Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Have an interesting or epic climbing story? Post it here.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
User avatar
jjust
Posts: 126
Joined: 7/26/2004
Trip Reports (0)
 
Contact:

Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by jjust »

Brian Kooienga, Kevin Smith, Scott Momburg, and I recently got back from a European vacation which included some mountaineering. We had a successful trip in some amazing mountains that we thought was worth sharing with the 14ers.com community despite not being in Colorado.

Written Trip Report & Pictures
Matterhorn: Hornli Ridge (08-30-2011)

Written Trip Report & Pictures
Chere Couloir (09-02-2011)

Written Trip Report & Pictures
Cosmiques Arete (09-03-2011)

Written Trip Report & Pictures
Mont Blanc du Tacul (09-07-2011)

Written Trip Report & Pictures
Mont Blanc (09-09-2011)
Last edited by jjust on Wed Aug 24, 2022 10:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
climbing_rob
Posts: 1152
Joined: 5/24/2010
14ers: 58 
13ers: 121
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by climbing_rob »

Nicely done!!!!! Though we succeeded on Mont Blanc (trois mont route), the MH defeated our party a few years ago, and reading about your success brings new inspiration. Thanks for sharing.
User avatar
AlpineStart
Posts: 20
Joined: 7/11/2011
14ers: 26 
Trip Reports (0)
 
Contact:

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by AlpineStart »

Thanks for posting these! I'll be heading back to Switzerland next September and am dithering between the Haute Route and the Tour du Mont Blanc. These great images will give me something to obsess about. Switzerland is my favorite place in the world...it's like the whole country is set up just for hikers and climbers!
Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. -- Dr. Seuss
User avatar
MtnAddict
Posts: 10
Joined: 5/30/2011
14ers: 7 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by MtnAddict »

Great post!! I was lucky enough to live in Switzerland for a year, it is an amazing country.
User avatar
fleetmack
Posts: 1455
Joined: 8/4/2005
14ers: 39 
13ers: 2
Trip Reports (22)
 

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by fleetmack »

Wow, 80 cents to the dollar? My first time to Zermatt in 2007 it was $1.50 american per franc. Second time in 2007 it had dropped to about $1.25, then when I went back in 2009 I think it was 1/1... glad I went when I did! Looks like a great trip you had, nice work!
"Cynicism and ill-humored opinion have built a stronghold called the message board. Sweet mother of God, see a f***ing shrink, people."
--Corey Taylor
User avatar
Carl
Posts: 1800
Joined: 5/20/2007
14ers: 58  58 
13ers: 30
Trip Reports (32)
 

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by Carl »

Nice TRs! The French Alps are sweet. We were eying the Cosmiques Arete and Chere Couloir on a recent trip. Wish we had taken the Arete back to the tram one of the days. You should post these under the trip reports section of the this site so folks can locate them in the future.
User avatar
jjust
Posts: 126
Joined: 7/26/2004
Trip Reports (0)
 
Contact:

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by jjust »

climbing_rob wrote:Nicely done!!!!! Though we succeeded on Mont Blanc (trois mont route), the MH defeated our party a few years ago, and reading about your success brings new inspiration. Thanks for sharing.
The Matterhorn certainly isn't a gimmie! Being defeated or denied on that mountain is understandable.
AlpineStart wrote:Thanks for posting these! I'll be heading back to Switzerland next September and am dithering between the Haute Route and the Tour du Mont Blanc. These great images will give me something to obsess about. Switzerland is my favorite place in the world...it's like the whole country is set up just for hikers and climbers!
The whole country is set up for hikers and climbers! Have fun next year. So many options so little time.
JKB77 wrote:Great post!! I was lucky enough to live in Switzerland for a year, it is an amazing country.
I can't imagine what it would be like to live there for a year. Must've been awesome.
fleetmack wrote:Wow, 80 cents to the dollar? My first time to Zermatt in 2007 it was $1.50 american per franc. Second time in 2007 it had dropped to about $1.25, then when I went back in 2009 I think it was 1/1... glad I went when I did! Looks like a great trip you had, nice work!
Yeah, Zermatt seemed expensive. It was a trip of a lifetime though and well worth it.
Carl wrote:Nice TRs! The French Alps are sweet. We were eying the Cosmiques Arete and Chere Couloir on a recent trip. Wish we had taken the Arete back to the tram one of the days. You should post these under the trip reports section of the this site so folks can locate them in the future.
Indeed the French Alps are amazing. Good idea about adding them to the trip report data base. Thanks.
pvnisher
Posts: 1723
Joined: 9/28/2006
Trip Reports (8)
 

