Sunday 20th September – The final attempt

Back down at sea level we were watching the weather; it looked good for summiting and flying on Sunday 20th September. That meant we would need to leave Saturday morning in order to make the attempt on Sunday. By Friday evening, the weather forecast was changing and Monday looked like the better day so we delayed leaving until Sunday morning.
Not only do you physically and practically have to prepare for a trip like this but mentally you have to get your head in gear for what you’re about to do as well. All the delays and uncertainty with the weather were difficult and frustrating and I was becoming very concerned that, with only a week left, I might not get my chance at the summit or indeed flying off. This season only one paraglider, a French guy, has actually flown from the summit of Mont Blanc.
Irwyn was reading the weather while I was looking at it with some confusion! You have to look at all kinds of charts and forecasts in order to make a decision about when is good to go. The weather is different at different altitudes and way up at 4,800m we needed light winds and a clear sky.
We were all ready for a 5am start on Sunday and the weather changed again. It was now looking good for Tuesday. That wasn’t a problem but the tramway closing on Sunday as the season was officially over was. There would be no more trams to Nid d’Aigle at 2,380m. We would have to get as high as we could by road and walk from there. The reality of this meant that the first day would be tougher and that we would be more tired for our second day and summit attempt.
We left on Sunday evening (20th September) and drove to Saint Gervais. Monday was going be such a long day we decided to drive out the night before and bivouac by the vehicle so that we could leave early in the morning. On the map from Saint Gervais there was a mountain road marked that looked like you could drive up to Belle Vue (1750m). This would be a good start point. Finding the road was tricky but we managed it. Getting up the road or rather the steep, winding, hideous, narrow track full of holes and trenches was quite a mission! I used up 99% of my nervous energy and was really quite exhausted after the 30 minute teeth gripping journey to Belle Vue.
It was a crazy late 9pm by the time we got there so out came the sleeping sacks (bivouac bags) and we made our beds for the night in a field.



At 7am the next morning, the stove was on and a cup of sugary tea was the incentive to get up. It had been a long night. I hadn’t slept well and I was nervous about the climb. We set off just after 8am. It was hot and we were in our plastic climbing boots but the load we were carrying was lighter as we weren’t taking our bivouac kit. As it was the end of the season the refugees were closed but they have a ‘winter room’ where there are blankets and gas which climbers can use so we planned to stay in the Gouter Hut winter room.
It took a few hours to get to the Nid d’Aigle our previous start point. We took a rest and I dressed my first blister. I was worried about my feet as blisters can literally stop you in your tacks so I did my best to treat and ignore them. We really took our time walking up to the hut it was a stunning day and as we climbed above the clouds the views were amazing. I was feeling confident, nervous, excited and worried all at the same time. Would this be it? This time tomorrow would I be flying down from the summit of Europe’s highest mountain?





The climb to the Gouter was just as awful as I’d remembered and, in fact, even worse. It had been snowing and overnight the temperature dropped to below freezing so the rocks we had to climb up were covered in snow and ice. We had to do the climb in our crampons.





I knew getting to the hut would take hours. At times like this I put myself into an almost trance and just keep going. Mostly I was thinking about food and being in a warm bed safely back down from the mountain. We finally reached the hut about 5pm. I was very pleased to be there knowing that this time we wouldn’t be going any higher and we spent the night here. It was going so well until we discovered that there was in fact no gas or stove provided in the winter room. Hmmm, no water and no food, this presented a slight worry to say the least. There were about 10 other climbers in the hut who were all male. I’m sure that me being a blonde female had nothing to do with the fact that the other climbing team (a group of Polish guys) gave us gas, water and chocolate! All jokes aside, they were incredibly kind and we were very grateful. We cooked our pasta, added the tomato sauce that we’d remembered to bring, made lots of tea and settled down for the night - well for a few hours as we were getting up at 2am!



It was better staying at a lower altitude and being inside. The weather was looking good and I was trying not to get too excited as after last time I knew only too well how quickly that can change. I didn’t sleep much but it didn’t matter as I was feeling fit and was eager to get going again.
We left the hut by 3.15am. It was cold, dark and yet again it had snowed so we had no tracks to follow. We didn’t know it at this point but on the other side of the mountain people were being turned back by guides as the avalanche risk after the snow fall was dangerously high. Ignorance is bliss! As we waded through the deep snow we heard a terrifying thud and knowing what it could mean (that an avalanche had just begun) we stopped dead and silently sweated for a few seconds. No avalanche but a warning that the snow was moving and we needed to be extremely careful about where we climbed.



