The idea to climb this mountain was conceived at the beginning of 2010 over a family dinner, but it had been a dream of mine for a few years. With only UK mountain experience, most alpine guides would advise me to do some courses on lower peaks first, before tackling the highest peak in the Alps. But not one to turn down a challenge, and with buckets of enthusiasm, I managed to convince my brother and brother-in-law that it would be a good idea. And, anyway, I had no intentions of taking a guide!

Actually, I’m fairly typical of the British first-time Mont Blanc climber. It appeals to the inexperienced because of its prominence and ‘relative’ ease of access as there’s a well trodden route that doesn’t require technical climbing. But this 4808m peak isn’t ‘bagged’ easily – it’s physically tough, there are objective dangers and the altitude takes your breath away, literally. I’m a believer in overcoming inexperience quickly with stretch targets and have a higher tolerance for personal risk than most, but I also read up a lot on what to expect and having done it, there are a few tips I would pass on to increase the chances of success.

Some friends of mine are considering this challenge later this year, so this is for them and anyone else wanting to reach the top.

1. Select the best route for your ability

The 3 main routes from the French side  are the Goûter route, the Grands Mulets route and the Three Monts route, and of these, the Goûter route is the least technical and therefore the most popular with inexperienced mountaineers. The Grands Mulets is a classic route, a longer one with some risk of serac fall and a lot of height gain to the summit on the second day. The Three Monts is another popular route and can be done in one day but is a lot more challenging, both physically and technically, ascending two peaks on route to Mont Blanc.

I would love to return and make an attempt via the Grands Mulet or Three Monts routes sometime, but for my first visit, the Goûter route was the only sensible option if I wanted the best chance of reaching the top and meeting our objective. It is a 2 day climb with an overnight stay at either the refuge de Tête-Rousse or the refuge du Goûter. However, both huts on this route can become very crowded in summer, so the next consideration was the time of year to make the trip.

2. Consider the best time of year

The peak time for climbing Mont Blanc is through July and August. During these two summer months, the snow line is at its highest and the chances of favourable weather conditions much greater, and with this being the holiday season as well, it’s the most popular time for tourists to make an ascent. This could potentially work well if you’re inexperienced – if you are going up without a guide, there will be plenty of others to follow, and a well trodden path through the snow. However, it also means crowds on the summit and lots of groups moving with different pace (passing in certain spots can be perilous). Additionally, the huts on the main routes are likely to be fully booked as guides tend to reserve in advance, which means carrying the extra weight of a tent and sleeping bag.

An alternative is to plan your trip at either end of the season – mid June or mid September. I decided to go out in June as the climbing season and mountain huts were opening. We were doing it independently but were able to make reservations at the huts easily, which was great as we had to be flexible with the weather. Other services weren’t yet open, such as the Tramway du Mont-Blanc that starts at Saint Gervais Les Bains and takes you up to the Nid d’Aigle station at 2370m, so instead we took the cable car from Les Houches to Belle Vue (1800m) and walked the rest of the tram track to the station. We also found the snowline at the Nid d’Aigle station instead of around the refuge du Goûter, but there’s an argument that this makes crossing the Grand Couloir safer with less likelihood of rock fall.

3. Watch the weather

You can make the best plans and preparations, but ultimately you need the weather on your side to make a successful ascent. If you don’t want to be stuck on the side of the mountain, you need to pick your climbing days carefully, and all you can do is to make sure you have enough days to pick from, with a flexible schedule, and watch the weather reports from the Office de Haute Montagne in Chamonix.

At first, I planned the trip over a long weekend, but quickly extended it to a week once I looked into it a bit more. As well as giving us a chance to fit in some training, the week in Chamonix meant we could watch the weather and pick the best two days to reach the top. Unfortunately, our week in Chamonix coincided with the worst floods the South of France has seen for 50 years, and whilst it rained heavily in the valleys, it was snowing heavily at altitude. After a week of bad weather, we started the climb on Thursday, 17 June and climbed through heavy snow on the first day, and were very fortunate to have a break in the weather on Friday, 18th to make the summit. However, we met fellow climbers at the hut who had waited there several days to get to the top, having made one attempt but turning back after being caught in a thunder storm on the mountain side as their ice axes buzzed with the static electricity.

4. Train well

Whilst the Goûter route may be the ‘least difficult’, it would be a mistake to treat it like a walk in the park, and general fitness is essential to be successful. Only 50% of those who make the attempt, reach the top and a large part of this is down to conditioning. As well as running, cycling and other aerobic exercise, it’s a good idea to get some elevation prep out in the hills, or if you’re based in the city, one of the best preparations for mountain climbing is walking up flights of stairs with some weight on your back (Covent Garden Stn is good for this with 193 steps, equivalent to 12 stories).

