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  Tripreport:    July2002


































Mont Blanc Group

15,780 feet (4,810 meters)
Haute-Savoie/Aosta/Wallis, France/Italy/Switzerland, Europe

Last update: April 14th, 2002
   © Copyright by Rahel Maria Liu

Mont Blanc Massif


The Mont Blanc Massif, viewed from Grands Montets (March 2001)

© Copyright by Rahel Maria Liu


Overview
The Mont Blanc Massif is the emblem of the Alps, even of the European mountains altogether. Even if the Mont Blanc is only geographically the highest mountain of Europe (the higher Elbrus in Kaukasus belongs not geographically but politically to Europe and is due to this reason the highest mountain of Europe), it does not diminish the immense fame of the Mont Blanc Massif and its main summit. There has been written a lot about the Mont Blanc Massif, from different people with different interests. I would like to allow a mountaineer to speak now who maybe has known the whole Mont Blanc Massif better than any other person in the world during his time: the former french guide from Chamonix Gaston Rébuffat . He was born in Marseilles in 1921 and became a Chamonix Guide in 1946. Thereafter he made a string of new routes and imprtant repeats, notably of the great alpine North Faces. He was a member of the successful Annapurna expedition in 1950 playing a major role in the saga played out in the final stages of that historic ascent. He died in 1985. In 1974, he wrote:

"What an extraordinary creation this is, wrought by earth and time! Magnificent seen from a distance, for climbers it is a real paradise. Nowhere else has the earth been so generous to them. There is an abundance of peaks, mountains and aiguilles, each one prodigal of ridges, pillars, buttresses, faces. And yet, in terms of area, the range is relatively small. If you look at it on a map of the Alps, it is only a small corner of that great range of mountains curving over several hundred kilometres, from the Mediterranean to Austria. The range is only 30 kilometres long and 12-15 kilometres broad; the Mont Blanc tunnel is only 11,6 kilometres long. Such an abundance in so small a compass could well have produced a feeling of clutter or chaos, but not here. On the contrary, here we have a sense of quite exceptional harmony: every peak in its place, linked to every other and yet separate, with its own separate identity and history, its own appeal, and all of them linked to the greatest, to that Mont Blanc which has lent its name to the range as a whole.

The French side of the range is awe-inspiring. It takes the form of massive yet shapely glaciers from which there emerge extraordinary aiguilles , soaring into the sky in a series of shoulders and soaring faces. At any time of the day or the year these glaciers are places of mystery, with a strange fascination. It is very understandable that once - and not so very long ago - they were a source only of fear or even terror, and that they were thought of only as errors of nature, a waste of the earth's energy. Even today, when routes cross them in all directions, they still inspire us with awe, wonder or amazement. The western end of the ridge, the Mont Blanc end, is composed principally of glaciers, whereas the eastern end has, silhouetted against the snow and the sky, those granite aiguilles whose soaring lines and glowing rock make them seem overflowing with new vitality. Ice and rock together are a unity, the one bringing out the beauty of the other; though each alone would have undeniable beauty, it would lose much of its character."
(Gaston Rébuffat : The Mont Blanc Massif. The 100 Finest Routes. London 1996. P. 9)


Getting There
 

The 2 most important approaches of the whole Mont Blanc massif are the one from the Chamonix Valley (France) with Chamonix, Argentière and Le Tour, and the other one from the Val Ferret (Italy) with Courmayeur and Entrèves.

1. You reach the Chamonix Valley by train:
  • a. From Martigny (Switzerland) via Vallorcine.
  • b. From Geneva (airport) via Anncey (TGV till here) and St. Gervais.
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2. You reach the Chamonix Valley by bus :
  • From/via Annecy, Geneva, Grenoble, Courmayeur, Aoste and Turin
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3 . You reach the Chamonix Valley by car :
  • a. From Geneva (from the NW) on the A40 till St. Gervais and from here on the N205.
  • b. From Martigny (from the NE, Switzerland) via Vallorcine and the Col des Montets on the road no. N506.
4. You reach the Val Ferret (Italy) by bus or car :
  • a. From Chamonix through the Mont Blanc Tunnel from the NW.
  • b. From Torino (from the SE) on the A5 via Villeneuve.
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Geographical Overview
The Mont Blanc Massif is surrounded by some big valleys: The valley of the Arve in the Northwest, the Val Montjoie in the West, the Val Veni and the italian Val Ferret in the South and Southeast, and the swiss Val Ferret in the East.

