The first successful ascent of Mont Blanc was made on 7 August 1786 by Jacques Balmat and Michel Paccard. Both men were from Chamonix and were motivated by a substantial reward offered by the naturalist Horace Bénédict de Saussure. When standing on Mont Blanc today, it is hard not to wonder how they managed the climb with the equipment available at the time.
Nearly 250 years have passed since that historic first ascent. Since then, every ridge, face and couloir has been climbed, and several thousand mountaineers attempt to reach the highest point in the Alps each year. Most choose one of the established standard routes.
The four standard routes on Mont Blanc
If you’re planning to climb Mont Blanc yourself, you have multiple routes to choose from, each with their own character, difficulty and objective hazards. Here’s an overview of the four classic standard routes.
1. Via Grands Mulets to Mont Blanc
A route used mainly in winter and generally less advisable in summer.
The route followed by the first climbers to reach the summit leads across the Bossons Glacier, via the Grandes Mulets, the Grand Plateau and finally along the Bossons Ridge to the summit. Today, the Refuge des Grands Mulets, situated at just over 3,000 metres, stands on a rocky outcrop in the middle of the glacier.
Even before the effects of glacier retreat became so pronounced, this route was objectively dangerous. Huge seracs loom above the line of ascent like the sword of Damocles. It’s important to remember that these ice formations collapse due to the glacier’s constant movement, not because of predictable daily warming. Despite these objective dangers, the route remains a popular ski ascent, largely because the hazardous sections can be passed quickly on the descent.
Elevation gain:
- Day 1: Plan de l’Aiguille (2,300 m) to Grands Mulets Hut (3,051 m) – approx. 800 m ascent
- Day 2: Grands Mulets Hut (3,051 m) to Mont Blanc (4,805 m) – approx. 1,800 m ascent
- Descent: approx. 2,500 m
Difficulty: Demanding and objectively hazardous glacier and alpine climb, narrow summit ridge, rock sections up to UIAA Grade II on the descent.
2. Via the Goûter Hut to Mont Blanc
The most frequently climbed route on Mont Blanc.
In summer, three further routes are considered relatively straightforward from a technical perspective. The most popular is the classic normal route via the Tête Rousse Hut, the Grand Couloir, the Goûter Hut and the Dôme du Goûter. Just below the Vallot Hut, an emergency shelter at 4,351 metres, the route joins the line taken by the first ascent party. However, the Goûter route has its own challenges. Crossing the Grand Couloir is notoriously dangerous due to rockfall. Although a fixed cable has been installed across the roughly 100-metre traverse, it is intended only to prevent climbers from falling if struck by rocks. In warm conditions, the couloir can become a relentless rockfall funnel, a problem that has worsened due to climate change and permafrost degradation.
The couloir is generally safest when the mountain is frozen solid. Many mountain guides now avoid July and August, preferring the cooler conditions before and after the peak summer season. Some parties leave the Tête Rousse Hut at midnight to cross while temperatures are low. However, the danger remains during the descent.
After crossing the couloir, straightforward scrambling leads up to the rocky ridge of the Aiguille du Goûter, where the ultra-modern Goûter Hut stands. From there, around 1,000 additional metres of ascent remain across magnificent snow slopes and along the beautiful summit ridge. Despite the modest technical difficulty, the upper mountain is extremely demanding for those who are not properly acclimatised. Every step can become a struggle, and progress often slows to less than 200 vertical metres per hour.
Elevation gain:
- Day 1: Nid d’Aigle (2,390 m) to Goûter Hut (3,835 m) – approx. 1,500 m ascent
- Day 2: Goûter Hut (3,835 m) to Mont Blanc (4,805 m) – approx. 1,000 m ascent
- Descent: approx. 2,500 m
Difficulty: Challenging, objectively hazardous alpine climb with scrambling up to UIAA Grade II, glacier travel and a narrow summit ridge.
Alternative itinerary:
- Day 1: Nid d’Aigle (2,390 m) to Tête Rousse Hut (3,167 m) – approx. 800 m ascent
- Day 2: Tête Rousse Hut to Mont Blanc (4,805 m) – approx. 1,600 m ascent
- Descent: approx. 2,500 m
3. The Mont Blanc Traverse from the Aiguille du Midi
The classic Mont Blanc traverse.
