Despite a downgraded weather forecast predicting clouds and high winds at altitude, the decision was made to proceed with the attempt. The start from the church went at a very strong and steady pace through the trail section up to La Jonction. At this point, transitioning to mountaineering gear was necessary to safely navigate the crevassed area.
Progress remained smooth up to the Grands Mulets hut, but conditions deteriorated significantly afterward. The lack of an overnight freeze and loose snow demanded a particularly taxing effort, with post-holing up to the knees at times. To anticipate the strong winds, the Corridor route was chosen over the Bosses ridge. A few hundred meters below the Mur de la Côte, extremely dense fog reduced visibility to less than 10 meters, requiring continuous navigation adjustment.
Faced with violent winds and near-zero visibility, the prospect of turning back was seriously considered. Ultimately, the choice was made to push up to the Mur de la Côte in the hope of finding firmer snow. The final ascent to the summit did indeed offer better support, but was carried out against gusts approaching 100 km/h, making the final push deeply grueling.
The start of the descent was equally complex. In complete whiteout conditions, safety and route-finding relied entirely on the GPS watch's backtrace function. It was necessary to descend to just above the Grands Mulets to finally drop below the cloud cover, regain visibility, and finish the return to Chamonix safely. An endeavor that required rigorous management, both mentally and in terms of navigating through the storm.