This is my experience of climbing the highest mountain in Western Europe. A multi-day trek through snow and glaciers, to reach the peak where modern mountaineering was born. An adventure I couldn't recommend more highly.
Introduction
Mont Blanc is a 4,808m tall mountain on the border between France & Italy. The peak is dazzling white from year round snow and glaciers, owing to the name. It lies at the centre of the Mont Blanc Massif, one of the most iconic ranges in the Alps. This area has become a playground for adventurers of all outdoor pursuits, but especially mountaineers who dream of reaching the summit. Most expeditions centre around Chamonix; a beautiful village whose main square stares up at the peak.
Joined by Niall & Will, I reached the summit at 6:00am on the 2nd of June 2023. This is the story of that climb.
History
Modern mountaineering can be traced back to Horace Bénédict de Saussure; a Swiss physicist who was fascinated by Alpine geology & botany, as well as altitude and its effects. In 1760, he offered prize money to whoever could reach the summit first, though still continued with his own attempts for years to come. While searching for routes he walked a 100 mile loop around the entire mountain range, which credits him as the pioneer of the Tour du Mont Blanc, Europe's most famous thru-hike. This hike is what brought me to Chamonix in 2022, and inspired my summit climb less than one year later. But back to the first attempts:
Michel-Gabriel Paccard lived a poor life, travelling and selling crystals, until he too became obsessed with the peak. He spent years assessing routes and attempting the summit, which made locals think him crazy and almost certain to die penniless in his pursuit. In 1784, he hired Dr. Jacques Balmat of Chamonix as a porter, with the two making several summit bids together. In 1786, they were followed by telescope as they made an attempt in perfect weather. Two days later they reached the peak, with news spreading fast and Saussure personally paying the prize money.
Exactly one year after this, Saussure was guided up the same route, along with 18 servants and guides, spending a day on the summit conducting experiments. He recorded the most accurate elevation measurement to date, and found that water boils at 82°C up there.
Paccard's legacy was foundational to Western mountaineering expeditions, right up to the summiting of Mount Everest almost 200 years later. He risked his time, money and reputation in pursuit of what was considered impossible. However, his damaged name in Chamonix left him lost to history for a time, with the spotlight focussed on the more respectable Dr. Balmat.
For the 100 year anniversary in 1887, a bronze statue was unveiled showing Balmat and Saussure, pointing to the peak in excitement at having announced a successful summit. It would be the bicentenary in 1987 when a second statue was added 50 meters away, showing a more contemplative Paccard looking up at the peak. These statues are my favourite spot in Chamonix.
Preparation & Planning
The most popular way to climb Mont Blanc is via the Goûter Route. Unless you're experienced in glacier travel, crevasse rescue and Alpine navigation then a guided climb is a far safer option. Roughly 100 people die on Mont Blanc every year so it's not somewhere to take chances. Paul Swail is an Irish guide living in Chamonix who was recommended to me. I chose one of his set dates in May and had a great experience climbing with him. You can climb between May & September, but going earlier avoids the risk of rockfalls and closures from excessive thawing.
The standard six day format includes two days climbing the highest mountain entirely in Italy; Gran Paradiso (4,061m), an acclimatisation day on Aiguille du Midi (3,842m), and then three days for the summit bid on Mont Blanc (4,808m). This is a great option to allow acclimatisation, getting to know the group, and a chance to learn more skills. The cost of this was €2,150 and included guides, transport, mountain huts and food. There is usually six clients on these trips, plus two guides for days 1 to 3, and three guides for days 4 to 6 (higher ratio is mandated for Mont Blanc itself).
For gear, I rented boots and crampons which I'd recommend rather than buying, unless you're confident in your need for a highly insulated single layer boot. I had all the other clothing I'd need already, and just had to buy a helmet, harness, ice axe and thick gloves in Chamonix. You could rent everything if needed though. All nights were spent in indoor dorms so just a light sleeping bag was enough, and my only regret is not having good quality sunglasses for the trip; I'd highly recommend Julbo Shields.