The Mont Blanc Massif is the western big pillar of the Alps. Therefore, the western stream which is dominant in Europe meets its first big obstacle here. The results are often very strong storms and very fast and drastic changes of the weather. Nevertheless, the weather in the valleys of the Mont Blanc Massif is not worse than in other areas of the Alps. Just to the contrary, the weather on the southside of the Mont Blanc Massif is better than the average weather of the Alps.

The Mont Blanc Massif is the most superb area of the Alps, not only because of its highest summit, but also especially because of its wilderness, the big rock- and ice-faces which fall down steeply. The mountains of the Mont Blanc Massif are more varied than the other groups of the Alps. The Arvevalley, the Val Vény and the Val Ferret build a natural demarcation in the West and East. The Val d'Etremont is the continuation of the eastern border and the northern border as well. It separates the Mont Blanc Massif and the Walliser Alps. Less natural and distinctive is the southern border. It is the southwestern continuation of the Val Vény over the Col de la Seigne. It follows the uppermost Val des Glaciers till Les Glaciers, or rather Les Chapieux, and goes over the Col du Bonhomme to Les Contamines before it meets the Arvevalley at St. Gervais.

The Mont Blanc shows totally different shapes to the North and to the South: to the Arvevalley, it has huge and beautiful white glaciers and very long firn hangs in the summit region. To the Val Vény and Val Ferret, it shows wild and dirty glaciers which are situated among sharp rock ridges which fall down to the valleys and have very steep faces with rock- and ice-couloirs as flanks.
Mountains of the Mont Blanc Massif
The most important mountains and their most famous routes are the following:

