## Route Overview The Trois Monts route is one of the three classic routes up Mont Blanc. As the name suggests, the route (partially) ascends three peaks: Mont Blanc du Tacul, Mont Maudit, and finally Mont Blanc. The climb is 4mi and ~5000ft of elevation gain split across 3 distinct climbs. The first two climbs are moderately technical glacier travel at about a 30 degree angle, peaking at around 50 degrees near the Col du Mont Maudit. The final climb is non-technical, but ended up being quite a slog for us. Depending on the year, the best window tends to be from June - September. The entire route is glaciated, but during our time there it was well travelled, making route finding easy. Every crevasse crossing went over a snow bridge, but I've seen pictures from previous years where there were crevasses that were not bridged. Locals in Chamonix will have the best info on conditions. To get an alpine start, we opted to stay in the [Cosmiques Hut](https://www.chamonix-guides.com/en/mountain-huts/refuge-des-cosmiques), about 30 minutes from the Aiguille du Midi. The start of the route is accessible via the Aiguille du Midi [cable car](https://aiguilledumidi.montblancnaturalresort.com/en/), spitting you out directly on the glacier (the must luxurious approach I could imagine). ## Preparation Mont Blanc was our first glacier climb and our largest peak to date. Glacier travel skills and crevasse rescue are required. A guide solves for this, but my preference is to build my own skills and make progression more continuously. We took a course a few months prior in Tahoe with [Alpenglow Expiditions](https://alpenglowexpeditions.com/aiare-avalanche-education) and then practiced in our backyards. California is devoid of glaciers the size of those you experience in the Alps. We [went to Shasta](https://www.wbs.dev/trip-reports/mount-shasta-shutdown-2024) to try to get some glacier experience, but were shut down by high winds. With the route in good condition though, I felt prepared to give it a go. Unfortunately on the way to Chamonix, Iberia lost my luggage. This was a massive frustration as someone who spends a lot of time currating gear. Luckily I was able to rent/buy the pieces I was missing from my carry on. ## Out of the Midi and Into the Fire While the ride up the Midi is a luxury, stepping out of the Midi tunnel and onto the ridgeline is a full on 0 to 100 moment. The ridge is very manageable, but the exposure is quite signficant, especially considering we were in town 10 minutes prior. To the left is a drop seemingly straight into Chamonix, and on the right is a shorter but still significant fall. Moody fog and slushy snow made the ridge more intimidating than I expected. I personally loved it, but for Brendan it was the end. He turned around 100 feet onto the ridge (which he never came to regret). After the ridge, it's a short walk down onto the glacier and then up to the Cosmiques Hut. This was my first stay at an alpine hut, and I have to say the Europeans have figured it out. Sure the luxury isn't quite alpine style, but since this is my vacation I'll take it. The bunks are tight but for being on the side of a mountain, it's pretty incredible. Dinner was communal and had an expectedly French amount of cheese. The earlier fog cleared up and we got a good view of the first climb we would be making the next morning up Mont Blanc du Tacul. We could see tracks going up the face and towards the col. It was a staggering 1000ft with two more climbs still out of sight. At around 8pm, we were all in bed (about 6 inches apart) and ready for our start the next morning. We woke up at around 2 AM and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in the hut with warm coffee and comfortable seating (another benefit of huts -- alpine starts are way less miserable when you can enjoy a proper breakfast). It was snowing, so we took our time so that others could break trail. At around 2:50 AM, we were roped up (as we would be to the summit) and started towards the first climb. ## Mont Blanc du Tacul We climbed Mont Blanc du Tacul entirely in the dark. Being spaced out on a rope team makes the climbing solitary. There were 2-3 inches of fresh powder, but since other teams were already heading up it was easy to move through. Mont Blanc du Tacul on fresh legs wasn't too bad. There were a couple of snow bridges for us and one crux section where we traversed up a bulge with a bit of ice. The climb probably requires only one axe and the snow bridges were in such excellent condition that it wasn't too much of a consideration. The higher snowbridge was closer to opening up, but was still solid. The views looking back on the Midi were incredible. We could see parties below start their climb and the sun starting to lighten the sky. ## Mont Maudit We reached the col of Mont Blanc du Tacul right as alpenglow hit our next objective: Mont Maudit. There is a small descent to the base of Mont Maudit, and then a climb through a more featured glacier with seracs the size of large buildings and a steeper climb to the col. Mont Maudit is the technical crux, but with clear snow bridges and a well-established route at the top, it was not too much more difficult than the previous climb. This was my first time seeing seracs up close, and they were awe-inspiring. Only the will of the glacier stands between you and meeting your end as you weave under and around them. Snow bridges here were slightly more challenging but they were still extremely manageable. The upper section started to feel pretty exposed as we approached the col. Two axes was more comfortable but one would probably still manage. Honestly at this portion, being roped up felt like more harm than good. Any fall from the leader would certainly take the entire party down, and a follower fall would still have the potential to do the same. Nonetheless we continued to the col through this interesting chute feature that had been cut in by previous parties. ## Mont Blanc We reached the col and had our very first view of Mont Blanc since arriving to Chamonix. We made good time to the col, and with the two technical climbs out of the way, we felt like the summit was a sure thing. We were so wrong... While the final climb is non-technical, it was a total slog. Before starting the climb, you have to descend a decent bit from the col and then begin the final push to the summit. With no altitude acclimation, Stephen and I started to feel pretty terrible. I slowed down and Stephen started to feel awful. But at this point, down-climbing back towards the Aiguille du Midi was probably more challenging than heading up the summit and down towards the Gouter hut. We felt bad but conditions were great, so we continued towards the summit. Our progress was halted by endless breaks to catch our breath. I was nearly out of nutrition (thanks Iberia). We slogged on. After what felt like forever, we finally reached the summit of Mont Blanc (15,777′). Now, just need to get down... (haha).