Flights from Dublin to Geneva cost €75 each way, then a short bus to Chamonix. My hostel was €15 with free breakfast/lunch, so I arrived a few days early to do some shopping, watch the paragliders flying above, and get settled in before meeting the team.
Gran Paradiso
We all met at a café in town. Pat, Pádraig and Séamus were chirpy and outgoing, telling stories of climbing Island peak in Nepal two years ago, and of their attempt on Mont Blanc last year. Niall had done lots of caving and climbing, but had minimal snow experience like me. That would be our group of five Irish, bonded by our guides Paul & Will who laid out the plan, checked our gear and got us moving after coffees. We drove through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Italy, had one more café stop, and parked at the trail head of Gran Paradiso.
The first day is chilled out and easy. Very steep trails are taken slowly for acclimatisation sake, and tree cover provided relief from the midday heat. There were streams, mountain chalets and a water trough where we stopped for a break. When we emerged from the trees after 500m of elevation gain, we saw an open expanse of snow and cool air. The trail meandered deeper into the mountains, arriving at Chabod Hut (2,750m).
The hut is a beautiful stone chalet on a ridge with views of the entire valley. It's framed by Gran Paradiso behind and I thought the world looked far snowier from up here. We had a private room with bunk beds and a nice dinner that evening, with time otherwise spent chatting at the tables outside. Our bags were prepared early, packed with a bare minimum of kit for the summit, and the rest we'd leave here. There was an amazing sunset and stars that night which Niall & I waited out to see, then with alarms set for 4:00am we got some sleep.
A basic breakfast, then a nervous gearing up and we were walking by 5:00am. No wind or clouds, just a bright moon lighting the wet trail ahead. Trickling streams turned to ice and snow as we climbed, eventually stopping to put on crampons and harnesses. The snow was crunchy and hard, making the rolling peaks easy to climb, but it felt like a long slog. The colours of sunset arrived soon after and the day lit up around us.
When we reached the main glacier we roped up; with Niall & I attached by long rope to Will as we navigated around the signs of crevasses (deep open cracks in the ice, often covered by snow). The rope is shortened for steep sections in case of slips, and lengthened again when back in crevasse territory. Keeping light tension on the rope in front of you is the main focus as you take your slow steps.
At 7:30am we reached an exposed col with very strong winds. We moved quickly up the slopes to stay warm, only finding shelter from the wind at the final climb to the summit. We had been using our ice axes like walking sticks, but from here sunk them deep to give solid purchase on the way up. The last section is a ladder and a climb over an awkward rock, bringing us to the summit at 8:45am. A metal statue of Mary looks spot welded from lightning strikes, and every other peak seems tiny from up here. We took lots of photos before heading onward.
Although we were alone on the summit, we followed the one way system to avoid climbing down that ladder and rock. This included a narrow ridge, then an exposed cliff where you put all your weight on icy ledges. I now know that crampons will grab on anything, but at the time I hated testing that. The rest of the descent was fast and fun. We passed the others who were roped to Paul, and in 2.5hrs were back at Chabod Hut. When the guys caught up we celebrated with lunch, and continued the fast descent down to Italy, and back to France for a well deserved shower and dinner. It was definitely difficult, but I was feeling strong and optimistic.
Aiguille du Midi
The next morning we met at the main gondola station which goes up to 3,842m on Aiguille du Midi; one of France's most popular tourist attractions. The name means Midday Needle because the sharp summit casts a shadow through the main square in Chamonix at exactly noon. On the way up we met hikers and skiiers headed for Mont Blanc via different routes, and saw complex ski slopes which involve abseils or end with paragliding. As we disappeared into clouds it seemed like the lift could rise forever.
We had no visibility on top, but it was still cool. Tourists walk between view points and information signs in the station, but everyone with mountaineering equipment heads for the same carved ice tunnel. We needed all our gear and a short rope on before exiting into the blinding light of a steep, snowy arête (a sharp ridge caused by glacial erosion). I kept tension on Niall's rope as we slowly descended down into the mountain range. It genuinely amazed me how that tunnel seemed to teleport you from civilisation to wilderness.
