Alps: Day 1 Planning

Thought we would plan to have an easy first day in the Alps. The afternoon before we will take the Charamillion-Balme ski lift up from Le Tour in the Chamonix valley and stay overnight at the Albert Premier Hut (2,702m) which is located about 1 hour 45 minutes above the top of the lift.

The Glacier du Tour closes the top of the Chamonix valley with Mont Blanc to the South and its eastern edge marks the border between France and Switzerland. It is a favourite location for newcomers like us.

In the morning we will set out before first light, having remembered to take a bearing the day before, and pass between Signal and Signal Reilly. From here it’s a steady glacial walk passing the North and South Peaks of Aiguille du Tour to the foot of Tête Blanche which we should reach after 2 hours.

Here we plan to practice the self arrest and belay techniques that we learnt in Scotland on the gentle southern slopes of Tête Blanche.

Time permitting we will take the ordinary route, first climbed in 1857, to the summit (an easy Grade I.F) to admire the view back across the Glacier du Tour and to peer down the much steeper (55 degrees) North Face (Grade II.AD) into the Plateau du Trient before returning via the same route to the Albert Hut.

Well that’s the plan for Day 1

Alpine planning

Weatherproof IGN Maps have arrived from Stanfords and we have been reviewing objectives for our first alpine expedition.

We are planning four nights in high mountain huts and ascents of Tete Blanche (from the South and again from the North) and L’Aiguille du Tour.

Over the coming weeks we hope to refine the itinerary as we continue our research but the flights and airport transfers are now booked.

Useful resources:

Snow, Ice and mixed – the guide to the Mont Blanc Range (Vol 1) by Francois Damilano

Easy ascents in the Mont Blanc Range – Francois Burnier, Dominique Potard

Chamonix calling

Following our winter mountaineering course in February we are both hooked! We have decided to spend Lay's 40th birthday in June on the Mont Blanc massif. Whilst we have a longer trip booked in August this trip will allow us to practice our winter skills beforehand.

After careful consideration we have decided not to hire a mountain guide for this preliminary trip but to go it alone so we can practice and consolidate our recently acquired skills.

Our objectives will be in the Tour and Trient basins to the north of Mont Blanc itself and will provide experience on F and PD routes.

Given that our winter course in Scotland didn't cover glacial travel we will be attending an Alpine Essentials course at Plas y Brenin next month.