Was Mont Blanc the experience you had planned for?
I’d never climbed a mountain like Mont Blanc before with no other reason than to reach the summit. I’d joined a gym (I’d experienced my first panic attack in a gym some years back so the fact I’d given it another go and began to enjoy the training is another reason I do these brilliant projects – they push me out of my comfort zone and show me I can do new stuff!) but I was still daunted by my lack of experience.
My outfit research really paid off, and I had the help of some amazing people. My bonnet was a work of art – made by a proper milliner who’d been responsible for the hats in the new Wicked movie! My all-female team of three (mountain guide Karen, filmmaker Grace, and myself) had bonded well from the start, and planned to take it steady – over four to five days.
We were the only women in the huts we stayed in on our route. Karen was the only female guide at a kick-off meeting around a table of male guides, but by the end of the meeting, she was holding court, and had them eating out of her hand, listening to her every word, with her knowledge and her experience – brilliant!
I felt close to Henriette in many ways. At the time of her climb, a woman wearing trousers was unconventional, and she would have had quite a reception from the crowds at Chamonix. I had an equally bemused reception from the people I met on the way, dressed in my wool layers, bloomers and bonnet!
“To aim for the highest point is not the only way to climb a mountain.” Nan Shepherd
The bonnet, as beautiful as it was, did make life difficult. It was hot to wear, the huge cap made looking down hard, and the wind would catch the brim and pull me back. My feet were on fire, and post-trek they were in bits – they always are, but with so much walking I’d have been in pain wearing specialist walking boots too. And my body? It always feels good! Putting it through its paces is a great feeling.
It was the weather we weren’t so prepared for. We specifically set out to climb at the same time of year that Henriette climbed, but climate change has clearly had an impact on conditions. It was hotter than we expected – and the glacier was melting. It meant the climb was rockier, and I wasn’t dressed for this!
Back in 1838, Henriette’s shoes would have given better grip on the snow, and it would have made for an easier climb. The day before we set out there had been a fatality, and two days after there were four more.
The mountains weren’t making it easy. Parts of our route proved inaccessible. And then a storm ended our chances just as we tackled the last rocky section of ascent, after four hours of climbing on slippery granite. We reached the summit in a cloud of mist, unable to see our surroundings, but it was ok.
Maybe none of this was about getting to the top to admire the views. My highs? For many hours it is simply about putting one foot in front of another, but as the one who is always in front, I saw some great sunrises over Chamonix. I felt grateful to be part of nature before it changes.
The more I immerse myself in nature, without the distraction of screens, phones, people, the more I’m addicted to it. It’s tough and crazy but it gives your brain a break, you switch off, you do the hard stuff and it’s the best feeling because you can. There's more to the Alps than skiing - read here for more.
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