aiguille du midi plan traverse

[mgmt!]

this is a report on my 3rd and final route of my trip to chamonix. me and billy were joined by jim who was also in chamonix. we decided on the midi plan traverse. a mixed snow and rock traverse from aig du mid to the aig du plan. its a pd /pd+, rated route with a grade 4 climb if doing a return trip. we spoke to the people at the guiding centre the day before who advised us that the descent to the refuge du requin via the envers glacia would be too dangerous in the current snow conditions. so we planned a return trip. we caught the first cable car to the aiguille du midi station at 6 30 am, got geared up in the ice tunnel and started out the tuel and down the steep snow ridge at 7am.

7am looking back to aig du midi

you descend the snow ridge and head east toward point 3805.

1st view along the ridge

views all around are amazing, and we make our way along the slope before a steep descent and get out first good view of aig du plan, a lovely point of rock on top of a sttep snow slope.

aiguille du plan

looking back

the descent to the col du plan is steep but the snow is crisp. the route ahead looks interesting as it weaves through some rock towers up and down some steep snow slopes. fro the col du plan you start the steep ascent up to the rognon du plan via its north slope. the exit on to the plateau. looks vertical.

climbers nearing the top of rognon du plan

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you weave your way round some rock spires and the summit of aig du plan seems to get nearer.

aig du plan in centre

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the sun is out and it starts to heat up quickly, the snow starts to get a little softer. we walk along the rock and come to the start of whats is 3 abseils.

la tour rounde and the glacier du geant

mount blanc du tacul

its hee it starts to go a bit wrong, jim dropped his ice axe, but luckily enough down the side we are going. we wait in line for our turn for the abseil, and by the time the 3 of us are down 3 Italian climbers get to the next abseil ahead of us . they set up the 2nd abseil and soon became 6 as they were joined by there friends. no etiquette ? it takes us over an hour to gain the col superior du plan. its south facing and the snow is very soft. we climbed a little rock step rather than follow the path ahead as it looks as if its going to slide. 2 German climbers cross the slope and one takes a slide but manages to arrest just in time. this col was full of people, there was about 12 people in front of us and it just seemed to be every man for themselves, guides just climbing up and down over the top of others. we had a discussion and decided to head back as the slopes would only get worse. i was a bit disappointed as we only had the final snow slope and scramble to the top, the decision proved to be the correct one.
fro the col we had to climb back up the route we had just abseiled down. billy volenteared to lead and done a fantastic job of getting up the grade 4 face.

billy bridging the crux

i then took a turn and led the final pitch and was relieved to finally make the top of rognon du plan

final snow slope and summit of aig du plan

if it was a relief to get up the climb we were greeted with the way ahead, and it was getting hotter.

the way back

as i was at the back of the rope on the way out i now was at the front on the return. with the mushy snow and extremly steep slopes we moved slowly , belaying one and other with axes, and running the rope through and round what rock we could. one section on the north side of the rognon du plan looked very unstable and ready to slide.

thin ledge

although beatiful, the cornices looked very unstable, the three of us were very switched on and there wasnt much craic to be had.

cornice build up

we had a food stop at the col du plan, thinking we were over the worse of it. we had one steep snow slope to go. as we started up this slope we could see various snow slides down the south face of the slope. half way up the rescue helicopter came up fro the north side and sat at the top of our slope. i was bricking myself incase it made the whole slope slide. it banked off towards the rognon du plan and we continued to the top of the slope.

snow slides on southern aspects

soft final slope

we stood at the top and watched as the rescue helicopter rescued someone from the abseil part of the ridge. we only had the final little rise to the station, my singing being the highlight. and eventually we stood in the tunnel of the midi station releived and happy to be there.

bill, jim and me at the station

i learned a lot from this trip. walking in the alps is different, more dangerous and not to be underestimated. since our return 6 climbers died on mount blanc, and 3 climbers died on the midi plan traverse. both parties had guides. plan your trips well and dont underestimate the size of this place. but it is beautiful and i cant wait to get back

[nathan79]

Nice to see what you got up to over there.

Also nice to see just exactly where that route takes you. I hadn't noticed the the ridge running along that way last year and this year had me curious as to where it went.

[past my sell by date]

Nice route and photos. When I did this in 2009 the snow slopes next to the Plan were so soft that we didn't fancy returning across them, so descended the glacier to the Requin hut - there was a well formed track as others had taken the same view - and down the "endless" ladders to the Mer de Glace - and back up to Montenvers