I was managing the mountain climb fairly well until we got to the crevasse- a two-meter wide crack in the ice. 'What do I do with my ice axe?' I yelled. 'Don't worry about it', the leader of the expedition shouted back to me. 'Just jump', I obeyed but with the knowledge that a tumble on the other, lower, side would result in an express ride to the perilous glacier below. I just about made it. For an average climber like myself, this seemed more like a military operation!
But that, however, was exactly what it was. I was the thirteenth man on am army expedition to climb Mont Blanc. The aim was to put the soldiers into a challenging environment in order to develop the qualities of team spirit and self-confidence. A good aim, yes, but the difference between them and
me was that I was the sole civilian.
I wondered if I could keep up with the other, very fit expedition members. I didn't feel too optimistic when I learned of the route- 'The Grand Traverse'- which takes in two other mountains, Mont Blanc du Tacul and Mont Muadit, and is often done in a day starting from the Aiguille de Midi cable station. We could be carrying full rucksacks with food and equipment for three days.
Climbing Mont Blanc from this approach is not technically difficult but is never to be underestimated. The weather can change in minutes, and freezing temperatures and 120kph winds are common. At over 5,000 metres, these extreme conditions test the endurance limit of all but the hardiest of mountaineers.
Digging snow pits for the tents was a real struggle. Teams of two or three dug holes, got their tents up and got warm. After another early start in temperature of around -20, we finally made it to the summit. The wind was now roaring and I could barely see the peaks of the mountains around us. It was a long way to come to such a poor view but at least the worst was over.
I couldn't have been more wrong. The descent made everything that had gone before seem easy. After eventually negotiating the crevasses, we staggered down to just above the glacier- all that lay between us and safety. The ice on the glacier would be unstable, but there was a chance we would make it. Then a lump of the ice the size of a house crashed to pieces right on our prospective path. We had done it. We had climbed Mont Blanc the hard way.
Mountain challenge written by Cristina Nuta for FamousWhy.com
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