backcountry journal
April 06
Being mid April the early spring alpinist season was just starting up so the hut was a little busy with several different mountaineering parties staying the night to access what ever turned them on the next day. Some were heading to do ice climbing, others rock climbing, and some just living up there for acclimatisation and training before the start of the Himalayan climbing season (at least, that is what I overheard one gentleman say). It went without question that we were attempting a more difficult route early in the climbing season. A few people had attempted our route in the previous week but we had no news of the conditions they encountered. It is a general rule that no one does this route in mid-winter when Mont Blanc is inaccessible to all but the most experienced mountaineers.
Our primary concern was the ice and general hardness of the snow, particularly climbing Mont Maudit. Being snowboarders, we would be wearing snowboard boots. I sometime snowboard in hard shell AT ski boots and really wished I had them then. Although, that would have been little good as the rest of the team would have been in soft boots (except for one guide on skis). The problem with snowboard boots is that they are mostly too soft for difficult mountaineering, hence the popularity of AT boots. The other benefit of AT boots is that you can use much lighter and far more reliable plate bindings. I don't like nor trust recreational snowboard strap bindings when it gets cold and the riding more intense. Our attitude was to give it a go and see how far we would get. I really didn't want to fail just because of my boots.
That evening we ate the excellent food available in the hut and played cards over a few beers. No one was feeling very comfortable. For some reason I started to feel quite ill, and another guy disappeared for a while, looking a bit green. For me it was a mixture of excited anticipation and I suppose the effects of altitude, although just sitting around at what was for me a familiar height should not have had much influence. We were a little concerned about the amount of sleep we were (not) going to get. To hike the expect 8 to 10 hours would require a nice sleep of perhaps 6 hours, that meant going to bed at 8pm. Dinner was not served until 7.30pm and my sleep time was disappearing. After enjoying the sunset and drinking 3 litres of water I think I managed to get to bed at 9pm. We had all been told it was going to be a hard day tomorrow.
Our primary concern was the ice and general hardness of the snow, particularly climbing Mont Maudit. Being snowboarders, we would be wearing snowboard boots. I sometime snowboard in hard shell AT ski boots and really wished I had them then. Although, that would have been little good as the rest of the team would have been in soft boots (except for one guide on skis). The problem with snowboard boots is that they are mostly too soft for difficult mountaineering, hence the popularity of AT boots. The other benefit of AT boots is that you can use much lighter and far more reliable plate bindings. I don't like nor trust recreational snowboard strap bindings when it gets cold and the riding more intense. Our attitude was to give it a go and see how far we would get. I really didn't want to fail just because of my boots.
That evening we ate the excellent food available in the hut and played cards over a few beers. No one was feeling very comfortable. For some reason I started to feel quite ill, and another guy disappeared for a while, looking a bit green. For me it was a mixture of excited anticipation and I suppose the effects of altitude, although just sitting around at what was for me a familiar height should not have had much influence. We were a little concerned about the amount of sleep we were (not) going to get. To hike the expect 8 to 10 hours would require a nice sleep of perhaps 6 hours, that meant going to bed at 8pm. Dinner was not served until 7.30pm and my sleep time was disappearing. After enjoying the sunset and drinking 3 litres of water I think I managed to get to bed at 9pm. We had all been told it was going to be a hard day tomorrow.
A very cold sunset from the balcony of the Cosmiques Hut
I wasn't particularly tired, rather I was very excited and 3500m is enough altitude to disturb your sleep. A room full of snoring mountaineers didn't help either. I lay in bed for 3 hours without once falling asleep. The more I worried about not sleeping, the more I couldn't sleep. I think I visited the bathroom 3 times as well. The whole crazy time my mind was racing about the next day. There was no way I would fall asleep. At a little past midnight I realised that any attempt to sleep was a farce and got out of bed. Ten minutes later a few other guys joined me in the gear room and we dressed, put on our avalanche beacons and climbing harnesses and generally checked our gear ready for departure. I felt exactly like you do when you have sat up all night without any sleep: dazed and groggy. Over breakfast I looked at my watch and then reality came to me. It was 1am and we were eating bowls of cereal, fully dressed and about to head out the font door. With a strange feeling I packed 3 litres of water and walked out into the cold night.
Just before leaving I spoke with two German ski mountaineers who were also preparing to depart on another trip. They asked where we were going, I told them, they pointed at our snowboard boots and said we weren't going to make it. We had a quick chat about the disadvantages of strap-on bindings with flexible boots. They thought it was still too early in spring and the Mont Maudit face would beat us due to rock hard frozen snow and ice.
Heading off from the hut was quite simply surreal and I am sure we were all wondering what the hell we were doing. With no proper research or my usual mental preparation I had taken a quantum leap into this world. There were 3 guides and 5 clients in the summit team. I had gotten to know the other guys over the previous days warming up and they were a very likeable collection of mountain companions, which for me was one of the highlights of the entire event. Each of them had attempted the summit at the same time of year with the same guides in the past. For some, it was their third attempt! I had never even used an ice axe properly and had to borrow one in the valley. It was very dark and so we chose not to snowboard the 200m or so down to the foot of the Tacul, opting instead to use our snowshoes. Along the way I came to terms with the first few footsteps in what we expected to be an 8 to 10 hour journey to the summit. It sounds stupid, but as we left the hut I gave myself a little mental lecture on never giving up and winning. It had to be done, as I knew there was uncertainty in my stomach.
