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Mont Blanc Expedition (July 2010)

On Sunday 4th July 2010 12 students from Welbeck College embarked on an adventure of a lifetime. Our objective for the next 17 days was to walk the 170km circuit around the circumference of the Mont Blanc massif. Our 170km trek would take us through France, Italy and Switzerland and it would involve over 10,000m of ascent and descent along the way.

Our journey began with a short flight from Manchester Airport to Geneva where we were transferred by minibus to Montroc Campsite near Chamonix which was to be our base at the start of the expedition and for the final three days too. Our daily routine would involve an early start in order to avoid the excessive midday heat - on the hottest days the thermometer would approach 30 degrees C. Most days involved 7 - 9 hours of walking but two of the days required 10 hours of strenuous trekking. However the stunning views inspired us to keep going, along with our determination to complete the full circuit.

Our journey began with an acclimatisation walk over the Aiguilles Rouge to Lac Blanc which provided stunning views of Mont Blanc (4808m) and the Chamonix valley. We continued in an anti-clockwise direction around the mountain and our next night was spent at the delightful campsite at Les Contamines. Here, after Day 2, the heavy boots some of us were wearing began to take their toll and Mr Shooter became increasingly in demand for his First Aid skills.

Our next night was spent at the most spectacular camp of the trip since we chose to camp wild near a remote mountain refuge called Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme. The views from this 2433m vantage point were stunning and the sun turned the mountains into beautiful shades of pink as it disappeared beneath the horizon. The following morning we took the opportunity to climb our first peak which was called the Tete Nord des Fours (2756m). This was followed by a long descent which was made much easier by a long straight snow-filled gully which enabled us to ‘ski’ some of the way down to the valley below. Having lost nearly 1300m of height we then began a long trek up to Col de Seine (2516m). Our fitness was definitely improving by now and we realised the importance of adopting a steady pace rather than rushing ahead and then stopping. Having reached the Col de Seine we thought the hard part was over but there still lay over 10km of trekking to our next camp in Val Veny. We were all relieved to set eyes on the minibus and collapsed into our sleeping bags that night feeling quite exhausted.

Day 4 took us into Italy and through Courmayeur where full advantage was taken of the ice cream shop! The heat was increasing daily and this was one of the hotter days of the tour. Clouds were also building in the afternoons and we knew that at some point this weather, in true Alpine style, had to break. Camping at Tronchey in Val Ferret was our next destination, but our memory of this pleasant valley was tarnished by the persistence of the mosquitoes which seemed to be a feature of these Italian valley floors.

Our next challenge was the Grand Col Ferret (2537m). Our predictions about the weather became a reality and by mid afternoon we were all clad in Gore-Tex with our heads down against the rain. Our arrival at the aptly named Glacier Camping Fouly, where the glaciers almost spilled onto the campsite from above, coincided with a huge clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning which made the air fizz. Cooking was a challenge under these conditions so instead we headed into the village of La Fouly for a pizza. Well, we had to sample the local Italian cuisine!

By the following morning the skies had cleared and we enjoyed a long traverse through the woods across the Swiss Border to the village of Champex where our next campsite was situated. Champex has a beautiful clear lake which would have been perfect for a swim, but sadly Health and Safety regulations put a stop to this. Our route the following day took us to the Col de Forclaz (1526m) where we camped beside the road. The day had been short, and this meant that we had a chance to recoup some of our energy ready for the journey across the French border at the Col de Balme (2151m) and back to our starting point. We felt an incredible sense of achievement as we walked down the mountain path into Montroc on Day 9. We were all relieved to have finished the first stage of the expedition and were looking forward to the next phase which began the following day.

The final four days of the expedition were devoted to learning some proper Alpine Mountaineering skills. We were split into three groups and issued with winter mountain gear including crampons, ice axes, harnesses and helmets. For the final phase we were to be instructed by three mountain guides, one of whom was an Old Welbexian called Stuart McDonald. Our aim was to spend one day learning some skills and then to head off on a three-day two-night expedition using mountain huts. As well as crossing glaciers we would aim to climb at least one 3500m peak.

Our training day took place at the top of the Grand Montets lift above Argentiere. We used the glacier beneath the Aiguille Petit Vert to learn the basics of cramponing and ice axe arrests. Having learned a huge amount on the first day we set off the following day up to the Albert Premier Hut which lay beside the huge ice fall on the Albert Premier glacier. In the afternoon some of the group had the exciting opportunity of being dropped into a crevasse and then hauled out using a special pulley system on the rope. Our night in the hut dormitory was a hot one as we all slept (well not really) in a long line on an alpine bunk bed. We set off on Day 2 of our alpine expedition under head torch light and plodded our way roped up across the glacier towards our objective which was the Aiguille Petit Fourche (3515m). The view from the top was stunning and we could see the Matterhorn and other alpine giants in the distance. Our descent to the next hut involved a 50m abseil down a step in the glacier and into a bergshrund (a type of crevasse). The rope had been attached to the ice by threading it through two adjoining holes (known as a Bolokov thread). Fortunately it held us all!

Our next night was spent at a very pleasant hut called the Cabane de Trient where the food was much better and the dorm much fresher – we had the window open that night even though there was a huge thunderstorm raging outside! We departed by the 0500hrs deadline and trudged across the Plateau de Trient glacier to our next objective which was the Aiguille du Tour (3544m). The final part of the climb was a pleasant scramble beside a ridge crest, the summit being only large enough to seat four at a time. The views were stunning once again, especially towards the icy rampart of the Aiguille du Chardonnet.

We had a spring in our step as we descended to the Albert Premier Hut and then on to the cable car at Le Tour. When we finally returned to Montroc on the final day we all knew that given the opportunity we would have done this adventure again and again as the experience was priceless and our time in the mountains was absolutely amazing.

Before we went home there were two days in Chamonix where we relaxed and enjoyed swimming and shopping which made for a perfect end to our holiday.

Our very special thanks must go to Mr Coles for all of his hard work in organising such an enjoyable expedition.

Hamish Cooper, Stirling 09E

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