MOUNTAIN
FAMOUS ROUTES
ADOLPHE REY (PIC)
 Salluard Route
AIGUILLES (CHAMONIX) Traverse
AMONE SLAB _
ARGENTIERE (AIGUILLE D') : Ordinary Route
North Face
BIONNASSAY (AIGUILLE DE): North-West Face
BLAITIERE (AIGUILLE DE): Blaitière-Ciseaux-Fou Traverse
West Face
BOSSONS (GLACIER DES): _
BRENVA (AIGUILLE DE LA): East Face
CAPUCIN (GRAND) East Face
CHARDONNET (AIGUILLE DU) Forbes Arête
North Spur
CHARMOZ (GRANDS) Charmoz-Grépon Traverse
CHARMOZ (PETITS) Traverse
COURTES (LES) North-East Face
Courtes- Ravanel- Mummery Traverse
Central North-North-East Spur
North Face
CROCODILE (DENT DU) East Ridge
CROUX (AIGUILLE) South Face
South-Fast Face
DIABLE (AIGUILLES DU) Traverse
DOREES (AIGUILLES) Traverse
DROITES (LES) North Spur
North Face
DRUS (LES) Petit Dru-Grand Dru Traverse
North Face
Bonatti Pillar
West Face - American Direct
ECANDIES (LES) Traverse
FOU (AIGUILLE DU) South Face
GEANT (DENT DU) Ordinary Route
South Face
GLIERE (CHAPELLE DE LA) South Ridge
GREPON (AIGUILLE DU) Grands Charmoz-Grépon Traverse
Pic de Roc-Grépon Traverse
GUGLIERMINA (POINTE) South-West Face
INDEX (AIGUILLE DE l') South-Fast Ridge
INNOMINATA (POINTE DE L') South Ridge
JORASSES (GRANDES) Ordinary Route
Hirondelles Ridge
Rochefort-Jorasses Traverse
Pointe Croz - Central Spur
Walker Spur
JORASSES (PETITES) South Ridge
West Face
LACHENAL (POINTE) South-South- East Face
M (AIGUILLE DE l') North-North-Fast Ridge
Ménégaux and Couzy Routes
MIAGE (DOMES DE) Traverse
MIDI (AIGUILLE DU) Arête des Cosmiques (South-South-West Ridge)
Midi-Plan Traverse
Eperon des Cosmiques
South Face
Frendo Spur
MINARET (LE) South-East Spur and South Face Direct
MOINE (AIGUILLE DU) South Ridge
East Face
MONT BLANC Ordinary Route (Dôme du Goûter)
Aiguilles Grises Route
Traverse
Brenva Spur
Inominata Ridge
Route Major
Peuterey Ridge
Central Pilar of Frêney
MONT BLANC DU TACUL Ordinary Route
Gervasutti Couloir
Boccalatte Pillar
Gervasutti Pillar
MONT DOLENT North Ridge
MONT MAUDIT Tour Ronde Ridge
Crétier Route
MUMMERY (AIGUILLE) Courtes- Ravanel- Mummery Traverse
PAIN DE SUCRE D'ENVERS DU PLAN North Face
PEIGNE (AIGUILLE DU) Ordinary Route
Papillons Ridge (West Ridge proper) West Face,
North-West Pillar, North-West Face, North Ridge
Vaucher Route
PELERINS (AIGUILLE DES) Grütter Ridge
Carmichael Route
PEUTEREY (AIGUILLE NOIRE DE) South Ridge
West Face
PERSEVERANCE (AIGUILLE DE LA)
North-East Ridge
PLAN (AIGUILLE DU) Midi-Plan Traverse
Ryan-Lochmatter Ridge
North Face
PLANPRAZ (CLOCHERS AND CLOCHETONS) Traverse
PORTALET (PETIT CLOCHER DU)
East Face and South-East Ridge
POUCE (AIGUILLE DU) South Face - Voie des Dalles
RAVANEL (AIGUILLE) Courtes- Ravanel-Mummery Traverse
REQUIN (DENT DU) South-East Ridge
East Face
North Face
ROCHEFORT (AIGUILLE DE) Traverse of the Ridges
Rochefort-Jorasses Traverse
SARRE ROOF _
TACUL (PYRAMIDE DU) East Ridge
TACUL (TRIDENT DU) Lépiney Route
TOUR (AIGUILLE DU) Table de Roc Ridge
TOUR NOIR (LE) Traverse
TOUR RONDE (LA) South-East Ridge
North Face
TRELATETE (AIGUILLE DE) Traverse
TRIOLET (AIGUILLE DE) North Face
VERTE (AIGUILLE) Whymper Couloir
Grands Montets Ridge
Sans Nom Ridge
Couturier Couloir
Nant Blanc Face
VERTE (PETITE AIGUILLE) Ordinary Route


History of Climbing
The history of the climbing development of the Mont Blanc Massif has started very early, that means already in the second half of the 18th century. Since the middle of the 18th century, people have tried to climb the Mont Blanc as the highest summit of the European Alps. The first ascent of the Mont Blanc happend successfully on the 8th of August 1786 by the crystal searcher Balmat and the physician and natural scientist Paccard. During the following 70 years, the summit of the Mont Blanc has remained to be the goal of mountaineers. With the beginning of the Golden Age of mountaineering, all high summits of the Alps and also the difficult mountains around the Mont Blanc have been climbed for the first time, especially by british mountaineers with their local guides. Among these first mountaineers, especially Michel Groz, mountain guide of Chamonix, and Edward Whymper became very famous. Let's have a view on 2 short passages of Rébuffat's arrangement of the history of climbings of the Mont Blanc Massif:

1. The first idea of climbing Mont Blanc - the birth of Alpinism

 "1760 - Horace Benedict de Saussure, aged twenty, feels a sense of vocation; he undertakes on foot the journey from his native town Geneva to the 'Glacières de Chamouny', as it was then spelt. On 24 July, he goes up to the Brévent: the beginning of a great adventure.
For the very first time, a man feels in his heart the quite irrational desire to climb - senselessly, illogically, for no purpose. Saussure has given birth to the idea of Mont Blanc as 'a summit to climb', and has created a whole new movement - Alpinism.
Back in Chamonix, he has an announcement made in all the parish churches of the valley, promising to give 'a very considerable reward to any who might be able to find a viable route to the summit of Mont Blanc.'"  (Rébuffat , p. 12)

