With Tom, Edern, Aurélien and Raf, we climb Mont Blanc via the Aiguilles Grises: the Miage Glacier, a night at Gonella and a long climb to the summit.
If you’re looking for a different way to climb Mont Blanc, the Aiguilles Grises route is a fine option. The climbing is technically manageable for a well-prepared team, but you do need good legs! The second day involves about 1,800 m of ascent, all above 3,000 m.
Tom, Edern, Aurélien, Raf and I set out as two rope teams on this Himalayan-looking side of Mont Blanc.
J1 — From the Miage Glacier to the Gonella hut
Good snowfields make the walk up the Miage Glacier pleasantly straightforward. It’s hard to take your eyes off this side of Mont Blanc, guarded by huge rock buttresses and enormous glaciers. Everything feels oversized here!
The climb to Gonella, with 1,500 m of ascent and a few sections with cables and ladders, is a proper warm-up day in its own right. The hut was brand new when we visited. They did a fine job. It’s a comfortable place to be, and what a view!
J2 — From the Aiguilles Grises to the summit of Mont Blanc
The biggest drawback of coming this way is the alarm. Midnight! Ouch. Our eyes sting as we sit down to a breakfast of rusks. Best get going before the bed starts calling again…
A traverse across the slope brings us to the Glacier du Dôme. The glacier is in very good shape when we cross it, with an excellent overnight freeze. A few snow bridges give us a glimpse of what it might be like in a leaner snow year.
Most of the climb is in the dark and it goes smoothly. We soon reach the Piton des Italiens. A short, narrow stretch of ridge leads onto the welcoming shoulder of the Dôme du Goûter. The team is going well, and the acclimatisation has clearly helped!
At the Col du Goûter we meet the first teams up from the hut. This is where you have to keep going. There’s still a long way along the Bosses ridge, and the Goûter hut looks awfully inviting…
But the whole gang is full of energy, and in a few strides we seem to fly to the summit! It’s hardly warm up there, but we still make the most of it.
Practical Info / Route Topo
J1 — The Miage Glacier and Gonella hut
- Approach via the Miage Glacier, then climb to the Gonella hut with about 1,500 m of ascent and a few sections with cables and ladders.
J2 — The Aiguilles Grises and Mont Blanc summit
- Set off in the dark, climb the Glacier du Dôme and pass the Piton des Italiens, then cross the Dôme and Col du Goûter before reaching the summit along the Bosses ridge.
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