Assaulting unconfined Mont Blanc: the expedition turns into a nightmare

It's 6 a.m. My alarm did not ring but Sébastien, our companion on the rope, took care of getting us out of bed to the sound of "The eye of the tiger" , the soundtrack of the film Rocky. Big laugh in the apartment. Because we all know what awaits us. A titanic battle against Mont Blanc. Saturday, we had experienced the fear of emptiness by climbing on the side of the cliff. On Sunday, our guides showed us how to attach crampons to our shoes and use an ice ax. But this Monday morning is the big day. And to be honest, the leap into the unknown. We are starting our ascent from the roof of Europe.

There are five of us: most neophytes, except Yann, our photographer, who has mountaineering pegged to the body. I open the shutters and I feel it, it won't be our day. Large gray and white clouds cling to the valley opposite. It is raining. This means that at altitude, the snow falls with large flakes. The “weather window” so longed for to reach the Goûter refuge, the first stage of our journey, seems to be closed in two turns. In the barracks, smiles freeze, foreheads crease, apprehension can be read on the faces. "I'm not leading it wide," says Julien, one of my four teammates. This father of two does not hide his emerging fear.

VIDEO. The unconfined Mont-Blanc

"It is complicated to manage, because it is the first time that I am going to put myself in physical danger. I can't wait to know which sauce we're going to be eaten at. Of all of us, Sébastien is probably the most motivated. “I'm not sure what to expect, because the guides put a lot of pressure on us the day before, telling us that it would be very difficult to climb. The legendary Taste Hall, I can't wait to be there. This very delicate snow corridor, which you have to take to reach the refuge, crosses an extremely steep slope. Some have renamed it death row (!) Because many mountaineers have died. Victims of deadly snow slides or falling rocks. Personally, this is my obsession.

"Feel the polar atmosphere of the roof of Europe"

Sébastien already sees himself there and imagines going higher. "Even if we have very little chance of achieving it, my dream is to reach the summit ridges above the refuge and to experience the polar atmosphere of the roof of Europe. »Meticulously filling his bag, Stéphan, my childhood friend, is« in his bubble ». "Like before a big physical challenge where I don't want to be polluted by useless information that could worry me. I closed the hatches. As a good marathon runner, he knows that he will have to manage his efforts to reach our goal of the day. “This is where the guides will assess us. I don't know where we will be tonight, but I can't wait to get there. "

Ulrika, Seb and Julien, our three guides, gave us an appointment at the Mont Blanc tram station. A legendary train with wooden benches whose route was traced at the beginning of the 20th century to reach the refuge of the eagle's nest. At a standstill during the entire confinement period, it winds again in the midst of coniferous forests and pastures, surprising in passing a hare installed on the tracks and hinds in the undergrowth. Thick fog greets us upon arrival. It's cold. We begin our climb to the Tête Rousse refuge on a rocky and slippery path. The weight of the ten kilo bag begins to weigh on the shoulders. After an hour, I'm already short of breath.

Our eyes meet with my friend Juju. Without speaking, our eyes say the same thing: how hard! And then the situation gets worse: snow appears. "Normally, this is a hiking trail," says Ulrika. There, the conditions are winter and we are attacking a mountain race ”. "It is the first time that I have seen so much snow this season in five years," adds Julien, one of the guides in Saint-Gervais. We have to "make our mark" in a layer of fifty centimeters of powder where we sink almost to the knee with each step. Exhausting.

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"In certain places, it is better not to slide, because you must not fall," warns Ulrika. I understand that a single misstep would result in a fatal fall. And I still haven't overcome my fear of emptiness when we take a dizzying passage. Seb, the guide from Saint-Gervais, is right behind me. He distills his advice to me: "Secure your foot, push your ice ax down well, use the cable. "I have been walking in the snow since I was a kid but you haven't," Ulrika explains to me. This is why it requires so much concentration. If you are stressed, it increases your fatigue by half. "

After three hours of intense effort, the Tête rousse refuge finally appears. It is noon and a layer of despair has fallen on us. Because we still have to climb the needle of the snack, very exposed to falling rocks. It is still snowing and the vertical monster is watching us from its full height. My friend Julien sprawls on a bench, his head tucked into his shoulders. "I stop there," he breathes, overwhelmed. I understand it so much. Myself, I don't know if I have the strength to continue.

Conquer Mont Blanc in 6 episodes

1. Attacking the roof of Europe

2. Winter mode… in summer!

3. A summit of difficulties

4. Subject to climate change

5. Yes, here it is polluted

6. Her secrets, young and old