How I reached the highest peak of Europe ? - Krzysztof Matuszewski, 31.06.1996

Press: Gazeta Wyborcza

Which summit will I reach next Sumer? I wonedered after last year holiday in the Italian Dolomites. Maybe in Turkey or in the Caucasus?
Mont Blanc – the highest peak in Europe. The expedition was organised by a group of hotheads from Katowice.
Getting ready. First I select my luggage carefully as I will carry it on my back almost to the summit. I should take only the most important things; sleeping bag, foam pad, harness, down –filled jacket, gas burner stove with a small cylinder, so called EPI-type. First aid kit, high calorific food; chocolate, dried fruit, raisins, sunflower seeds. And finally my bag is 40 kg heavy. To save money we plan to sleep in shelters which differ from typical ones because there is no service so we have to do everything ourselves. They are for free and they are not in a good condition.
Time to set off. The journey doesn’t start well. The train by which I travel from Dabrowa Gornicza is 3 hours delayed . But my friends wait for me in Katowice, from where we set out on 9th August. There are 7 of us. We travel through the Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland we get to our destination – small village Les Houches at the foot of Mont Blanc at the height of about 1000m. It is 8 km far from Chamonix, the city where the first winter Olympic Games were held in 1924. From Les Houches we plan to ascend along the trail that leads through Dome du Gouter (4304m). It’s one of three possibilities from French side. Two others are: leading through Aiguille du Midi (3842m), where you can get on a lift and after a night in a shelter Cosmigue, through Mont Blanc du Tacul and Mount Maudit you can reach the summit, or through glacier Bossons and Grands Mulets shelter. In Les Houches 2 guides are waiting for us. It’s not a trip. We listen in fear to the story of a Polish group that tried to reach the peak before us. When they were walking tied together with a rope, few of them fell into a precipice and only a common sense of one of them , who knocked his ice axe into the snow and tied the rope around it, saved their lives. Next at the height of 4100m, during a blizzard they got lost. The wind swept their footprints so they couldn’t go back and had to spend a night in snow caves they made themselves. After a night spent in -25 temperature they woke up under a one metre layer of snow. So we have one more proof that Mont Blanc can be dangerous. We knew earlier that on this mountain died more people than on any other in the world. We pack only some fresh bread, hire crampons and ice axes and set off. After two hours of marching we get to a forest shelter – Arandellys (1752m) surrounded by old larches covered with moss. Nearby there is a spring, from which we can take water. Some of us use it to wash themselves – for the last time during our one week trip. The next day in the morning, after a night spent in the shelter’s attic we go on. For a long time the trail leads along the railway to Nid d’Aigle (2372), from where most of the tourist who choose the same trail set off. We can see the goats next to the shelter – they are different than the ones in the Tatras, they have longer, wavy horns. The weather sets conditions. We get to our shelter soaking wet. It is raining all the time. In the shelter is a grup of Czechs, two Spanish with their Slovakian girlfriends. As far as the Czechs are concerned, I think that half of tourist climbing Mont Blanc consists of them. The shelter where we live is marked on a map as a ruin and it is really a good name for it. Cracks on the walls, holes in the floor and ceiling, plaster falling off the walls, which are wet and green. We spend there three days waiting for the weather to get beter. In the meantime we get to Tete Rousse (3167) shelter twice, where we learn how to use crampons and ice axe. We climb a slope covered with snow and fall down trying to stop using ice axe. 
But still- no mountain ahead. After a light breakfast, surrounded by darkness of the night we start our ascent. We lose our trail although we use torches. Down the mountain, Chamonix is waking up. We follow a rocky crest to Gouter (3817). The way isn’t easy, similar to Orla Perc in the Tatras, but covered with snow. We have to wear crampons and very often we use our ice axes. This passage is dangerous also because of the stones falling down. In the afternoon the crowd is terrible here but we don’t meet anyone. In the shelter we are very tired. We eat something to improve our acclimatization and take an aspiryn. Standing on a snowy hill above the shelter we can see an amazing view. On our right we see Bionnassay (4052) and on our left, above the clouds, Mont Blanc du Tacul (4248) and Auguille du Midi and Auguille du Verte (4122) with its neighbour- characteristic, famous in the whole Alps auguille Dru. Here we put on the harnesses, and, tied with a rope, move in a burning sun towards Dome du Gouter, which we have to go through on our way on Mont Blanc. After a monotonuous march we get to the summit at about 5 pm. And for the first time we see the peak and the shelter Vallot (4362) where we are suppossed to spend a night. The conditions in this shelter are terrible and everyone who has ascended Mont Blanc speaks about this place with disgust. It’s always crowded, there are no places to sleep – one of our friends has to sleep outside. The worst is stench from the toilet. In the morning, on 15th August 5 of us set off to reach the summit. Three of us reached the summit the previous evening and one decided not to do it. Views are amazing. From Gouter shelter people are climbing up. Those who set off earlier passed Vallot and were on Mont Blanc crest. As it is very dark, they use torched. The snow bouncing the lights marks the way to the summit. This view together with starry sky and moonlight over the summit is breathtaking. We acsend without the backpacks but it isn’t easy. The wind is very strong, temperature 15 C and after each 50 metres we have to make a break. Midway we are caught by a sunrise. It is wonderful. We go along a snowy crest about 30 cm wide. Around us there are smaller peaks surrounded by clouds. Some of them are 3 or 4 thousand metres. On all of this peaks and on the clouds we can see the shadow of the highest mountain of Europe. 
I am on Mont Blanc. We get to the summit at 7.30. With us there are 20 people. We take a picture. Views are impressive but after 10 minutes we have to descend because of strong winds. Today I recall these moments as a dream. Wind was blowing from each side and it was very cold. I had frostbites on 4 toes. However, I don’t regret and when I recover I’ll probably start to wonder where I will go next year.