With extremely hot temperatures persisting and snow stability on bigger lines being a concern, Dale and I decided to make our last day together in the mountains of Chamonix a fun and lower-key outing. Dale suggested we take the ‘civilized’ approach via the Aiguille du Midi and Helbronner ‘bubbles’ to Italy. Not in a rush, I happily obliged.
We were on snow just after 9am, walking briskly and unroped toward our objective with great views of the Dent du Géant along the way. The snow was reasonably firm and we made good time, getting to the base of the East Ridge in less than 30 minutes. There were plenty of other parties on the route by that point, but we weren’t in a big rush, so we settled into enjoying the rock, views, and company. We made it to the Northern summit at 10:20am and then made our way South. It was mostly easy going, which afforded more opportunities than normal to take in the atmosphere.
The final steep section to the Southern summit looked improbable head-on, but went surprisingly easily in mountaineering boots. We reached the top of this summit at 11:30am. The down-climb kept things interesting a bit longer and then we plunge-stepped down snow and back across the glacier, reaching the Skyway at about 12:30pm—perfect timing to enjoy some pasta and Italian wine at the swanky restaurant before a panoramic ride back to Chamonix. What a stark contrast to bushwhacking in the Pacific Northwest!
This was a fun, easy ridge scramble with a few moments where I was glad to have a rope on. The views were stellar.