2. The first successful climb of the summit of Mont Blanc in 1786

 "1786 - Attempts are made on the mountain in 1783, 84 and 85, but the attempt which is to point the way to success takes place on 8 June 1786. On that day, two parties of guides, one coming up by the Grands Mulets, the other by the Aiguille du Goûter, meet at the Dôme du Goûter. The weather begins to cloud over, leading to a general retreat. But 'not everyone retreated', writes Saussure. One of the group from the Grand Montets is a crystal-hunter who had joined the party at the last moment in spite of their reluctance. Saussure goes on: 'On the way back from the Dôme du Gouter, the crystal-hunter, whose relationship with his companions was none too friendly, walked separately and went off to one side to look for crystals in a rock off the track. When he wanted to rejoin the others or failing that to follow their tracks in the snow, he found that they had disappeared.' And it is thus that, at more than 4000 metres, a man finds himself alone, forgotten by his companions who had hurried off down to get to the valley before nightfall.
The man, alone, sets off on the descent, but at the Grand Plateau, caught by storm and nightfall, he has to stop. He is obliged to spend the night on the glacier, sitting on his sack and his snowshoes; but not only does he survive. he actually comes back, thus offering living disproof of the legend which had unnerved the peasants; from now on, it is clear that the way is open and that it is perfectly possible, if necessary, to take two days over the climb.
This man, robust, resolute, this crystal-hunter who, as it turns out, possesses an extraordinary mountaineering sense, an unerring instinct for the crevasses and seracs of the glaciers - had he fallen through a snow-bridge into a crevasse, this would have confirmed all existing superstitions and might well have put back the ascent of Mont Blanc by a number of years - this man is Jacques Balmat.
Another man, also a great character, has for some years taken an interest in Mont Blanc: the Chamonix doctor, Dr. Paccard. Like Saussure a devotee of the natural sciences, he has a dream: to carry a barometer to the summit and take a reading there. An excellent mountaineer, he has already made several attempts.
As it happens, the doctor and the crystal-hunter are the best-qualified and the most determined and are, as a pair, ideally complementary. Paccard, while quite as tough as a guide, has no particular financial interest in the expedition so that Balmat is not obliged to share the prize offered by Saussure. On the other hand, if the doctor sets off with the crystal-hunter, whose knowledge of Mont Blanc is at that time unequalled, he stands the best chance of fulfilling his ambition by becoming the first man of science to reach the summit. The two men are thus an ideal team.
Two months later, on 8 August 1786, Paccard and Balmat succeed in that greatest of first ascents, the first ascent of Mont Blanc." (Rébuffat , p. 12)

(Gaston Rébuffat : The Mont Blanc Massif. The 100 Finest Routes. London 1996. )
Arrangement of the Main Routes
The following list (according to Rébuffat ) shows an arrangement of the routes according to their general alpine difficulty, starting with the easiest one.

