i would like to get all the information i need before climbing the mont blanc. ( we r going to be 4 people.) - guid, cloth, prices, and the tempreture in aug.we want to start the route right after the cabel ststion.

-- alon brookstein (avivit @barkai.com), January 15, 2002

Answers

Hello,

I have done MontBlanc last year, starting from the italian side and going up the three mont blanc route.

you have a number of options open to you. The two most popular routes are (if you want to go on a hiking route): 1) three mont blanc route and 2) the gouter route

The three mont blanc route can be taken either from Chamonix in France or from Courmayeur in Italy. Either way you should sleep at the Cosmique hut by the Aiguille du Midi. If you go from Italy gudies may be cheaper that chamonix. The gouter route is taken from St Gervais.

Prices vary from where you hire them. Basically you take a guide for a day and 1/2. You go up to the hut in late afternoon and the you start the ascent in the night which should take you to the top and back at the hut/cable car by 2-3 pm the followin day. I thin that the french guides charge about FF3500 per guide (which should take 2 people, I don't know about a group of four). The guides in courmayeur will charge you about Lit 1,100,000 for the same deal.

Clothing. Warm, very warm. I was lucky last year when I went as it was a very sunny day (after sunrise that is). Temperature still dropped to about -10C. If you get clouds and wind it can get much worse than that, so prepare for the unexpected. Cramponable mounteering boots are needed, goretex type shell and warm fleeces, gloves, hut. You can get ice axe, crampons and boots for hire in the town if you don't have them.

If you are inexperienced with the area then I would strongly suggest to take a guide. If it is a nice day, then you'll think that it is a waste of money. But if things go wrong then....

Have a great trip, its fantastic! Daniele

-- Daniele (daniel_damico@yahoo.co.uk), January 30, 2002.

There are no Lit / FF. Only euros.

-- m (ads@sd.com), December 04, 2002.