We have made the summit of the Dent du Geant. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡
is a short phrase, but it contains lots of tiny stories, anecdotes, joys, surprises and suffering ... I'll tell you a few. The Dent du Geant is regarded by many as the top most beautiful of all the Mont Blanc massif, is the highest, but the 4,013 meters are visible and recognizable from almost anywhere in the area to be separated from other peaks and possess obelisk-shaped feature
At 3:45 am, after a few hours of waking, because the nerves and over dinner they left no sleep, we woke up, had breakfast, we put the cachibaches and 4:50 am we left the shelter of Torino (3.375m) towards the Dent du Geant. Supposedly going to be a weather exceptional, but leave the shelter to a lot of wind and saw that the sky was not clear at all. Walking down the glacier fronts, following the track of those who had tried the day before, we passed the pillar of the Aiguilles Marbles and begins the climb to the west buttress of Dent du Geant. A wide snow shovel, which is giving away a pair of large cracks, without any technical problems, but to me as long as I stick the early start and begin to force the machine makes me take breakfast.
with an upset stomach, come to the small gully that leads to the first shoulder of the peak, no more than 45 degrees, heavy snow to those morning and a very small step ice, unmounted meetings, but very carefully what we ducked quickly, at this time we advance one of the two groups who went before us, since they were taken with a lot of philosophy beyond the gully.
From this chaos of rocks and dodging snow gradually going to get to the base of the obelisk which is the top of the peak. During this stretch of days is what allows us to manage better in two or three ridges of rock that despite the boots and crampons quite well.
The clouds are prey upon the summit of Mont Blanc, in the Midi Aigulle and are dangerously close from Italy, bad thoughts come to mind, but seems convinced that Josie will mists that come and go for the summit. From here we begin to shoot some photos, this time with the phone and a disposable camera just bought because I have become a digital home leave, send eggs!
At 8 and a half we reached a place called Sala Manje, which is like a natural area for rest, to take off the crampons and ice axes and prepare for the escalation of the obelisk, to eat after getting off to start Arista's also famous Rochefort. We arrived while the group that preceded us, American or Australian guide with your customer. After checking with them that there will be no problem making rappels down in 6 instead of 3 because we have only brought a rope. They shoot first.
The beginning of the track is quite shocking and threatening weather scares but still .... it is a journey with a yard more than 1,000 meters and a plate of V + which helped for a few fixed ropes is easier, but with buttons climbing instead of climbing shoes and gloves on hand for the fresh to becomes a complicated issue. At this point, the first meeting, where our comrades who went before deciding to turn around, the Australian guide client had spent almost 30 minutes This length of 30 meters, we had left and had another 150 snorting and jury with all the tacos I know in English ... This situation (on seeing them down) will not let me very quiet but we went ahead. Another long without equipping an easy dihedral III +, but becomes involved with boots and the wind starting to paste gives a very alpine. We arrived at Plaza Mummery, the ledge that leads to the famous Burgere plates, and no wonder this site has its own name, the view (though a little cloudy) on the Mer de Glace glacier 2,000 meters below and the views are spectacular upwards of 120 meters remaining impressive summit. A plate of 30 meters wide, cracked, with a variable tilt but between 50 and 80 degrees, most steps IV, V and some fireplace 6a. Impossible to get for me for free with boots, but with the aid of ropes slowly and with much effort is being pulled.
This is the best part of the climb, spectacular views, incredible patio around the Mont Blanc massif, wind, clouds that come and go and even some snow left on the ropes and rock .... I assure you that although not technically the most difficult I've done, with boots, gloves on the rope slippery snow ... I found the hardest I've done. Forearms to tighten the noose traps, feet slipping on the plate, bufff stressful. Lucky I went Josie second and looked after me from above, he with his experience, skill and a little more friendly boots with plates not open it very difficult times. In fact in the fireplace, the passage of the 6th I had with the rope in a small drop ... more excitement.
end plates and reach the first of two twin peaks, a few feet lower than the main but with better views of the mountain. A hug and ran down the 10 meters that separate us from the two hills of the twin peaks to see if it is less windy and less cold.
To download, another small step that brings them but eventually even the clouds, feeling we have made the summit! are 11am. We climbed to the second point, the principal, the atmosphere is spectacular, no more than 2 meters wide, feeling more in heaven than on earth. Surprise that Virgin have removed should chair the summit, required pictures, much joy, almost as much as cold and respect for this piece of mountain.
descended back to pass and get a couple of Italians, the latter in the day to the summit, it seems they left the shelter half an hour later that we also have face to be going cold. Find the first rappel and found under the first peak to the east, a clear opening and began to warm up a bit, which will help us in the 6 rappels that lie underneath a spectacular courtyard with a view to Courmayeur in Italy and the Rochefort ridge. Still was the last surprise ... In the last two rappels decide to try to change the knot Machard "I've got to self-insure rappelling, instead of on top of the rappel as always, decided to put it as recommended below it and to ward off a rappelling harness little use of my tape "daisy chain", which I have been using for 3 years as a more reliable anchor in the meeting. First rappel without problems, but in the second with this system, the final rappel that leaves us back at Sala Manje, I hear a thud of something breaking, suspended in the air (many of the rappels are blown on this side of the wall) stop rappelling and review the computer, dammit! one ring of the "daisy" is broken, under a few feet, rass, the second a few feet rasss the third .... really scared but in my head that although they were all small rings, the main issue, which makes the "daisy" in a normal tape holds more than 2,000 kilos, but my head spin a thousand things until my foot on the ground .... How is it possible that these rings do not endure 80 kilos?
Back on the ground to eat, drink something, we warmed as the sun has decided to stay and give recommendations to a rope that is going to start now with better temperature climbing.
retraced all the way and 14h we arrived back at the shelter. 9 hours total.Sin ascension doubt more serious than I did. Impossible without the help of Josie and a host of strong emotions. I will have made things more complicated technically, but not as complete and as alpine .... from which we will always remember ....
.
After crossing the bergschrund, we got into rock and out in like 6 long, long last 2 did in the assembly because it threatened storm. The rock is spectacular adhesive super, cracks, slabs, patio on both sides because it is a spur, very, very disfrutona and as this "low" height sickness was mild. At the top, the sound of thunder on the Mont Blanc was brutal and it started raining. No suck or liner because we had left everything in a tank at the foot of the road, we got 5 rappels flying to pull the foot down. It was part of the weekend fling, lots of adrenaline, very groovy. Important nodes "Machard" self-protection when rappelling at full speed. At the bottom, again we footwear boots, crampons, suck, ice axes, etc. and headed for the shelter of Torino. 
