| Parkeljc12. 09. 2020 23:41:48 |
On Wednesday 9.9.2020 at 02.00 with a slight delay we start from Jesenice towards Fernetiči and further past Venice, Milan.. through the 10 km tunnel to Chamonix. We took the gondola to Bellevue or. to the La Chalette hut at 1794 m. We waited almost two hours for the next transport by cog railway. We use the opportunity for refreshment in the nearby bar or something similar, prices "French"  . But why worry about prices, since we are in France and a hamburger for 8.- EUR is something self-evident as well as some hot sandwich for 6.- EUR.
Finally we await the arrival of the little train, with which we go to Nid d'Aigle at 2380 m. Here we get off and up the slope. Finally we will start the test of the weight of our backpacks on our shoulders, which we will carry for the next two days. Pure hell, I tell you  .
After two hours we arrive at the Tete Rousse hut at 3167 m. We had plenty of time, so we arrange formalities in the hut regarding sleeping (we reserved the beds about two weeks before), breakfast,.. we unpack and order breakfast at 01.30. Each with our own thoughts we slowly lose consciousness (read: doze off, fall asleep,..) and at 01.15, when my alarm rings, no one wakes me, so I continue until 01.30, when one by one we get up and go from the room to the dining room, where breakfast awaits us. We also find our own among many thermoses, full of hot tea (1 l = 6 EUR), if I can call it that. We paid 12.- EUR per head, and got a piece of cheese each, a slice of some salami, two pieces of bread, a croissant with butter and jam (mini), instant coffee powder, 1 dcl of juice and approx. 3 l of hot water. Good thing some of us had no appetite.
At 02.30 we set off towards the next hut Gouter at 3863 m. A gentle ascent follows and we all expect the crossing of the infamous couloir, which on average takes 4 lives every year  . First we listen a bit if we can hear any falling or flying stone projectiles, then we cross it as quickly as possible at a suitable distance. We conclude that they fly much more frequently from the Jalovec glacier than through the couloir. After crossing the couloir, an easier ascent follows on a nicely visible path in switchbacks, then a steeper ascent where it was necessary to grab the rock, and when the slope becomes even steeper, a nicely fixed cable helps to the old Gouter hut. From the old to the new hut it is just a few minutes walk along the pronounced and snow-covered ridge. Interestingly, this hut was at a much higher level compared to the lower-lying Tete Rousse, where we slept. Here we equip ourselves with winter gear, i.e. crampons, ice axe, helmets were already on our heads, warmer gloves, we form three teams (2-2-3) and let's go onto the snow  . The initially gentle slope becomes steeper and steeper, seemingly without end. When we arrive at the plateau and the Vallot bivouac appears to us, the majesty and extent of the range and the Mont Blanc summit finally reveal themselves. From this point we realize that the hardest part of the ascent is still ahead. We descend slightly to the foot of Vallot, then steeply in switchbacks up the icy slope to the new plateau. With altitude, with every step the legs become heavier and heavier, as if additionally weighted.
After roughly good eight hours of walking and overcoming 1700 m of elevation gain, we conquered the summit in full formation. Maybe we didn't have conditions for 100% views, but the fact that all 7 of us reached the summit was more than enough for joy. After finishing the photography, tired, we head back the same way, as the fogs quickly rose and obscured the magnificent views, especially towards Chamonix and far into the interior of France and Switzerland, which were there just minutes ago. First we descend slowly and carefully along the same path on the hard and snow-covered trampled path to Gouter, where we dismantle the gear, then as quickly as possible past Tete Rousse to the little train on the cog railway, which we luckily catch by the tail (5 min before departure) .
Everything worked out timing-wise, otherwise there would have been another 1500 m descent to the van, which no one fancied. Luck in near-miss had the last two of the group of seven, who during the descent at the couloir crossing experienced a real barrage of flying projectiles the size of a cubic meter or even larger. They were very lucky not to have stayed in the couloir, which we had almost underestimated that morning. Good ending, all good.
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