Preparing for Mont Blanc - Grand Paridiso ascent

It's important to give some time for ones body to acclimatise to the higher altitude especially for those of us living at  or not very high above sea level. It usually takes around 4 to 6 days to feel comfortable above 3500metres depending on ones fitness level and body type.  It is also a good  idea to try another high mountain before attempting Mont Blanc. This time we climbed the Grand Paridiso.

Nick climbing the final little rock tower to the summit, thanks for the photo Owen!

Owen, Pauls and Nick on the summit.

Mont Blanc training days

Before climbing Mont Blanc many people come for  few days guided instruction where we cover a vast array of mountaineering skills such as;

How to use crampons and ice axes for ice climbing and general mountaineering, including rope work and how to tie on to the rope and how to take rope coils.

 Paula and Owen scrambling on rock ridges and safely moving together

Paula climbing

Pauls and Nick on the Aig D'Entreves

Glacier travel rope work.

Chamonix days and Mont Blanc

Over the past days i have been guiding for Mountain Tracks and its been a jolly good time with almost all the group reaching the summit of Mont Blanc yesterday but for my own client Patryk who after climbing the Gran Paridiso and doing some other acclimatisation forays felt ill at the Refuge Vallot so  prudently he decided to turn around. We did take in the summit of the Dome du Goutier on the way back down.

The cave exit from the Ag du Midi onto the arete

Early morning light on the Grand Jorasses

Mont Blanc summit and col do Dome

Patryk 

\

Mont Blanc with Robert and Adventure Consultants.

We have had a blast on Mont Blanc.

Thanks Cosmin for this Photo of Robert ( on the right) and I  nearing the summit

IFMGA guide Cosmin with his client Jimmy on their return  from the summit as we  ( Robert and I ) were making our way up.

Robert on the summit.

Summit selfie

On the descent, the Vallot refuge in the background

Mont Blanc week with Adventure Consultants

As a IFMGA guide its cool to get the opportunity to work again with Adventure Consultants    This week my companion has been Robert who is super friendly and super fit! We started the week rock climbing then some days up acclimatising and covering various skills based from the Torino Refuge in preparation for an ascent of Mont Blanc.

Pillar Rouge de Brouillard- climb with Kacper Tekieli

and so to continue our climbing adventure:

Climbing in the dark.... Kacper

And the upper pitches

A well deserved Pizza in "Little Boxes," Chamonix.

me, on a lower pitch

We climbed the first 5 pitches of  of Les Anneaux Maguises and then after that the upper pitches of the Bonatti.. It's true climbing on every pitch..... really superb. And then Mont Blanc summit to finish with a cosy night in the Refuge Goutier, thank you Antoine and staff!

Brouillard face , Italian side Mont Blanc

My very good friend Kacper gave me the inspiration and confidence to go and climb a big alpine route on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. I'm 63 and soon to be 64 so it was big deal for me.
That side of Mont Blanc is mind blowing and truly superb... It holds a massive history!

Kasper on the glacier approach to the Eccles bivi hut

Inside the bivi hut

The Eccles Bivi hut

We decided to combine two routes so we did the first five pitches of Les Anneaux Magiues and then finished the climb to the top via the Bonatti route on the Pillar Rouge de Brouillard.