Připravujeme - Mont Blanc 2001

Na konec července plánujeme výstup na Mont Blanc.
Chceme zvolit výstup z Italské strany.
Na Mont Blanc vede více než 50 cest.

Zatím vybírame z variant.

1. - MONT BLANC, AIGUILLES, Grises Routes
[Mont Blanc route des Aigulles Grises]
PD- (Mont Blanc Italian side: Aiguilles Grises Route)

2. - MONT BLANC, Brenva Spur
[Mont Blanc eperon de la Brenva]
AD/D 1300m to the summit, 9~11h from the Trident Hut. (Brenva Spur)

3. - MONT BLANC, Innominata Ridge
[Mont Blanc arete de l'Innominata]
D/D+ (IV), 800m, 8~11h from the Eccles Bivouac Huts. (Innominata Ridge)

add2. Brenva Spur
Rozhodli jsem se pro tuto variantu. Uvodní část ostruhy je ale zničena velkým skalním sesuvem v roce 1997/98, takže se již moc nedoporučuje vystupovat touto částí. Do struhy lze nastoupit lépe Couloir Gussfeld, kde je ale zase větší nebezpečí pádu ledu.

Brenva Spur s variantou Couloir Gussfeld (v spodní části je zřetelně vidět rozpadlou ostruhu):

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Jak z Chmonix do Itálie?
Bohužel tunel pod Mont Blankem je stále uzavřený (od března 1999). Plánované znovuzprovoznění je v září 2001 (dle CNN).
Cesta tedy vede přes Švývarsko. Chamonix -> Martigny -> Orsieres -> Bourg St. Pierre -> tunel Great St. Bernard Tunnel -> Aosta -> Courmayeur. Cca 150km. Cena z průjezd tunelem je 15CHF (zpateční za 20CHF, platí 1 měsíc)

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Několik užitečných rad k výstupu Ostruhou Brenvy:
Zdroj: Mountaineering question and answer forum

Does anybody have information about the current status of the access to the route Major through the Col Moore?

Answers
I answer my own question: I have seen in person the status of Col Moore and it is not recommended to use this route to Major or even Brenva. For Brenva Spur it is recommended the use of Couloir Gussfeld, steep and with some ice fall danger.

I have heard there was a large rock/ice fall on the Brenva Face in 1997/98, and that the route has changed significantly since then. Being interesting in making the Brenva Spur in the summer of 2001, I would greatly appreciate any information anyone may have of this route since that event; mostly, is it still reasonable to climb?
Thanks! Jeff

Answers
I was going to climb the route a couple of years ago, but was put off by the info provided by the Maison de la Montagne. They said that the initial spur from Col Moore is extremely unstable and wass to be avoided. They added also that the route had been climbed after the rock fall by the Düssfeldt couloir, which is pretty steep.

Does anybody have information about the current status of the access to the route Major through the Col Moore?

Answers
I answer my own question: I have seen in person the status of Col Moore and it is not recommended to use this route to Major or even Brenva. For Brenva Spur it is recommended the use of Couloir Gussfeld, steep and with some ice fall danger.

I'm going to the Alps for a 2 weeks in July with my partner. Our target's are Dent Blanche (Ferpecle ridge), Matterhorn, (Zmutt) and Mont Blanc's Brenva spur. We chose these routes, because we want to avoid the worst crowds, especially on Matterhorn and Blanc. We also feel that they are well within our capabilities. And Matterhorn is a mountain my partner very much wants to climb.
My previous climbing experience consists five years of crag and ice climbing in Finland and some mountaineering in Norway. The routes we have climbed in Norway fall somewhere in PD-AD-D -categories. I currently rock climb something like 5.11a. My partner has soloed many of Ecuadorian and Chilean volcanoes (via non-technical routes) in the past.

And to the questions.

1. what's the temperature range in the Alps in July? We plan to do some bivying (short on cash) and wonder, whether a bivy bag is enough or should we take sleeping bags as well.

2. Is it possible to descent all the way to valley after an ascent of the Brenva Spur or should we stay at Vallot hut?

3. What's your recommended start time from Col de la Fourche hut for Brenva Spur? Is the lower part of the route climbable in darkness?

4. Any other suggestions for ambitious, but cautious rookies like us?

Answers
1. By night, the zero isotherm is around 2500-3000 meters. In summer I don't take a sleeping bag unless the route is easy or I don't have to carry it. The hut which is at Col de la Fourche has no carekeeper and is free. It has dirty blankets.
2. If you are fast enough, your best bet would be to go down through Aiguille du Midi or Grands Mulets. In summer the last car will go down quite late. Going down the Gouter is longer. Personally I always found myself staying at the Vallot (not a very pleasant experience).
3. I'd say around 2am, but basically you get up at the same time as everybody else since the hut is tiny. The whole route could be done in the dark and many parties finish the mixed part before sunrise.