We had a very slow pace and we wanted the few people who were climbing behind us to catch up as it would be nice to wait for daylight and to follow some tracks.
Just above 4,300m there is an emergency refuge hut and we decided to go in there for 10 minutes to try and sort out our water and eat some chocolate. The water we were carrying had frozen; it was lovely to be in the hut.





From this point on it got really steep but I knew that it was only another 500m or so to the top and the weather was still ok. The summit ridge goes on forever; it’s like walking along a knife edge – steep drops both sides with huge crevasses and unstable snow under foot. Mont Blanc is a tough mountain and I had underestimated it. I was scared, worried and I just hoped like mad like I wouldn’t have to walk back down!



As the summit got closer I knew that we were going to make it. I couldn’t get excited though because there was still the looming prospect of flying down. Obviously that was what I had intended to do. That was the grand finale of the journey and, if the wind was ok, of course I would go for it. However deep down I was totally petrified.



By 11am we had made it to the summit! It was an incredible feeling I was at the highest point in Europe. Cool!



The wind wasn’t looking good as it was blowing very strongly over the back from Italy. That meant there was no way we could take off in the direction of France where we wanted to fly. It also meant that there was no way we could take off at all.
We decided to wait. Maybe the wind would change direction. Maybe the wind would die down. Just maybe we would get our chance to fly from the top so we waited just below the summit out of the wind.



Irwyn was very pleased that he managed a successful toilet visit on top of the mountain. I was too cold and tired to be very amused although it seems much funnier sitting here writing this now!
Yet again good fortune seemed to be with us, the summit flag that was flying so ferociously in the strong wind dropped and the wind had calmed. Wasting no time we gathered ourselves, prepared our wings and made a quick plan. We would take off in the direction of Italy, as soon as it was safe we would swing a right, going around the side of Mt Blanc and head back into France. Turning right meant we needed enough height to get over the Dome Du Gouter, failing that, enough height to get over the col. Then we could fly safely down to our chosen landing spot. If we couldn’t do this the plan was to turn left, continue into Italy and fly safely down for a pizza or perhaps some pasta.





I didn’t breathe much as I lay my wing out and carried it to just below the summit of Mont Blanc. I could feel my heart thundering in my chest and I really was wondering why I put myself in these precarious situations! Irwyn was right beside me - his words were calming “Get the wing up and flying. Turn around and run like f**k!”
The wind dropped and it was time to go. I pulled my wing up, ran as fast as I could down the very steep mountain face I was standing on and then…………….. I was in the air. I’d done it! I had flown off Mont Blanc! I had really done it!




The air was not good. I was soon being thrown around in my harness, was absolutely stricken with fear and the thought that maybe this was not good weather to fly in after all. I looked back to see that Irwyn had taken off and was experiencing a similar turbulence; he was higher than me though. We both turned right. He made it over the Dome Du Gouter and I was heading towards the Col not sure if I was going to make it over. From where I was it looked like I could but in such rough air you can suddenly drop out of the sky and find yourself a lot lower than you had been seconds earlier. I could have turned at this point and gone for a pizza in Italy but I thought I’d go for it and headed towards the Col.



I made it. Thank God! Once over the Col it was the same story; hideous air. The rollercoaster continued. I headed for the landing field and looked around for Irwyn. As promised, he was doing his best to get down lower than me so that I could follow his path into land and he almost managed it.
Unfortunately our chosen landing spot was in direct sun light and was surrounded by thermal air so that every time we approached we simply flew higher! We had no choice but to find a new place to land. I followed Irwyn in the general direction of an overgrown field, dodged some power lines and set down with a thud. Yet again my crampons stabbed into the ground, stopping me dead and I landed with little style. However I was alive and well!!
Now I really had done it. I had ridden my motorbike with my paraglider on my back to the foot of Mont Blanc. I had climbed to the top of Europe’s highest mountain and I had flown down from the summit….. and most importantly, I had landed in one piece!



Without the support of Pidcock Motorcycles Long Eaton giving me the BMW GS F650 and Ozone giving me the Ultralight Mountain wing and Oxygen harness I would not have been able to even attempt this expedition. I am incredibly grateful to them both. The bike and the paraglider were brilliant.
I am especially grateful to Irwyn, my climbing and flying partner for this expedition. He has been wonderful. We have worked hard together to achieve something that has involved commitment, patience, team work, guts and a lot of effort. Irwyn is an amazing man. It has been a pleasure to climb and fly with someone as knowledgeable and experienced as him.