Our group spent a weekend in Snowdonia to stretch our legs before the trip, although it turned out a little more boozy than expected! I put in a few runs to build up fitness and squats every morning to build up leg strength before the trip, and then whilst in Chamonix, we used the first few days to get acclimatised with some climbing and altitude training. This is how our week’s itinerary turned out:

• Saturday, 12 June – flight to Geneva and drive to Chamonix
• Sunday, 13 June – trek up beside the Glacier des Bossons up to Le Jonction and back down
• Monday, 14 June – telepherique to Aiguille du Midi for some glacier walking and crampon practice on the Vallee Blanche
• Tuesday, 15 June – rest day with heavy downpours all day
• Wednesday, 16 June – low level ramble around Argentière
• Thursday, 17 June – 1st day up Mont Blanc ascending 2000m up to the refuge du Goûter (3800m)
• Friday, 18 June – 2nd day, ascending the final 1000m to the summit and back down to the Goûter hut
• Saturday, 19 June – descent to Chamonix in time for some Champagne before dinner
• Sunday, 20 June – flight back to London

5. Climb with others of a similar ability

The rule for any expedition is you move at the pace of the slowest in the team, and on a mountain it’s particularly true because you are roped together. So it’s wise to choose your climbing buddies with care, otherwise you may be frustrated moving at a slower pace and not able to make the summit, or, if you’re the slower party, risk being stretched beyond your ability and letting others down.

My climbing partner was my brother-in-law, Andy. He was fitter than me with a bit more experience, having summited the Matterhorn the year before, but we worked well together – and what I lacked in physical fitness, I tried to make up for in mental determination. I saw other groups that had to turn back because the difference in fitness levels was greater.

6. Think carefully about taking a guide

If you’re inexperienced in high mountains, you will be highly recommended to use the services of an experienced guide, and there are plenty to choose from in Chamonix. They offer training in the days before the climb, and not only will they provide a safer ascent, leading the way and guaranteed access to a hut for the night, but some would say you have a better chance of reaching the top.

We decided not to use a guide, mainly for the cost, but I’m very glad we did it independently – I only have my experience to go by, but now believe we wouldn’t have made the summit if we had taken one. Andy and I reached the refuge de Tête-Rousse on day 1 in heavy snowfall and decided to take a short break to see if it improved before making our way across the Grand Couloir and scrambling up steepest part to the refuge du Goûter. Most of the guided groups in this hut, including some friends of ours, were either staying put for the rest of the day and spending the night at the Tête-Rousse, or turning back. Andy and I considered it carefully, but decided to move on – a risky decision, and one that a guide wouldn’t have allowed, but ultimately meant that we reached the Goûter hut just in time for dinner and bed, and were in a much better position to summit the following morning.

7. Take the right kit

If your experience to date is UK mountains in the summer, there are some essential extras that you need for high mountain climbing in the Alps. But I found that some of the less obvious items made a big difference too.

• Boots – B2 or B3, warm and suitable for crampons (I used Scarpa Freneys)
• Crampons – flexible enough for trekking (I used Grivel G12 crampomatics)
• Gaiters – robust enough to withstand catching them with your crampons
• Walking/mountain trousers and thermal long johns
• Base layer and mid layer top
• Waterproof jacket with helmet compatible hood and waterproof trousers
• Helmet – protection for rockfall
• Down jacket – not absolutely necessary, but great for warmth in the huts
• Ice axe – for walking rather than ice climbing
• Walking/ski poles – I didn’t take these but saw others using them effectively
• Lightweight alpine harness and a screwgate karabiner
• Selection of slings and other karabiners – useful for the scramble up to the refuge du Gouter, some sections with fixed ropes
• Head torch (and batteries!)
• Hat/balaclava
• Sunglasses/ski goggles
• 50m rope – 9mm is adequate and lighter than 11mm which makes a difference when it’s dragging through the snow
• Water (2-3ltrs) – some prefer bottles, I prefer a reservoir with water tube for ‘little and often’, however if the water tube isn’t insulated, it’s likely to freeze hard
• Ear plugs and eye patch – sleep is important, but going to bed at 8pm (to rise at 3am) when it’s still light, in a full dorm with a cacophony of snoring make both of these invaluable

8. Carry as little with you as possible

Having run through the recommended kit list, it’s tempting to over-prepare for every eventuality, but it’s all too easy to end up with a stuffed sack weighing several kilos too much. Unless you’re used to yomping with heavy bergens, a backpack that’s too heavy will sap your strength early into the climb, so if you’re not in the military it makes sense to keep it as light as possible with just the essentials.

There is nowhere to wash in the huts, so leave your washbag (wet wipes suffice), and other than underwear, spare clothes are fairly unnecessary too as you will likely sleep in the clothes you wear during the day … and everyone in the huts tends to smell a bit anyway! The huts serve hot food (and quite tasty) so unless you want the authentic gas stove experience, boiling snow and cooking outside, there is no need to pack food other than nibbles for the climb (home made flapjacks are recommended!) The huts also provide beds with sleeping bags and blankets so you can save on weight and just take a sleeping bag liner.

9. Get sponsored

Reaching the top of Mont Blanc is a major goal if you’re not a seasoned mountaineer, and therefore a great way to raise funds for a worthy cause. It will also keep you motivated to achieve your objective!

I decided to raise money for ACET, a local charity with global reach to victims of AIDs, and I’m very grateful to good friends and colleagues, for helping me raise £1500.

10. Remember, as with all mountains, reaching the top is not the end goal …

… but reaching the bottom safely is! It’s important to remember this if you are stretching your limits and know that you have energy in reserve to descend safely.