Well… I am safe and well and on the return back to Atlanta. Yesterday we awoke at 6 am. Breakfast at 6:30. Got on the helicopter at 7:30 and started our climb at 7:45. The Mont Blanc summit is close to 16000 feet We were dropped by the helicopter at 13,500 feet We began climbing on skis and then after an hour, put our skis on our backpacks, put on crampons and began our last 1500 vertical feet to the top. We all felt strong and were climbing well. All of the training in Sass Fee Switzerland was paying off. The summit was in sight. Just two arrets ( ridge line steep pitches ) and we would be at the top We were fighting for every breath but everyone was totally focused. Our guides had us roped together and were setting a brisk but sustainable pace. The plan was to summit around 11:30 and then ski and climb down the mountain. We had to reach a gondola station by 5pm
*Then things got treacherous. The wind picked up to around 70 km/ hr. * T
The temperature was around 15F but the wind chill dropped to -20F. We went inside a small survival shelter the Vallot Bivouac ,(14311 ft / 4362 mt) o see if the wind would diminish. After 20 min, we decided to push for the top. Backpacks back on and up we went. We dug our crampons into the ice and snow and battled the wind.
Unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans for us that day. We struggled in the howling wind for around 30 min. We saw another climber slip and slide 30 meters. Our guides huddled with us and decided it was too dangerous to be on the narrow ridge line in this weather. We turned around so close to our goal.
But the day was FAR from over. After 30 minutes of downhill hiking, we put our skis on again and had an incredible 4 hour decent of the Mont Blanc. The scenery was as majestic as it gets. We skied, did long boot pack traverses and some rock climbing . We arrived at the midstation of the Agui du mide around 2:30.
We were exhausted but exhilarated at the same time.
We had a well deserved beer and then took the tram back to Chamonix Did we fail? No way. We experienced the adventure of a lifetime.
*We all were pushed to mental and physical limits and then some. *
Our lead guide said the wind was like a door that for some reason just “closed” that day. We walked through Chamonix and ate a great lunch, followed by as surreal meal in the center of Torino.
What a day!
Special thanks to our guides: Alberto De Giuli and Francis Kelsey .
PS : We spent 4 days training at the Britannia Hut, close to Sass Fe in Switzerland, where we skinned up to 2 peaks : Strahlhorn 4,190 m and Rimpfischhorn 4,199m .The participants were Joe, Alon, Garret, Jerry