We had planned for Niall & I to do a climb up Cosmiques Ridge with Will today, but after an hour getting to the top we were stuck behind a huge training group from the French army. Rather than queueing for two hours, we went back down and explored the snowy basin, walked along another short ridge, and then met the others in a hut for some coffee. It was a short day, really just to get us up at altitude again, and before long we were climbing the steep arête back to the ice tunnel. I stayed up an extra hour to explore the touristy station and its museum, then back down to get a big dinner and make my final preparations for tomorrow.
Mont Blanc
The day had come! Bright and early we drove to the next town over; Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, where we met Dan; our third guide from here on. Normally you take a gondola from the town, then a funicular train to the start of the Goûter Route, but these weren't open for the season yet. Walking the train tracks was tough in heavy boots, but from the top we put on our crampons and it felt good to be back on snow. We left the official start point at 9:30am.
Today was perfectly clear, with the sharp tip of Aiguille du Midi particularly obvious to us now. We climbed steep slopes to the main glacier, then put on our long ropes to meander through. It was very warm and sunny, which made the snow soft and slushy in places. It was a reminder of why summit bids begin so early. I appreciated how the air cooled slightly as we rose, and after one steep slope we reached the first hut; Tête Rousse (3,167m). There were snowmen outside, and a table with chairs carved into the snow. A helipad behind the hut showed how supplies are dropped up (and explained the high prices). We were sat outside the hut at 12:30pm.
The next section is the Grand Couloir; a deep gully that's infamous for rockfalls late in the day. Niall, Will & I were well ahead of the others and chose to keep going to get through early. A rope guides the crossing and from stories of accidents you expect to move fast, but it's actually very slow and controlled. Constant looking up, listening into the silence, so you're ready to react if needed. There was good snow cover today (a benefit to climbing early in the season), but we still saw a rockfall ten minutes after we crossed. This section is nerve wracking.
From here it's a steep scramble up to the Goûter Ridge. Icy rocks that must be climbed over and around, often pulling yourself up with chains and metal wires fixed to the mountain. It's simple climbing, but towards the top when you've a 600 meter drop below I can see how it would be daunting. We stayed on a short rope for it all, providing tension for each other where needed, though the rope was more annoying than anything at times. We needed ice axes to get up the final snowy ridge, which brought us to the award winning Goûter Hut (3,815m). We left our boots in the wet room below, and were relaxing in the cosy dining room with overly expensive cookies and hot chocolate by 2:30pm.
The others arrived about an hour later, joined also by Jake Holland who was going on a trip to Pakistan with Will in a few days, and was taking the opportunity to get some extra acclimatisation in. It was a funny mixing of worlds, as I knew Jake from years of kayaking in Italy. We had a great night chatting in the exceptionally beautiful hut, getting massively ripped off with €9 water bottles (I'd boil snow if I was here again).
There's a guide meeting before dinner, where those who summited today discuss conditions and the forecast with those going tomorrow. They set the early breakfast time at this meeting and picked 2:00am. The dinner was very basic for €47.20, but was included in our trip cost so no issue (again I'd likely bring my own food next time). I went out to see the stars when the sun set and am glad I did, then off to bed. The rooms were cosy and warm, but with alarms set for 1:30am there wasn't much time to enjoy them!
After a basic breakfast, we were gearing up. My bag just had water and some bars, with all my clothes on me. Niall & I attached to Will and plowed on ahead. Pat & Pádraig attached to Paul, and Séamus who had been struggling progressed slowly with Dan. The night sky was stunning. The bright moon lit the slope ahead to the point that I rarely used my head torch. We had set off at 2:40am, and I felt great.
The inclines were mostly gentle, but felt long and relentless, requiring side stepping the whole way to save our calves. The first big climb brought us onto the Goûter Dome at 4:00am, which would be the last flat area before the summit. The dome descends to the base of todays real climb, and from there we started zig zagging upwards. We arrived at an emergency shelter where we stuck our single hiking poles in the snow and continued with just the ice axes. This was at 4:30am.
