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Mont Blanc is like a magnet to mountaineers and non mountaineers alike with the attraction being that it is a big, high, snowy, and highly visible, sitting impressively above Chamonix which is just over an hour away from Geneva airport.

So, how about an ascent of Mont Blanc in a weekend? Well it has been done but I would not recommend it. You would probably finish up not making the summit, hitting some lousy weather and getting a stinking headache from Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) in the process. Although you won’t die from Acute Mountain Sickness (provided that it is dealt with quickly and efficiently) many have wished that they would do at the time they were suffering. However, with a little more time, forethought, planning and preparation, and the fact that Mont Blanc is not a technically difficult mountain, many thousands reach for the summit each year.

Ease of access from virtually every major city in Europe combined with a limited requirement in technical competence does make Mont Blanc a highly attractive and attainable prize. Any reasonably fit person with a good head for heights and in possession of the basic skills for taking on fairly steep snow, ice and rock stands a good chance of reaching the summit. One word of warning though, it is a big, high mountain which any serious summit attempt will leave you exposed to glacier crossings, freezing temperatures and (potentially) sudden and dramatic changes in the weather: any one of these can kill.

The Mountain

Mont Blanc is 4807 metres high with the summit consisting of a snowy dome at the high point of two opposing ridges, both of which are almost entirely in France. The Italian Summit of Monti Bianco du Courmayer is a little way off to the south over what most climbers regard as the darker more mysterious side of the mountain in spite of it being south facing.

That said, it is the French summit and the two opposing ridges that most people will be attracted to. The Grande Mulet glacier stretching down from the North West (Gouter) ridge towards the Plan d le Aguille was a popular way of ascent at one time but these days is used almost exclusively for descent; especially in recent hot summers where the lower half of the glacier has been riddled with crevasses after mid season.

So, ascent by either of the two (north east/north west) ridges, with the possibility of combining them in ascent and descent for a complete traverse is the way to go - although a full traverse does increase the difficulty, commitment and level of planning. There is also the potential of a partial traverse by using the Grande Mulet for descent but please be wary that after mid season this may be impassable.

The North East Ridge rises from the snowy plateau beneath the Aiguille du Midi cable car station and is reached from the Col du Midi via the relatively easy slopes of Mont Blanc du Tacul. There follows a traverse to the Col Maudit, then a high diagonal traversing line over the shoulder of Mont Maudit to Col Brenva and the broad, and generally straightforward snow and ice ridge to the summit of Mont Blanc. However this is not a place to be caught in poor visibility and the winds can be particularly numbing.

The North West ridge is clearly visible from Chamonix as a well defined crest which culminates at a generally rocky point of the Aiguille du Gouter. The ridge is accessed from Les Houches some 5 or 6 kilometres down the valley from Chamonix via the telephereique to Belle Vue and Mont Blanc tramway to Nid d’Aigle which is about a three hour hike from the Tete Rousse refuge.

From the refuge there is a potentially dangerous crossing of the Grande Couloir before taking an easy but exposed line up a rock ridge to the Refuge du Gouter where according to plans you will either stay the night (I doubt whether you’ll sleep) or move on up the hill in the grey light of dawn. From the Refuge du Gouter it’s up fairly straightforward snow slopes before the final narrow crest above the emergency Refuge Vallot.

Whichever ridge you choose to ascend you should be leaving the Refuge as early as 1 a.m., on the summit somewhere between 6 and 9 am, the earlier the better, so giving yourself plenty of time to descend to the valley before the sun gets to work softening the snow. Later in the day loose rocks can become a real hazard especially if descending via the Gouter ridge and Grand Couloir. Anytime after midday and it might feel that you are crossing a giant bowling alley with you as the pin.

As with the choice of routes there are variations of how you might tackle Mont Blanc. As an example you might choose to attempt the mountain with a couple of friends. If so, at least one of the party really needs to be a competent and experienced alpinist. Although the climb is not technically difficult it is a high mountain with all the associated dangers of glacier crossing, route finding difficulties and subject to rapid changes of weather and temperature.

You will also need to be competent travelling on steep snow, ice and rock and in the use of crampons (metal spikes for the feet) and ice axe. Also, you need to understand the dangers you might be getting yourself and colleagues into. Mountain refuges will have to be reserved beforehand if you are to get a bed for the night (woe betide anyone that doesn’t have a reservation) and don’t forget the acclimatisation so as to avoid AMS.

If you intend taking a Guide you will still need to attain a reasonable level of fitness, learn basic movement on snow and ice using crampons and ice axes, have a steady head for heights, and acclimatisation, which is absolutely vital. Also, a little bit of mental fitness goes amiss, especially so when you are tired, cold, sunburnt part dehydrated.

Most Guiding companies and individual guides will offer bespoke Mont Blanc trips which will generally be inclusive of 5 or 6 days acclimatisation and training before the actual ascent. During this time the Guide will assess your fitness level and competence as well is improving your existing skill levels before deciding which route is appropriate for the prevailing weather and conditions. In short, the Guide makes all the difficult decisions; you just concentrate on climbing the mountain…..

Whichever way you do Mont Blanc, with reasonable levels of fitness, good luck with the weather and either some expert guidance or good all round mountaineering experience you should be back in the valley by mid afternoon having had a memorable experience. All that is required now is a large cold beer, (or two) which should leave you feeling really satisfied - okay, you might be feeling a little tired and sore but hey, that all adds to that satisfying feeling.

Who’s Writing?

Born near Stockport and brought up on the Cheshire/Derbyshire border Mals formative years were spent in the Peak District from where it was a natural progression to Wales, The Lakes, Scotland and the annual pilgrimage to the Alps.

Mal is a former head of department at Plas y Brenin, gained the MIC in 1977 and qualified as a Guide in 1979. He has operated as a professional Mountain Guide and Instructor for over 30 years and is a member of Association of Mountaineering Instructors, the British Mountain Guides, and Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team.

A regular contributor to outdoor publications, (dubbed ‘the Voice of God’ by at least two of these) and co-writer of several instructional books on Rock Climbing Mal now works for Mountain Leader Training England as Development Officer and as the Publicity Officer for the British Mountain Guides.