1. CLOCHER AND CLOCHETONS DE PLANPRAZ Traverse
2. GLACIER DES BOSSONS Introduction to ice-climbing
3. AIGUILLE DE L'INDEX South-East Ridge
4. CHAPELLE DE LA GLIERE South Ridge
5. AIGUILLE DE LA PERSEVERANCE North-East Ridge
6. AIGUILLE DU POUCE South Face - Voie des Dalles
7. AMONE SLAB
8. SARRE ROOF
9. PETITS CHARMOZ Traverse
10. PETITE AIGUILLE VERTE Ordinary Route
11. TOUR RONDE-VALLEE BLANCHE South-East-Ridge
12. AIGUILLE CROUX South Face +
POINTE DE L'INNOMINATA South Ridge
13. DOMES DE MIAGE Traverse
14. TOUR NOIR Traverse
15. AIGUILLE DU TOUR Table de Roc Ridge
16. AIGUILLE DU MOINE South Ridge
17. MONT BLANC DU TACUL Ordinary Route +
AIGUILLE DU MIDI Arête des Cosmiques (South-South-West Ridge)
18. AIGUILLE DE L'M North-North-East Ridge
19. AIGUILLE D'ARGENTIERE Ordinary Route
20. PYRAMIDES DU TACUL Fast Ridge
21. AIGUILLE DU MIDI-AIGUILLE DU PLAN Midi-Plan Traverse
22. DENT DU REQUIN South-East Ridge or Chapeau à Cornes Ridge
23. GRANDES JORASSES Ordinary Route
24. MONT BLANC Ordinary Route (Dôme du Goûter)
25. AIGUILLE DES PELERINS Grütter Ridge
26. AIGUILLES DOREES Traverse
27. LES ECANDIES Traverse
28. AIGUILLE DU CHARDONNET Forbes Arête
29. LES COURTES North-East Face
30. MONT BLANC Aiguilles Grises Route
31. AIGUILLE DU PEIGNE Ordinary Route +
AIGUILLES DES PELERINS Carmichael Route
32. GRANDS CHARMOZ - GREPON Traverse
33. AIGUILLE DE ROCHEFORT Traverse of the Ridges +
DENT DU GEANT Ordinary Route
34. AIGUILLE DE BLAITIERE
LES CISEAUX - AIGUILLE DU FOU Traverse
35. TOUR RONDE North Face
36. AIGUILLES DE TRELATETE Traverse
37. TRIDENT DU TACUL Lépiney Route
38. LES COURTES - AIG. RAVANEL - MUMMERY Traverse
39. PETITES JORASSES South Ridge
40. PETIT DRU - GRAND DRU Traverse
41. AIGUILLE VERTE Whymper Couloir
42. AIGUILLE CROUX South-East Face
43. AIGUILLE DU CHARDONNET North Spur
44. DENT DU REQUIN East Face
45. MONT DOLENT North Ridge
46. AIGUILLE DE L'M Ménégaux and Couzy Routes
47. AIGUILLE DU PLAN Ryan-Lochmatter Ridge
48. PAIN DE SUCRE D'ENVERS DU PLAN North Face
49. AIGUILLE DE BIONNASSAY North-West Face +
MONT BLANC Traverse
50. MONT MAUDIT Tour Ronde Ridge
51. AIGUILLE DU MOINE East Face
52. AIGUILLE DU PEIGNE Papilons Ridge (West Ridge proper), West Face, North-West Pillar, North-West Face, North Ridge
53. POINTE LACHENAL South-South-East Face +
AIGUILLE DU MIDI Eperon des Cosmiques
54. AIG. DU DIABLE - MONT BLANC DU TACUL Traverse
55. AIGUILLE DU MIDI South Face
56. MONT BLANC Brenva Spur
57. DENT DU GEANT South Face
58. PIC ADOLPHE REY Salluard Route
59. MONT BLANC DU TACUL Gervasutti Couloir
60. LE MINARET South-East Spur and South Face Direct
61. AIGUILLE DU PEIGNE Vaucher Route
62. AIGUILLE DU MIDI Frendo Spur
63. PETIT CLOCHER DU PORTALET East Face and South-East Ridge
64. PIC DE ROC - GREPON Traverse
65. AIGUILLE D'ARGENTIERE North Face
66. GRANDES JORASSES Hirondelles Ridge
67. AIGUILLE DE LA BRENVA East Face
68. DENT DU CROCODILE East Ridge
69. AIGUILLE DU PLAN North Face
70. MONT MAUDIT Crétier Route
71. AIGUILLE DE BLAITIERE West Face
72. MONT BLANC DU TACUL Boccalatte Pillar
73. ROCHEFORT RIDGES - GRANDES JORASSES Traverse
74. AIGUILLE VERTE Grands Montets Ridge
75. AIGUILLE NOIRE DE PEUTEREY South Ridge
76. LES COURTES Central North-North-East Spur
77. AIGUILLE VERTE Sans Nom Ridge
78. DENT DU REQUIN North Face
79. AIGUILLE VERTE Couturier Couloir
80. PETIT DRU North Face
81. MONT BLANC Innominata Ridge
82. LES DROITES North Spur
83. AIGUILLE NOIRE DE PEUTEREY West Face
84. CHAMONIX AIGUILLES Aiguille du Midi-Grépon Traverse
85. PETITES JORASSES West Face
86. MONT BLANC DU TACUL Gervasutti PilIar
87. POINTE GUGLIERMINA South-East Face
88. AIGUILLE DU TRIOLET North Face
89. GRAND CAPUCIN East Face
90. MONT BLANC Route Major
91. AIGUILLE VERTE Nant Blanc Face
92. PETIT DRU Bonatti PiIlar
93. AIGUILLE DU FOU South Face
94. LES COURTES North Face
95. MONT BLANC Peuterey Ridge
96. GRANDES JORASSES Pointe Croz - Central Spur
97. GRANDES JORASSES Walker Spur
98. PETIT DRU West Face - American Direct
99. LES DROITES North Face
100. MONTBLANC Central Pillar of Frêney
Mountain Conditions And 
General Information
1. Weather Information: 2. General Information: 3. Train (Chamonix Valley):
    0033/450 53 1298 
     0033/8 36 35 35 35 
     0033/450530702 (train station Chamonix) 
     internet: http://www.cff.ch/
4. Bus (Chamonix Valley):
0033/450 53 0555 
 0033/450 53 0115
5. Cable Cars:
  • Aiguille du Midi: 0033/450/533080 
  • Courmayeur: Tel. 00390/165.846658, Fax 00390/165.842347
  • Phone of the Montenvers-train: ++33(0)450/531254
  • Phone of the Cable Car in Argentière: ++33(0)450/540071
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Camping And/Or Accomodation 
In The Area
There is a campingplace in Chamonix .
Maps
  • Institut Géographique National  
    		•
    Books
    1. General climbing books about the Mont Blanc Massif (rock and ice)
  • Helmut Dumler/Willi P. Burkhardt, Viertausender der Alpen. 11th ed. Munich 1998.
    ISBN 3-7633-7427-2
    (to order at amazon.de )

