Mont Blanc with NUTREND in the pocket!

The highest mountain of Europe, Mont Blanc, lived dream and unbreakable human mind. That are simple key words of this story. NUTREND dietary supplements played small but necessary character. Let inspire yourself!

Everyone who was at least one times in French Chamonix under Mont Blanc and just for few moments looked at this magical mountain wants to conquer this roof of Europe in 4810 metre above the sea.

So one year later we are back to fulfill dreams, dreams maybe all of the high-mountains lovers, to beat Mont Blanc!

We started the way up from Les Houches (about 15 km far from Chamonix). And because we everywhere read that this way is long, but quiet simple one, technically on lower level. So we skipped Tramway du Mt. Blanc to Nid d’Aigle (2370) and we went up by feet. The weather forecast was good and the information we got from our friend and we read in maps fits too. That was positive. The negative were the 20 kg backpacks on our shoulders, but our 2 member group still went with good mood and enthusiasm. Except bread with salami we ate energy bars and we drank it after with ion drinks from NUTREND (our favourite one was Profidrinx). During uphill walk we met groups going downhill from the top with big smile in their faces but sometimes we saw very sad groups. For most of them was critical weather. By the way to wager on very universal weather forecast we kept at disposal is almost like to go without it, so we were looking for more information during our way up. The changes in weather are so fast and mysterious. This fact we had chance to feel on our bodies and minds later.

Through stone fields we were leading to Tete Rousses cottage (3176 m), where we spend very uncomfortable and mainly short night in the tent next to the cottage on stone platform. We felt a sleep with mixed feelings, avidity and with ambition to reach the top tomorrow, shifted to feelings of uncertainty what will be next, better say what will be higher. How will be way through the glacier and how will the high influence us. Above sea level was the biggest problem because of our short acclimatization. The morning way through exposed rock-rib to cottage Gouter (3817 m) was quiet good and we passed the dangerous part with falling stones. After we stand on ice plain and we put on climbing-irons, first time in our lives. We took ice axes and we tried ice walk. The tiredness and lack of oxygen we felt on our bodies, more precisely in our bodies. But appetite for new adventures powered us toward. In the time of biggest crises we used SHLEHA and it totally worked. But because of big tiredness and fast change of weather we had to sleep unplanned in bivouac Vallot (4362 m).

But the weather was again us in the next evening as well, in the bivouac in just 3 – 5 °C, and we appreciated our good clothes and shoes. We had big headache because above sea level and after each move we were breathlessness. To go out to the toilet seemed like unbreakable problem. The mood went down and we found first black ideas in our heads. We supported each together. The presence of next tourists helped us little bit, there were mainly Polish in the same bivouac.

The third day it seemed like in bad horror movie. We absolutely didn’t expect we had to stay there one more day and night. Our desperate try to go down was disaster and because of big fog we had to return to bivouac. The only thing you can do in moments like these is to sleep and wait and control the weather.

With coming evening we got big present from the mountain and the clouds started to twitch. For a while we saw the top of Mont Blanc. It was hope for next day. Next impulse was arrival of Estonian group which brought us great news about weather, the forecast was more than hopeful.

Next morning we woke up at 2 a.m. and the shine of the stars showed us the way. Belayed on the rope we were going up on the sharp rocks, very tired, breathlessness, with the feel of sureness that we will reach the top today. The sunrise we enjoyed on the top of the Europe. It was one of the strongest feelings in our lives. Great views and congratulations.

The way down is with light mind and it floated very fast. On Tete Rousses we packed the rest of the tent (it was destroyed with the storm) and in our heads was strong idea about going down because we really wanted to get over it the same day. The weather forecast wasn’t good at all for the next day.

The reality that we stood on the top of the Europe got across to us in Chamonix when we were having delicious dinner and good bottle of vine. We realized how strong human will is. The psychical and physical potential of human is huge if you really want to reach the goal! Now we have big respect to the nature and we found how beautiful the mountains could be, but in the same time how dangerous are. The wonderful memories which you can find on them and in the same time they can take you everything.

Lenka Hrubá

Jiří Moskva

13.-16. July 2009