Mont Blanc: The Grands Mulets Ski Ascent

This is one of the challenging adventures fitness-wise, and one of the more forgiving ones technically. The Grands Mulets route follows the same line Balmat and Paccard first climbed in 1786 — on skis, in our case — and it only exists in the window between roughly late March and early May, before the glacier crossing at La Jonction opens up too far to cross. By summer, the route stops being a route.

We build in two acclimatization days before the mountain proper. Day one, we ride the Aiguille du Midi and ski the Vallée Blanche down to the Refuge du Requin. Day two, we tour up the Aiguille du Plan straight from the hut, then ski back down through the Mer de Glace to Chamonix for a real bed before the real work starts.

Then the mountain: up to the Refuge des Grands Mulets (about 800m of touring), and the next day, the push — 1,800m over the Dôme du Goûter, past the Abri Vallot, to 4,808m. Skis back on for the descent down the north face, conditions permitting.

Guided by Gerrit Egnew — the same IFMGA guide behind our Chéré Couloir trip — plus two more IFMGA guides at his 1:2 ratio.

Photos are sourced from Ben Tibbets.