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by pvnisher »

How is Mont Blanc compared to Rainier? The pictures made it seem rather similar in terms of terrain.
About same technicality level (basic glacier walking)? How about exertion level?
User avatar
climbing_rob
Posts: 1152
Joined: 5/24/2010
14ers: 58 
13ers: 121
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by climbing_rob »

pvnisher wrote:How is Mont Blanc compared to Rainier? The pictures made it seem rather similar in terms of terrain.
About same technicality level (basic glacier walking)? How about exertion level?
Not sure about the "standard" slog (Goiter something) route on MB, but the Trois Mont route (from the Aguille du Midi hut) was definitely tougher in all aspects than Mt. Rainier (via the Emmons glacier route). Longer summit day (14 hours for us, vs. 10 on Rainer), definitely steeper in spots, more objective dangers (avy, seracs, crevasses) IMHO. Mont Blanc is just over a more serious mountain. that being said, it is probably the next logical step in difficulty over Rainier.
User avatar
jjust
Posts: 126
Joined: 7/26/2004
Trip Reports (0)
 
Contact:

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by jjust »

pvnisher wrote:How is Mont Blanc compared to Rainier? The pictures made it seem rather similar in terms of terrain.
About same technicality level (basic glacier walking)? How about exertion level?
I would concur with climbing_rob. In general, Mont Blanc is somewhat harder technically and physically than the basic routes on Rainier. The Mont Blanc du Tacul headwall has two sizeable crevasses to negotiate with much steeper sections of snow climbing than Rainier. The climb up to the Col du Mont Maudit has a couple more larger crevasses and the crux of the route at the top which consists of 150 to 200 feet of 50 degree snow and ice. The rest is primarily hiking. With that being said, if you have some snow climbing and glacier travel experience it is definitely in the wheelhouse. Of course you are over a 1,000 feet higher than Rainier too.
malcolml1
Posts: 112
Joined: 5/31/2006
14ers: 58 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by malcolml1 »

I have been away from the site for months hence my late reply.
I had he privelege of fine weather August 17, 2010 and with my guide had a fantastic day on Mt. Blanc, 6.5 hours up from the Cosmique hut (3Monts route) then a wonderful traverse down to Les Houches - 14.5 hours in total.

The weather stayed fine and so I could not forego an attempt on the Matterhorn, so on the 18th - instead of resting (I was 72) we moved to the Hornli hut and got to the top on August 19th, along about 70 others, in 5 hours, but 5.5 hours down as the grit on the ledges made me very careful.

My sense, apart for one steep section, is that Mt Blanc is a steep walk. The Matterhorn requires some climbing skills, even though all the hard pitches are downgraded by thick gym type ropes hanging down. It is a heep of loose choss, not enjoyable, made less so by the crowds fighting for holds and the only reason for climbing it is for bragging rights at movie theaters.
User avatar
jjust
Posts: 126
Joined: 7/26/2004
Trip Reports (0)
 
Contact:

Re: Matterhorn & Mont Blanc Trip Reports

Post by jjust »

Iman86 wrote:Thanks for posting this. A friend and I are hoping to get to the Alps this summer. Mont Blanc with a stay in Chamonix is our current plan.
Good luck, you will surely have a good time.

I disagree with malcolm1. The Matterhorn is an awesome mountain. If it is so unenjoyable, why could you not forego an attempt? I feel it is highly unlikely you didn't know what you would be getting yourself into prior to the climb and only then realized what a terrible mountain it is until after you were on it. I understand everyone's experience is different, and yours was apparently not a good one, but I think you are easily dismissing one of the most famous mountains in the world. I certainly don't want to get into a pissing match and you are clearly entitled to your opinion, but I really enjoyed the climb. The mountain is actually very clean with limited "choss" if you are on route, maybe you weren't. I agree that the "crowds" are a bit of a buzzkill, but what do you expect in the Alps, solitude? Clearly Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn are not the place to be if that's what you want. It's a bit annoying to hear people complain about the crowds in the Alps, Grays, and Torreys, etc. when there is no question that is what you'll get. As for bragging rights? Hell yeah I'm proud to have climbed it and that's why I posted. . . . . .to share my experience, but not to "brag". Despite the poor experience you had on the mountain, you still felt the need to let us all know you climbed it. It is a big accomplishment, especially for someone with my ability.
Post Reply