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Les Grands Montets short hike/day tour
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Col du Passon
The Col du Passon will always remind me that incidents in the mountains are seldom the result of an isolated event but the outcome of many contributing factors. The events I’m thinking of highlight the three golden rules of ski touring (and alpinism in general):
First, allow plenty of time to achieve your objective - especially important in winter when the days are short.
Second, never leave home without at least one woolly jumper - in other words, you never know quite what will happen out in the hills and standing around can get very cold.
Third, though a weather forecast is just what it says it is - a forecast - it’s one piece of the mountain jigsaw you ignore at your peril.
In April 2000, the Chamonix Valley was enjoying a prolonged spell of perfect conditions but storm clouds (correctly forecast) were gathering. Experienced friends selected the Col du Passon as a quick tour before the onset of poor weather but left too late and didn’t allow for lack of fitness, leaving them on the col in poor visibility.
A minor tumble resulted in one of the leaders with a broken leg, leaving the party no choice but to dig themselves in and wait for the weather to improve. Forty hours later a chilly, hungry and embarrassed party emerged with no real harm done that hot baths and good food couldn’t resolve, but it could have been very different.
More normally this tour has plenty of interest in the ‘up’ and is a must for its ‘down’ on the Glacier du Tour - often untracked powder days after the Grands Montets has been completely carved up. Start by descending to the Argentiere glacier from the Les Grands Montets and crossing it towards the Chardonnet Glacier.
To reach the couloir leading to the Col you can make a rising traverse NW across steep slopes beneath the Glacier Adams Reilly. Though the shortest route, this line is exposed (and often icy first thing), so it’s better to start further down the Argentiere Glacier. The couloir is not long (200m) but crampons and a rope are recommended.
Over 2000m of vertical descent to Le Tour follows, so attention shifts to finding the best snow. Glacier skills, avalanche awareness and route finding, not to mention tricky skiing and bushwhacking all play their part in holding your attention right up to the nursery slopes of La Vormaine.
The Aiguille d’Argentiere
The Aiguille d’Argentiere is typical of the many excellent peaks in the Mont Blanc massif that can be ascended on skis. It demands skiing and mountaineering skills and experience but will reward the successful with an outstanding day: views of the great north faces of the Aiguilles Verte, Droites and Courtes; dramatic scenery on the Milieu glacier, a narrow ribbon of ice wedged between pinnacles of granite; and, conditions and skills permitting, an exciting ski from the summit.
The Argentiere refuge makes a convenient, if dingy, base for your attempt on the peak, though a fit party will have enough time to launch their attempt from the first Grands Montets bit of the day. Route finding and skinning up the Milieu glacier is straightforward enough though the last 300m is steep and best tackled on crampons. This allows you to assess whether the ski from the summit is on – there’s clearly a huge advantage in first climbing any steep slope you want to ski and this tactic is always recommended.
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Avalanche gear
Away from the marked runs, you depend on your friends and your equipment should anything go wrong.
Make sure you have the best gear, available from Facewest.
Make sure you have the best gear, available from Facewest.
Avalanche guide
Some passages in this section are extracted from Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain by Bruce Tremper, Director of the Utah Avalanche Center.
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