Mont Blanc du Tacul is an easy 3 hour climb with 700m of vertical ascent over snowy crevassed ground, although I had never been up it before. The previous evening we looked at it from the hut, but now it was 2am and pitch black. We all roped up and set off. I was on a rope with our guide, Neil, and Steve from Scotland. He had broken his back the previous year and was concerned about his fitness. I was in the middle of the rope with him behind me and although I felt his weight a few times he did absolutely fine, in fact I recon he got us there later on when it was tough.
Just before leaving I spoke with two German ski mountaineers who were also preparing to depart on another trip. They asked where we were going, I told them, they pointed at our snowboard boots and said we weren't going to make it. We had a quick chat about the disadvantages of strap-on bindings with flexible boots. They thought it was still too early in spring and the Mont Maudit face would beat us due to rock hard frozen snow and ice.
Heading off from the hut was quite simply surreal and I am sure we were all wondering what the hell we were doing. With no proper research or my usual mental preparation I had taken a quantum leap into this world. There were 3 guides and 5 clients in the summit team. I had gotten to know the other guys over the previous days warming up and they were a very likeable collection of mountain companions, which for me was one of the highlights of the entire event. Each of them had attempted the summit at the same time of year with the same guides in the past. For some, it was their third attempt! I had never even used an ice axe properly and had to borrow one in the valley. It was very dark and so we chose not to snowboard the 200m or so down to the foot of the Tacul, opting instead to use our snowshoes. Along the way I came to terms with the first few footsteps in what we expected to be an 8 to 10 hour journey to the summit. It sounds stupid, but as we left the hut I gave myself a little mental lecture on never giving up and winning. It had to be done, as I knew there was uncertainty in my stomach.
Mont Blanc du Tacul is an easy 3 hour climb with 700m of vertical ascent over snowy crevassed ground, although I had never been up it before. The previous evening we looked at it from the hut, but now it was 2am and pitch black. We all roped up and set off. I was on a rope with our guide, Neil, and Steve from Scotland. He had broken his back the previous year and was concerned about his fitness. I was in the middle of the rope with him behind me and although I felt his weight a few times he did absolutely fine, in fact I recon he got us there later on when it was tough.
This picture of Mont Blanc du Tacul was taken a few weeks later when I returned to the area. Climbing up this at night time was quite an experience. During the day it is easy. The normal route of ascent is through the shadow heading right to the snow ridge and then heading left up the ridge to the summit above the rocks and to the left out of shot. From the tent in the foreground (3500m) to the summit is about 700m of vertical.
After putting on our crampons, hiking up in the dark was interesting, like being in a freezing cold aeroplane with a massive window as 2am Chamonix came into view 2500m below us.
This picture was taken at the same time as the above, a few weeks after the ascent. This is the view down into Chamonix from the flank of the Tacul that looked so great in darkness. It is difficult to spot, but the Cosmiques Hut is amongst the rocks in the middle ground, about 1 inch below the peak of the Aiguille du Midi.
I have since climbed the Tacul in daylight and am acquainted with the terrain, but during this first night time ascent I couldn't see what was coming up which made it easier to just plod on, although it felt monotonous and long. I enjoyed returning to the spot a few weeks later to see what it was that passed under our feet that night. The face we climbed is in places quite heavily crevassed with towering walls of ice and undoubtedly dangerous snow bridges. Due to avalanche risk no one skis it in winter, but in spring it is a popular descent and we were following the reasonably well trodden path, thus missing the unknown dangerous areas. A few places required stepping over gapping crevasses in the dark. They were not very wide and posed no real issue, likewise a crevasse wall that required scaling. It was only 6 feet high and not hard, but it felt strange to be doing these things in the dark.
I had developed a nasty cramp in my neck from always looking down to watch my step. We were wearing head torches and for the most, very quiet except for the occasional comment on how amazing the view was down to the glittering orange lights of Chamonix in the valley below. It was a great view. There had been wind and snow in the previous days and for a while we walked through knee deep powder. Again I reminded myself that I was walking through perfect powder in pitch darkness whilst approaching 4000m at 4am in the moring. It was strange. I was getting really cold, particularly my hands and next time I do this I will use proper thick mountaineering gloves, not my useless spring hiking gloves with a gortex mitten shell over them. The shells are top quality and I stayed dry, but my fingers were frozen to the bone.
I had developed a nasty cramp in my neck from always looking down to watch my step. We were wearing head torches and for the most, very quiet except for the occasional comment on how amazing the view was down to the glittering orange lights of Chamonix in the valley below. It was a great view. There had been wind and snow in the previous days and for a while we walked through knee deep powder. Again I reminded myself that I was walking through perfect powder in pitch darkness whilst approaching 4000m at 4am in the moring. It was strange. I was getting really cold, particularly my hands and next time I do this I will use proper thick mountaineering gloves, not my useless spring hiking gloves with a gortex mitten shell over them. The shells are top quality and I stayed dry, but my fingers were frozen to the bone.
A crevasse on Mont Blanc du Tacul. Taken during a later ascent. You didn't even see this stuff in the dark
continued on the next page