Climbing Mont Blanc

hume

Hi,

I'm interested in climbing Mont Blanc this summer. I'm trying to find information about how you'd go about doing it. How much time would you need? How much do guides cost? Do you need guides etc.?

From what I hear its more a long tough hike than a climb. If anyone has any info or could point me in the right direction it'd be great.

Thanks

Enduro

If you've never climbed an alp before then you definitely need a guide. (A very good Irish guide lives near Chamonix... Robbie Fenlon). There are plenty of ways to get yourself killed on M Blanc, especially if you've no idea what you're doing. The easier routes up are relatively straighforward (as opposed to easy) as alpine climbing goes, but that does not mean that they're like going for a walk in the wicklow hills. You should still be harnessed, roped, and have all your snow gear, and know how to use it all properly and safely. Plus, there is the whole altitude factor. Unless you're very well aclimatised you're very likely to get some of the affects of altitude sickness. And you will tire more easily and move more slowly as a result of this.

As for how long it takes....Normally you get a cable car up a fair way, then walk to a mountain hut, where you get fed and watered, and sleep. You're woken at some ungodly hour in the morning, get a fairly naff breakfast, and then head on up to the peak. You should make it all the way back down to Chamonix on the same day, but there is always the option of breaking the descent and staying another night in one of the huts. If you hire a guide they should be able to deal with the logistics of all this.

Don't let this put you off, but hopefully it will give you a more realistic idea of what's involved.

There is tons of info out on the internet about all this.

testicle

Enduro wrote: »

A very good Irish guide lives near Chamonix... Robbie Fenlon

Are his prices still twice those of the local guides?

hume

So what sort of prices are you looking at then. From the internet it varies from around €750 to €2000. This seems pretty pricey. I'd intend to go up a fairly straightforward route staying in the hut on the way up.

All the ones I've seen online seem to be big commercial operations. Can you get individuals who live around Chamonix who'd bring a group of around four?

I apprecaiate that Mont Blanc would be quite difficult but i'd say I'm quite fit. From what I've read alot of people climb it every year so it couldn't be all that bad a climb.

Evil Phil

Have you thought about the Irish Alpine Meet? They run courses for beginners at a resonable price and you'll meet loads of other climbers there.

Here's the details.

I haven't climbed Mont Blanc, was going to do it , until a knee operation got in the way, but I've walked, and climbed a bit in the Alps.
I would say fitness is only part of the equation, experience is what is more important, hence the need for the guide.
Mont blanc is not a technical climb as such, but there are a few tricky bits.

do a google on deaths and mont blanc for a laugh.

list of guides in chamonix, below


http://www.chamonix.net/english/mountain_guides/independent_guides.htm

hume

I got a quote there for €1,250 sterling for 6 days with instruction for the first three days and then Mont Blanc on any of the last three depending on weather. That includes gear and accomodation. That's €1,600.

Does anyone know how that compares to what you could or should be paying (Is this at the top end or around the middle)

Has anyone gone with any particular guides that they could recommend for similar or lower prices. I see 6 day trips on the net for less than €1,000.

Enduro

Have you thought about the Irish Alpine Meet? They run courses for beginners at a resonable price and you'll meet loads of other climbers there.

Thats the best recommendation on this thread. If you want to learn enough to be able to climb Mt Blanc without a guide then thats a very good starting point. You'll also meet up with loads of other paddy alpinists, and might even find someone who also wants to climb mt Blanc who you could team up with.

testicle

hume wrote: »

I got a quote there for €1,250 sterling for 6 days with instruction for the first three days and then Mont Blanc on any of the last three depending on weather. That includes gear and accomodation. That's €1,600.

Does anyone know how that compares to what you could or should be paying (Is this at the top end or around the middle)

Has anyone gone with any particular guides that they could recommend for similar or lower prices. I see 6 day trips on the net for less than €1,000.

Way too expensive.

This company who I have dealt with before, and have found to be extremely competent. I would highly recommend them. The unfortunate thing is that their website is in French. The same course that you are doing is €899 including all accomodation, and food when on the mountain.

http://www.stagexpe.com/

If there are enough people (4 I think, they will do it for 2, but it is slightly more expensive) they will give you an English speaking guide.

jerrymc

did you make it up mt blanc, any advice re not using a guide

burly

hey mate,

we just recently booked ourselves in for a guided ascent of Mont Blanc next June.

We spent a month researching and researching, and in the end, decided its worth getting a guide, price of guides range from around 1100 to 1800 as far as we could see.

Plety of guide companies out there! Just spend a couple of hours on google and you'l get all the info you need, there are literally thousands of pages on MB.

Carawaystick

jerrymc wrote: »

did you make it up mt blanc, any advice re not using a guide

Ah the new year resolution post

You could climb without a guide, going on the Gouter ridge route.
You get a train to the Nid d'Aigle, ad follow everyone up to the Gouter refuge for the night ( well evening) then get up with everyone else and head off about 1:30am to try get up for sunrise.

There's some objective danger crossing the grand couloir and on the ridge up to the Gouter refuge you could dislodge or be hit by dislodged rocks.

If you hillwalk here try do the reeks ridge walk or climb Ben Corr in Conemara, for some exposure and stamina training, there's no preperation possible in Ireland for Glacier travel bar practicing ice ax arresting and how to rope up, but It's not the same

rf1980

testicle wrote: »

Way too expensive.

This company who I have dealt with before, and have found to be extremely competent. I would highly recommend them. The unfortunate thing is that their website is in French. The same course that you are doing is €899 including all accomodation, and food when on the mountain.

http://www.stagexpe.com/

If there are enough people (4 I think, they will do it for 2, but it is slightly more expensive) they will give you an English speaking guide.

I just climbed Mont Blanc with stagexpe. Did the 6 day trip http://uk.stagexpe.com/node/55 and found it very good. The guide spoke English (although fairly broken - but could understand him). The tour I did was for 6 days (3 days training and 3 days climbing Mont Blanc). I would recommend this approach as the 3 days training gives you a good idea if you will make it to the top or not. If you cannot manage this then maybe you should not do the Mont Blanc ascent.