Stumpy's Blog

29 September 2003

Tour du Mont Blanc

August 2003

The team: Colin Stump, Richard Pratt, Hayden Measham and Rod Shaw.

Recommended guide book: stages described below refer to those in Tour of Mont Blanc by Andrew Harper (Cicerone)

24 August

Get Tramway du Mont Blanc from St Gervais to Col de Voza and then walk best section of ‘Stage 1’ to Les Contamines (approx 6 hours).

Stumpy crossing the Torrent de Bionnassay

View back to Col de Tricot 2120m

View down to Chalets de Miage

View to Mont Joly and Chalets du Truc from Col de Tricot

Above Chalets de Miage

Col de Miage and Domes de Miage

25 August

Climb Mont Joly (approx 6 hours) via ridge route from Le Signal cable car and Aiguille Croche. Not on the TMB but an excursion from our base in les Contamines.

Ridge route to Mont Joly from Aig. Croche

View west from Aig. Croche

View to Lac de la Girotte from Aig. Croche

View down from ridge to Megeve airstrip

View back to Aiguille Croche 2487m

View to La Frasse from Mt Joly with Domes de Miage above

On the ridge to Mt Joly

Mt Joly summit with Chamonix valley in background

Stumpy on Mt Joly summit 2525m

Mountains above les Contamines, Domes de Miage just right of centre

View to Chamonix valley from Mt Joly

Les Contamines from Mt Joly

Descent from Mt Joly, looking towards Aiguille de Bionnassay

Descent from Mt Joly looking towards St Gervais

26 August

Early start with drive to Courmayeur, Italy via the Mt Blanc Tunnel. Walk ‘Stage 5’ Courmayeur to la Vachey (approx 5 hours). Hotel in la Vachey overnight : Hotel Lavachey, la Vachey, Italy (0039 0165 869 723). An excellent hotel and great ice cream!

Ascent to Refuge Bertone from Courmayeur

Refuge Bertone 1991m

Towards Courmayeur from Tete de la Tronche

Towards Tete de la Tronche 2584m

Val Ferret from Mont de la Saxe

Val Veni with Mont Chetif in foreground

Mont Blanc from above Courmayeur

View to Col Sapin from Mont de la Saxe

Mont Blanc from Mont de la Saxe

Mont Blanc on approach to Tete de la Tronche

View to Grand Golliat 3238m

Descent to Col Sapin

Grandes Jorasses from Armina Valley

Les Alpinistes 2003, on descent to la Vachey

27 August

Walk ‘Stage 6’ la Vachey to la Fouly (approx 5 hours). Overnight in Hotel Des Glaciers, la Fouly, Switzerland (0041 27 783 1171). Weird hotel run by a transvestite!

Sunrise on the Peuterey ridge to Mont Blanc, from la Fouly

Glacier de Pre de Bar from above the Refuge Elena

Aig. de l'Eveque and Aig. de Leshaux

Italian Val Ferret with Val Veny in the distance

TMB to la Fouly, Mt Dolent to left

28 August

Walk ‘Stage 7’ la Fouly to Champex (approx 4.5 hours). Overnight in Hotel Belvedere, Champex, Switzerland (0041 27 783 1114). Very good hotel with superb views.

On the Swiss section of the TMB

View from hotel down to Orsieres

29 August

Walk ‘Stage 8’ Champex to Col de la Forclaz via the ‘Bovine’ route, then bus 75070 to Le Chatelard (border) followed by 1528 train RX 18934 from Le Chatelard to Chamonix. Collect car and return to Les Contamines having collected other car from Courmayeur.

View to Martigny from the Bovine section of the TMB

The weather finally breaks...a wet walk back into France

30 August

Return to UK

28 July 2003

Haute Route, Chamonix to Zermatt

An introductory level alpine mountaineering course run by Jagged Globe Mountaineering in July 2003.

Guides: Graham McMahon and Jamie Holding (both British Mountain Guides)

Itinerary

Day 1

Team assembles in Chamonix (hotel: Les Gaillands). I walked from la Flagere to Brevent for a warm-up.

La Flagere

Mont Blanc

View from Brevent Summit

View of Mont Blanc from Brevent Plan Praz

Day 2

Lift from Le Tour and walk to Albert Premier Hut. Glacier training during the afternoon.

Departure from Les Gaillands, near Chamonix

Alongside the Glacier du Tour

View from the Albert 1er Hut

Day 3

Ascend Le Tour Glacier to Col Blanc with short climb on to Tete Blanche 3429m above it. Roped down to cross the Trient plateau to reach the Cabane de Trient 3170m. Overnight in hut.

Alongside the Aiguille du Tour

Early start on to the Glacier du Tour

View down on to the Plateau du Trient

A descent over the bergschrund beckons!

Preparing the lower over the ice cliffs

Stumpy descending the ice cliffs

Descent from Col Blanc

Descent to the Trient Glacier

Approaching the Cabane du Trient 3170m

At the Trient hut

Sunset on the Aiguilles Dorees

Day 4

Descend the Glacier d’Orny to La Breya lift, then down to Champex. Lunch in Champex followed by bus transfer to Lac du Mauvoisin. Ascend to the Chanrion Hut 2462m via the Col de Tsofeiret 2630m. Overnight in hut.

Clochers du Portalet

Descending into the Combe d'Orny

Descending to the Glacier d' Orny

Glacier d' Orny

Steep ice on the Glacier d' Orny

Lac de Mauvoisin

Lac de Mauvoisin from the path to the Chanrion Hut

Glacial melt from the Glacier d' Otemma

Glacier du Mont Durand from above Chanrion Hut

At the Chanrion Hut

Day 5

Ascend the Glacier d’Otemma to the Cabane des Vignettes 3157m. Long glacier plod with serac danger on final approach to the hut from Col de Chermotane.

Ascending the Glacier d' Otemma

Crossing crevasses on the Col des Vignettes

Pigne d' Arolla from the Vignettes hut

In the Cabane des Vignettes

The marvellously exposed situation of the Cabane des Vignettes, with the Pigne d'Arolla above right

Day 6

Dawn start to climb Pigne d’Arolla 3772m, then descent via Glacier de Isijiore Noupe to Arolla. Overnight stay in hotel.

Pre dawn start from the Vignettes hut

Ascent of Pigne d' Arolla

Summit of Pigne d'Arolla 3772m, Mont Blanc in far distance right

Glacier descent to Arolla

Pigne d'Arolla

Day 7

Ascend to Cabane de Bertol 3311m. Weather deteriorating.

View to Cabane de Bertol from above Arolla

Approaching the Bertol Hut

Ascending steps up to the Bertol hut

Cabane de Bertol

Steep ice below the Bertol

Dent Blanche from the Bertol

Supply helicopter for the Cabane de Bertol

Storm brewing on Dent Blanche

Storm clouds off the Matterhorn and Dent d' Herens

Day 8

Wait at Bertol for storm to pass.

View back to Pigne d' Arolla and Vignettes hut from Bertol ascent

Day 9

Dawn start to cross the upper Mont Mine Glacier towards the Col de la Tete Blanche. Ascend Tete Blanche 3724m, then descent NE down heavily crevassed Stockji Glacier. Then traverse down rognon to Zmutt Glacier, passing the Schonbiel Hut and on to Zermatt. A long day!