Calling this route a standard route almost undersells it. Along the way you cross two additional four-thousand-metre peaks, namely Mont Blanc du Tacul and Mont Maudit, even if the true summits are usually bypassed.
On the first day, it’s only about an hour from the Aiguille du Midi cable car station to the Cosmiques Hut. Directly ahead rises the imposing ice face of Mont Blanc du Tacul, which must be climbed the next morning via steep glacier terrain and heavily crevassed slopes. The ascent normally begins well before dawn so that the most exposed sections can be crossed while conditions remain firm. The summit of Mont Blanc du Tacul is bypassed before the route continues on a gently descending traverse.
The next challenge is the ascent to the Col du Mont Maudit (4,345 m). This section is regarded as the crux of the route, with slopes of up to 50° and exposure to icefall. From the Col, Mont Blanc’s vast summit dome suddenly feels within reach. Although only around 500 vertical metres remain, the altitude makes them surprisingly demanding.
Elevation gain:
- Day 1: Aiguille du Midi (3,842 m) to Cosmiques Hut (3,606 m) – approx. 80 m ascent
- Day 2: Cosmiques Hut (3,606 m) to Mont Blanc (4,805 m) – approx. 1,600 m ascent
- Descent: approx. 2,500 m
Difficulty: Demanding and objectively hazardous alpine climb with glacier travel, ice slopes up to around 50°, rock sections up to UIAA Grade II on the descent, and a narrow summit ridge.
4. The Italian Standard Route via Rifugio Francesco Gonella
Mont Blanc ‘by fair means’: the alternative route.
Ahead lies the sprawling Miage Glacier, winding through the landscape like a giant serpent. The glacier traverse involves constant ups and downs, moraine terrain and numerous crevasses that must be negotiated carefully.
After many kilometres on the glacier, a narrow path climbs through steep rocky ground to the Gonella Hut at 3,071 metres. Rebuilt in 2011, it is one of the most modern and energy-self-sufficient mountain huts in the Alps. The hut atmosphere can only be enjoyed briefly, as climbers are typically woken around midnight. The advantage is that the ascent across the Glacier du Dôme, with its large crevasses and icefalls, takes place during the coolest hours. With almost 2,000 vertical metres to climb above the hut, this is the most physically demanding of the standard routes.
Ladders are often used to bridge some of the largest crevasses. The first major objective is the Piton des Italiens, reached via snow and ice slopes of up to 45°. From there, a razor-sharp snow ridge, in places barely wider than a boot, leads towards the Dôme du Goûter. If you’re moving efficiently, you’ll soon see the headlamps of climbers ascending from the Goûter route. As with every Mont Blanc ascent, the final 500 metres are exceptionally strenuous.
Elevation gain:
- Day 1: Val Veny (approx. 1,600 m) to Gonella Hut (3,072 m) – approx. 1,500 m ascent
- Day 2: Gonella Hut (3,072 m) to Mont Blanc (4,805 m) – approx. 1,900 m ascent
- Descent: approx. 2,500 m
Difficulty: Demanding alpine climb with ice slopes up to 45°, heavily crevassed glaciers, a narrow firn ridge from the Piton des Italiens (4,002 m), and descent via the Goûter Hut. Rock sections up to UIAA Grade II, narrow summit ridge, objectively hazardous terrain.
The descent from Mont Blanc
The climb isn’t over until you’ve returned safely to the valley. Nowhere is that more true than on Mont Blanc. Most climbers descend via the Goûter Hut, as this is the technically easiest route. Two huts provide shelter along the way to the upper station of the Tramway du Mont Blanc at Nid d’Aigle (2,390 m). The key challenge on the descent remains the crossing of the Grand Couloir.
What you need for a Mont Blanc ascent
Climbing Mont Blanc requires solid alpine experience, excellent fitness and confidence using crampons, including on steep terrain. You should be comfortable with all aspects of glacier travel, rope handling and basic mountaineering techniques before attempting any of the standard routes.
Even if you’re climbing with a mountain guide, you should be in excellent physical condition and have previous experience moving in crampons. To acclimatise properly, preparatory ascents such as Gran Paradiso (4,061 m) or one of the many Monte Rosa peaks up to around 4,500 m are highly recommended. In any case, mountain huts should be booked well in advance.
* The ascent figures quoted above do not simply reflect the difference in altitude between start and finish. They also include descents and counter-ascents encountered along the route.
