Mont Blanc by Paraglider - Unfinished Business

You might remember that in early September last year my friend Barry Roberts and I went out to Chamonix to try and fly off the top of Mont Blanc. Weather stopped play that time but another attempt was booked a couple of weeks back and this time the weather was looking good....

Firstly, after the rain had stopped, we needed to acclimatise - the weather was coming from the west so a trip east into Italy was called for. We drove through the tunnel and went to the Grand Paradiso, at a little over 4000m it's a goodplace to start.

We were joined by a friend, Paul Hunt, who had just finished running the CCC of the Ultratrail du Mont Blanc - a 98km race from Courmayeur to Chamonix through three countries surrounding the mountain. He completed the course in less than 24 hours and was still well enough to walk up to the hut with us! Well done Paul and good luck for next year....

It was a lovely walk up to the Refugio Victor Emmanuel at 2732m on the west flank of the mountain. We'd left the paragliders behind as the forecast was very windy and as we stayed in the hut overnight it sounded like the panels were going to blow off. However, when we woke at a fresh 4am it was calm and perfectly clear outside, with a full moon thrown in. No head torches needed as we followed the path through the moraine and up the rocks in the dark to get to the glacier. Up we went, plodding and enjoying the thinner air and sunshine, annoyed that we'd not taken our wings. Oh well, we'll have to walk down this one!

The summit block in our sights.

On the summit of Grand Paradiso wishing I had my paraglider to get back down again!

Mont Blanc

And so it was on to Mont Blanc - after miraculously making bookings at both huts we took the normal route and the nancies version of it - getting the train to Nid D'Aigle then staying in both the Tete Rousse and Gouter hut to make sure we were well acclimatised for the summit. The thought of trying to take off at 4800m and not feeling 100% didn't sit well so this was the safest (and most leisurely!) option.

From one mountain goat to another...Ahem. Baz and a Bouquetain on the way to the Tete Rousse.

Looking back down to Chamonix in the valley below.

The Tete Rousse hut, at 3167m, is in a beautiful position with amazing views up to the Aiguille de Bionassay and out across the Chaine des Aravais. A new hut with a friendly team - it was a pleasure to rest there for the night. After taking the optional nancies late breakfast, we had a 2-3hour ascent up to the Gouter refuge, at 3817m. The main obstacle of the day is the Grand Couloir, a huge rockshoot gulley that has an almost continuous flow of stones coming down at high speed.

We made it through safely and enjoyed a leisurely ascent to the Gouter refuge, packed full with 80 + of all different nationalities - although no other Brits which was very unusual.

The view from the Gouter hut at sunset.

And to lift our spirits further, a wing took off from the Dome de Gouter and flew past the hut in the stable evening air. Beautiful!

A 2:30am we had breakfast followed by gearing up and joining the masses in the dark up the normal route. Hilarious really, a train of silent zombies walking along some invincible path into the distance, some with torches and some, like us, using the light of the moon. A surreal situation and an awesome and peaceful (and wind free!) start to the day.

"Moonlit Mountain Zombies"

When we reached the Vallot emergency hut at 4362m, after which the ridge gets narrower, we realised that at our current pace we would be at the top before it was light enough to fly so wrapped up a little more, put on mittens, fired up the handwarmers and slowed the pace down.

As we climbed higher up the ridge the wind picked up a little and towards the top spindrift was being blown into our cheeks from the north. Neither of us tempted fate by saying anything about it and just hoped, but it wasn't looking good. A couple of hundred metres from the summit we looked ahead to see a paraglider taking off and the relief was immense. There are only so many factors that you are in control of for something like this and some things you can't do anything about. Phew!

After a little over four hours Baz and I reached the summit - and for the second time together. We had summited with skis in May 2003 and enjoyed fresh snow for the 45 mins back down to a different hut. The idea that I'd never walk down the hill was a good one. We didn't hang around for much apart from a quick swig of water and a photo, as wanted to try and get off while the wind was good. It was already near the upper end of the window (we need <20kmh)>

After 15 mins setting up and double checking things I was ready and decided to go, with Barry almost ready to do the same. I took off on the first attempt a few metres below the summit and the realisation of what I was doing set in. I think this little video clip says it all.

Looking down to the summit of Mont Blanc with Barry and his glider a little below the top ready to take off.

With the 20kmh wind from the North I was able to use the lifting air to soar above the summit watching the masses arrive and depart below. Barry had a difficult time of it, getting a twist in the lines and wing as the wind picked up and then other tangles as the wing slid back down the slippery slope towards him as he spread it out again.

I soared up and down 200m metres above the summit, savouring the sights and awe of flying at 5000m looking out to France, Italy and Switzerland. One of the most amazing things I have done to date. All those poor people who were going to spend a day or more walking back down when I would be down for breakfast!

The view out to the east - the pointy peak is the Matterhorn.

Unfortunately the cold crashed the party eventually. Barry was still having problems below and I was unable to land back on the summit or the steep slopes either side. I was getting very very cold and after soaring up and down for what I didn't realise at the time was 50 minutes I decided to leave him and head down to Chamonix. We had agreed in advance that if this was the case the other would be happy to walk down alone and so be it. I hoped very much that Barry would take off safely, but I wasn't going to get hypothermia waiting to see!

I turned north and flew a scenic route past the tops of Mt Maudit, Mont Blanc du Tacul and the Aiguille du Midi on the "sled ride"of my life (so far....) It's still a 45 minute flight to get to town, a whopping 3800m below the top. Stable morning air and beautiful light, it was still over too quickly. After 20 minutes I looked back again and to my great relief I could see Barry soaring above the summit. I was so pleased as the thought of the poor sod walking down on his own was pretty awful! I cruised down to the damp landing field in chamonix in full mountain gear and many layers while other pilots were in trousers and t-shirts from their morning flights. I had some funny looks. Packing up, I still couldn't quite believe what I'd just done, and more to the point that I was on the summit of Mont Blanc only 90 mins before. The warmth seeped slowly in to my chilled body as the grin got bigger. Barry landed 45 mins later and we packed away grinning and headed for a celebratory breakfast in town.

Barry flying in towards the landing field with the summit of Mont Blanc behind.

Wow. What an amazing way to get down a mountain. You can do everything in your power but ultimately, in this game, it is down to the weather - the weather gods were very kind to us this year and we are very grateful. (And Baz even more than me as now he won't have to persuade the wife to let him try again next year!) What next to beat that? Watch this space.....