A sharp, snowy ridge meandered up from here. It had constant false peaks as we skirted around ice walls and cliffs. Painfully steep, then easing to reveal yet another peak ahead. The sun began to rise on the Italian side, and revealed the extent of the views. Looking behind was surreal, but I kept plodding along and focussed on my breathing through it all. Niall was feeling the altitude and the cold so we kept moving. It actually confused me just how many false summits there were, to the point that I didn't expect the final one to be the real summit either, but suddenly at 6:00am it levelled off.
The top is amazing. A massive flat area with no other peak even remotely this tall. Aiguille du Midi looks tiny, and far in the distance you can see peaks in Switzerland and all across the Alps. It's a little overwhelming because you can see so much but you don't know where to look. I followed the route of the Tour du Mont Blanc as best as I could, finally closing the door on that adventure as I had wanted to.
I got some selfies and unclipped from the ropes to get a handstand photo. Jake had caught up at this point too, so he took a photo of us, before setting up his paraglider and flying down from the summit (he was home in two hours). We instead made our way back down the ridge, passing the rest of our team on the way and wishing them luck.
I took lots of photos on the way down, loving how the gleaming white snow looked in them. We were back in the Goûter Hut grabbing our other gear at 8:15am, and after a short break we got down the scramble and across the Grand Coulour to wait at the Tête Rousse Hut for the others. Pat, Pádraig & Paul arrived soon after having made the summit, but unfortunately Séamus had been helicoptered down due to severe altitude sickness.
It was a quick descent from there, sliding down channels in the snow where possible and wrecking our feet descending on the train tracks, but none of us really cared by then. After a long day, we were sat at a bar in Chamonix by 3:00pm, reunited with Séamus who was feeling fine again and had a wild story of getting back from hospital.
The sixth day in the itinerary was a contingency one in case the weather had been bad, but having been blessed all week I was looking forward to relaxing during it. The others all planned a spa day, and I made time to have ice cream beside my favourite statues, staring up at the now conquered peak. Chamonix is a town I love to wander and I did lots of that, saying goodbye for now to the team and this place, curious what my next big mountain adventure would be.
Afterthoughts
The Goûter Route is brilliant. Not easy, but it is accessible, especially with an itinerary like this. I would recommend staying in the Goûter Hut rather than the Tête Rousse Hut, both for the shorter summit night and because of how cool it is. The huts book out months in advance so guides often have their dates fixed before advertising trips. If you end up in the Tête Rousse Hut it's probably due to booking late. I loved the steep scramble up to the Goûter Ridge, but was glad not to do it during our summit night.
Paul & Will were fantastic leaders and I was always confident with them. There can be a laid back nature to trips like this, with no rush getting up to huts on those first days, or in having flexibility to weather and contingency days. As someone who plans everything I think I expected more structure at times, but in hindsight I couldn't recommend the whole climb more highly and think I learnt a huge amount throughout it too.
The team were great also. Unfortunate that Séamus didn't make the summit, but at least he's safe and well if he decides to try again. All the lads were fun and friendly which helps the whole process and I'd be happy to climb with any of them in the future. Obviously I spent most of the trip tied to Will & Niall so I saw more of them. I felt very lucky that the three of us all shared the same fast pace, especially on summit night, and I really enjoyed chatting with the lads during and after. Will's annual trips to Pakistan where he combines paragliding, skiing and climbing to reach some of the worlds most remote peaks are genuinely inspirational to hear about.
As for gear, I was warm and comfortable on what was a chilly summit night. The boots were great, and I'm glad I rented them as Elbrus or similar mountains would need a different boot again. The biggest failure on my part was wearing a cheap pair of sunglasses, which fried the eyes out of my head. They were burnt and sore for a week after and I had to get eye drops to help. Before leaving Chamonix I bought a pair of Julbo Shields (Reactiv 2-4), the same ones the guides recommended, and won't be doing any similar climb without them.
All in all, it was a trip filled with learning. It opened my eyes to the world of Alpinism and lit a spark for what's to come. It's an experience that was invaluable to me, especially given the great people I got to meet along the way, so looking back the price feels like great value. I've fallen in love with Chamonix and look forward to going back, though I now have so many mountains in my head that I may be much more of a mountaineer when that time comes. Lots of ideas on the horizon.
More Photos
Goûter Route
