. And good luck !

PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 11:45 am
by Gabriele Roth
I agree
further problems are that, after the first snowfalls, you can hardly find tracks and crevasses could be covered by thin snow, and that in those days the moon will not help enough at night
all I can say is that if the weather will remain absolutely fine you only have to do a big effort that could be very worth

PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:03 pm
by Mihai Tanase
Gabriele has allways something to say. I mean allways right ;)

PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 1:46 pm
by Gabriele Roth
I used to spend many hours walking on glaciers and climbing (even on rocks) in the moonlight, so the phases of the moon were important :)

PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 8:56 pm
by Bringass
Thank you very much for the info, It seems like we are going to need a jeep or something like that to get to gouther hut, or change plans.

Good luck for both of you in your expeditions!!!

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:43 am
by Flachlandtiroler
Bringass wrote:Thank you very much for the info, It seems like we are going to need a jeep or something like that to get to gouther hut, or change plans.!

Change plans :wink:

Or get a jeep bringing you up that hill (2 = gouter hut):

Image

:shock: :?

Martin

It's funny !

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:10 am
by Mihai Tanase
Dont' forget, Martin : in the first TMB project, a stop station was planed at aiguille du Goûter :)

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:56 pm
by Bringass
I understand, the normal route "Gouter route" starts with a 4 to 6 hours hike from where the TMB train stops to te Gouter Hut, then the next day try the summit, is that right???

So, if I can get with a jeep to te stop station I´ll be doing the normal route via gouter, is that right?

And, it is possible in this days to drive a jeep to the last station of the TMB???

Thanks

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 5:23 pm
by Mihai Tanase
Bringass wrote:...from where the TMB train stops to te Gouter Hut, then the next day try the summit, is that right??? So, if I can get with a jeep to te stop station I´ll be doing the normal route via gouter, is that right? And, it is possible in this days to drive a jeep to the last station of the TMB???


Bringass my dear, have a look here :
http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/page ... ory_2.html

And then, change your plans or prepare very seriousely your trip :wink:

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 5:53 pm
by Bringass
So Mihai, Is possible to drive a jeep to the Nid d'Aigle (where I undesrtand is the last stop of the TMB) and start there the hike to the Gouter Hut???

Oh man, we really want to climb that mountain, and understand that for us, a travel to Europe doesn't happen every decade...

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:29 pm
by Mihai Tanase
No, the 2 tunnels are closed til mid of June. The last stop, if you could find somebody to drive you, is Mont Lachat, and then by foot. Keep in mind that my experience have 20 years old and mont Blanc range is a protected area.

Check the possibilities to enter in this area with a motor vehicle !

PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:37 pm
by hansw
I like Flachlandtiroler’s picture. But in the old days the route went on the other side of Dôme du Goûter. Didn’t it?

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 1:14 am
by Moni
I remember more left than right on the drawn route.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:39 am
by Mihai Tanase
Moni and hansw are right, the route is more on the left side of the Dôme.