After climbing The Shroud on the Grandes Jorasses with my friend Rich Cross, I was lounging in Chamonix Valley. We had experienced the consequences of inadequate acclimatization because we had only landed a few days prior, gone directly from the airline to the station parking lot to pack, and then spent the night there before continuing on our journey. But we were content because we had succeeded. Despite our exhaustion and joy from the ascent, we were discussing “what next” as we descended the Mer de Glace. We wanted to take advantage of every mountain opportunity while we still had a few days remaining on our trip.
Anticipating the challenge, we packed and planned for the expedition using our judgment and experience. We concentrated on a one to two-day ascent with the potential for a bivouac in the Solvay refuge, with the goal of traveling as light as possible. Teams had climbed the route in a single day, and recent ascents had reported good conditions.
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