TR : Mont Blanc (Grand Mulets)

[KenR]

has anyone done the MB via tacul-maudit route? Some peeps said it is longer and more techical but with less objective danger and should offer decent skiing?

A few years ago I had a partner who wanted to try climbing up that way (often called the "Three Mont Blancs"), then descending the Grands Mulets. But we stopped at the rimaye of Mt Maudit -- actually I thought that was a rather good ski tour, even not getting anywhere near the M.B. summit.

I think it's more interesting than the Dome du Gouter or Grand Mulets routes. Way more difficult to _descend_ (There's a YouTube video of a French party climbing and descending the Three Mont Blancs -- but it's unclear how they got down the shoulder of Mt Maudit). Of course it's not free from objective hazard, since there's still the possibility of a skier-triggered slab avalanche.

If I wanted to pay a guide, I'd try for the Three Mont Blancs and descend the Grands Mulets. My reason for preferring the Dome du Gouter to climb up is that it's something I feel like I can handle (in good conditions) on my own.

One ski guidebook claims that the most spectacular and interesting M.B. summit route is from the Italian side, by the "Aiguille Grises" - with a possible alternate descent in one section. I think it's also possible to include skiing the north(west) face with that Italian route, by re-climbing to the Col du Dome after skiing it.

Not recommended for skiing is the (modern) normal summer climbing route (over the Aiguille du Gouter? I don't know much about climbing). Though I saw a report by someone who tried it.

Another wrinkle to consider:
"le vrai Mont Blanc" -- climbing it starting from the valley in Chamonix (or perhaps the Tunnel entrance) without using any mechancal lifts. For that I'd want to do it early enough in the season so I could also _ski_ down almost all the way.
Further wrinkle is to not sleep in any Refuge along the way. I've heard the record from Chamonix to the Mont Blanc summit with skis is
4 hours and 10 minutes.

Ken

[IridePow]

Nice work!

[thd]

I've heard the record from Chamonix to the Mont Blanc summit with skis is 4 hours and 10 minutes.

4 hours 4 minutes with skis - 5 hrs 15 mins round trip! 3 hrs 38 mins with no skis (or any other equipment) - 5 hrs 10 mins round trip.

This is a cache of the Dynafit info for the ski attempt:

http://209.85.129.132/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a

[Huck_Schmuck]

Doug, you fucking rock brother.