Grand Couloir Mont Blanc - Near accident

[chanctonbury63]

Cue rockfall.

[bornedformx]

hahaha, you probably schould have used a longer piece og rope :p

[Leutwein]

IMPORTANT QUESTION -->

How long must the sling be, that something like this can't happen? I want to climb the MB also... Thanks for any answers!! :)

[oysteintveit]

The length of the sling depends on how much snow there is. You have to estimate it when you're there. My sling was 1.7m. If your sling is too short you will notice it as you start crossing and you should turn around. I guess the sling can't bee too long.....

[Cocaine2600]

@oysteintveit

c'mon guys.. its only 20-30 meters of passage .. you dont need a roap at all. this guy had an ice axe and probably cramps. its completely enough to pass trought. for safety he could tie one end of rope to himself

[k0sinka]

@Leutwein at the Grand Couloir is an image, how to cross it (we took it solo, without ropes and slings) but you have to have rope about 5 meters and go with your climbing partner, just with rope joined by HMS to steel rope.

[pyramidcapitol]

perhaps he was British?

[jamescooper68]

@pyramidcapitol what makes you think being British is relevant to this situation?

[adharwood]

Would even a longer sling have been suitable here? Surely a rope or cow-tails?

Hooking in with a longer sling and he would'nt have been left hanging, but he may well have fallen more than the fall factor 1 needed to snap some slings in two!!!!

[oysteintveit]

@adharwood The wire is a bit flexible, and also you don't fall freely, but sliding down the snowy slope. I wouldn't worry about my sling being too long...

[erikkire94]

Hadde dere guide da dere besteg Mont Blanc? Hvor utfordrende og farlig er turen?

[oysteintveit]

@erikkire94 Ingen guide. Turen er ikke veldig farlig, men alt er jo relativt. Det hender jo at det dør folk der, men denne ruta er ikke den mest utsatte. Bør ha gått på bre og i tau før. Selv om det er sommer og varmt nede i Chamonix kan det bli som en kall norsk vinterstorm på toppen.

[erikkire94]

@erikkire94 Ok. Jeg har tatt brekurs og vært på en del breturer etter det, i tillegg til at jeg har vært mye i fjellet, og er i generelt god form. Bør en 17-åring klare denne turen, eller krever den lengre erfaring fra fjellet? Ble høydesyke et problem for dere?

[ambiguousheather]

Oh dear. Anyone under the age of 20 shouldn't even attempt major climbs. Not jus the skill needed. Also the emotional strength to deal with any major mishaps. In an emergency, kids curl up and cry. Askin for trouble!

[Tarzan07330]

@ambiguousheather idk. it seems like really young kids that climb lack the fear. it's like that don't fully understand the consequences if they fall. they just know their dad or mom told them they will be fine...

[myhumpdfx]

@Tarzan07330 I'm going to climb Mont Blanc this summer and I am a 14 year old boy. All you have to do is follow instruction, and don't slack off. If you listen to instruction and are resistant I'm shore anyone can reach the Summit.

[Tarzan07330]

@myhumpdfx i know that. what i'm sayin is people that are older understand things more. no offense. but after many years of experience, they look at how "now" could affect "later". and younger people are more about the "now" thing

[myhumpdfx]

@Tarzan07330 I completely understand you. Seriously, but I'm still going to climb Mont Blanc!! :p

[StonesTHATdontROLL]

@myhumpdfx I'm going next year when I am 15 for Mont Blanc, in the summer, as this year me and my father climbed Kilimanjaro which was amazing! Very tough with altitude.....

Don't let anyone underestimate you!

[stratfol]

@Tarzan07330 I've spent a lot of time climbing independently in Cham including blanc. I say go for it. I'd just advise that you take a UIAGM guide with the experience to make sure that mistakes like in the above video don't happen. There is no substitute for experience in the mountains, but I don't see why teenagers shouldn't go on guided climbs. You'll still need to take your training seriously and be mature enough to accept that you may not make it up due to conditions beyond your control.

[myhumpdfx]

@stratfol Thanks

[jackharre]

@ambiguousheather that is a gross generalisation

[The1stPoster]

@ambiguousheather There's a 13 year old that climbed Mt Everest. you ever climbed a mountain son?

[matthewpeach1]

ha where is his other pick, love how his mates decide to film instead of help :L

[Nardypants]

@matthewpeach1

What you see is a walking ice axe, not a climbing one. You usually only carry one of those as you pretty much just use it as a cane and a self-arrest device in emergencies.

[hamishsdad]

That must have been embarrassing!

[THEMORNINGBEAST]

that guy is from norway they are saying that som idiot is trying to cross over grand couloir with a to thin line he is using

[alvaroteatino]

it is perfectly splain at the begining of the couloir how you must use the line!

[itvreport]

Niet nad krátke lano :-D

[elbreth]

What a moron:)) This line is useless - too far from trail (2, 3 metres!). Grand Couloir - only on foot.

[TS6DK]

Guess this is why the sighn says that you must not secure youself to the wire unless you walk in a team secured to eachother!

[Cain2412]

FYI - the youngest kid to climb on Mont Blanc was 8 years old to the best of my knowledge.

[tightropetomg]

We crossed without connecting to the fixed line - just our own rope. We went early to avoid most of the rockfall... Not sure what this guy was thinking

[benjman22]

hehe im climbing mont blanc next year im 14 :D

[climb11]

Use a 16 ft sling and move very quick..do use the wire this is an extremely dangerous location due to rock fall.

[TS6DK]

After a succesfull summit we spend one more night at Tete rousse. We had perfect weather during our climb, but it changed dramatically during the night. Thunderstorm and about 2-4 degrees. None the less some people could not resist climbing anyway. While we were packing our stuff we saw a gigantic rockslide on the grand coluir. We could easilly se the three lithuanians who got cought midways and got killed. Rocks the size of footballs up to person size threw them down the glacier.. RIP

[alfabetagagadelerium]

No 14 year old kid climbs mont blanc.

[coreyfinn]

The youngest person to summit everest is 16 and.. 14 days I belive, why can't someone 2 years younger climb Mont Blanc?

[Triple777ER]

Don't take it seriously, this douchebag wants some attention.

[Triple777ER]

@alfabetagagadelerium yeah don't worry, there are a few people out there that need some attention, so youtube is generally the place to do it. Btw my younger brother is 6yrs old and climbing the Matterhorn next week!

[MrSamRobinson]

@Triple777ER OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS!!?!!!! Your younger brother is my idle man!!!!!!! How did it go?

[Triple777ER]

@MrSamRobinson Thankyou for your kind words sir. He was successful and next month he's leading an expedition of 7yr olds on K2.

[petejones216]

@alfabetagagadelerium Theres a 12 year old who is now on his 6th mountain of the 7 summits. The first few being completed at the age of ten! Facts...

[PaneroChecco]

In this case don't use ropes, trust your feet!

[furiouspaul]

prusik know to pull himself along the line might have been a reasonable idea

[fortinbras47]

If he can't reach, could he throw another rope over the fixed line, tie one end in and tie the other end with a munter hitch, pull it tight and tie it off, release the sling, lower self down on munter hitch?

[Roel80]

I went there without using that cable. If you arent hit bij a rock than there are no big risks. But you have to be carefull and focust all time! I don't know what happent here, but I hope this man is okay.

[leguidos]

sympas !!!