  • Helmut Dumler/Willi P. Burkhardt, The High Mountains of the Alps. 1994.
    ISBN 0898863783
    (to order at amazon.com )

  • Hartmut Eberlein: Mont-Blanc-Gruppe. DAV-Gebietsführer. 9th ed. Munich 2000.
    ISBN 3-7633-2414-3
    (to order at amazon.de )

  • Goedeke, Richard: The Alpine 4000m peaks by the Classic Routes. Menacha Ridge Press 1997.
    ISBN 0897321111
    (to order at amazon.com )

  • Laroche/Lelong: Die Gipfel des Montblanc. Munich 1999.
    ISBN 3-405-15693-9
    (to order at amazon.de )

  • Michel Piola: Mont Blanc Topo Guide Vol. 2 . Published by Editions Equinoxe 1993. Distributed by Cordee £17.95
    ISBN Unknown

  • Gaston Rébuffat: The Mont Blanc Massif. The 100 Finest Routes. London 1996
    ISBN 1-898573-03-4/0898864771
    (to order at amazon.de or at amazon.com )

    2. Especially ice climbing in the Mont Blanc Massif

  • Damilano/Perroux, Neige, Glace Et Mixte: Mont Blanc.Editions Ice 1996.
    ISBN 2950986803
    (to order at cordee.co.uk )

  • Erich Vanis , Im steilen Eis. Munich 1980.
    ISBN 3-405-12158-2

    3. Especially rock climbing in the Mont Blanc Massif

  • Walter Pause, Im schweren Fels: Klassische Genußklettereien. New ed.: Michael Pause. Munich et al. 1985. (=Klettern/W.Pause; Vol. 2)
    ISBN 3-405-12909-5

  • Walter Pause, Im extremen Fels: 100 Kletterführen in den Alpen. 2nd ed. Munich et al 1977.
    ISBN 3-405-11742-9

  • Michel Piola: Mont Blanc Topo Guide Vol. 1 (Rock) . Published by Editions Equinoxe 1988. Distributed by Cordee £17.95
    ISBN 90440528



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