Thanks for taking the time to visit the "Project Blanc" JustGiving page!

This May Bank Holiday Pete Van Marken, Dave Kettle, Harrie Morris, Andy Dyer and Rob Smith (x2  - yes, really) are off to Chamonix to attempt to climb and ski Mont Blanc in aid of the Stroke Association.

After a couple of years of Pete dreaming of attempting the climb, and Andy insisting “it’s just a long walk, I’m not doing it if I can’t ski down it” the team came together and realised it was actually possible to do on skis. Maybe.  Except we’ve never ski toured, or ice climbed before (bar Harrie, the only girl, who is likely to show us all up). Oh well, screw it, rule number 1: back yourself. So we’re doing just that....

The other reason for doing it is the burning desire to do a challenge for charity, and something a bit different from the usual. The Stroke Association was chosen as it has a very personal connection for me (Andy), after my Mum died suddenly of a stroke in April 2007. There was no warning, no prolonged illness and no chance to prepare for what was to come. This isn’t an uncommon story amongst the families of stroke victims, and one of the things that makes the condition so devastating. We hope that by raising some money to fund research and provoke a little awareness we can do our bit for stroke prevention.

More about the stroke association...

Every year an estimated 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke. Of all people who suffer from a stroke, about a third are likely to die within the first 10 days, about a third are likely to make a recovery within one month and about a third are likely to be left disabled and needing rehabilitation. Stroke has a greater disability impact than any other medical condition. A quarter of a million people are living with long-term disability as a result of stroke in the UK. In addition stroke is the condition which places the greatest financial burden on the economy - £7 billion every year – yet research into stroke is currently woefully underfunded.

The Stroke Association is the only UK wide charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages. It funds research into prevention, treatment and better methods of rehabilitation, and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its Life After Stroke Services. These include Information, Advice and Support, Communication Support and Life After Stroke grants. We also campaign, educate and inform to increase knowledge of stroke at all levels of society, and we act as a voice for everyone affected by stroke.

More about the challenge....

Essentially we are spending the next few months in training to get superhero fit. Then we head out to Chamonix on Friday 30^thApril to embark on Project Blanc. Firstly, we will spend 3 days acclimatising at high altitude, practising ascending on skis, climbing in crampons and spending one night above 3500 metres. We then have a window of 5/6 days in which to attempt the ascent (maximising our chances of beating the weather), with our 3 fully qualified mountain guides.

The climb will take approximately 2 ½ days, ascending to 4807m with the descent taking a few hours. Our success will depend on no less than the following factors:

- The weather (changeable at best – expect snow, extreme cold, winds etc)

- Our fitness (work needed)

- Our capabilities (learning ski touring and climbing skills pretty quickly)

- Random bouts of altitude sickness

- Crevasses (avoiding them)

- Avalanches (ditto)

- Ice seracs (Ice rocks that like to detach themselves and fall on people)

......................................................NEW DETAILS! PROJECT BLANC JUST GOT HARDER........................................

An update from our guide Yan....

“I have news about Mont Blanc
This season, the icefall of the dome du Gouter is very unstable and they are regularly some icefalls on the normal route of Mont Blanc.
It will be not realistic to ascent Mont Blanc on this route; really too dangerous.
I can propose to you 2 routes or more:
1. The traverse of the 3 monts blancs
2. The gouter route with the descente of the grand mulets glacier (less time under the ice fall on descending)
3. From Grands Mulets on the North ridge of the dome du Gouter.
4. The Gonella route on the italian side of Mont Blanc
All those routes require a better technical level than the classic route. And the snow conditions must be also stable. It will be more challenging with less chances of success because there are more complicate factors. It will be important to have definitively a good and reliable level for trying one of those routes. I will understand that you will renounce and I will give back to you the deposit.
Anyway with the conditions of this year no french guides want to climb the classic route this winter.
I'm waiting for your response as soon as possible for knowing if you agree this changements or if you cancel.
And I remind you that you must accept, without financial compensation, -that the conditions could be bad (risk of avalanche or bad weather or others),
-that your technical level or fitness could be not suffisant
-That you could envisage to climb another summit”

Wow. He’s so French, spelling and all.

Anyway, the team have said a resounding screw it, on we go. We’re still going for it (we'll let you know the route chosen in due course), and we still might fail, but we’re not planning on it. And if we do it will be a glorious failure, with loads of money raised! And I guess we’d have to complete it another time to keep everyone happy!
Also, on the weekend of 27th & 28th March Pete, Dave, Robbie and Andy are off to Chamonix for a bit of training with one of Yan's friends. Here's what he has to say...

1/ you must know that mont Blanc ascent is not a small hike in the mountain, but a serious and long duration effort in altitude that you have to prepare.
2/ for the next week end:
- Program: -Saturday: meeting at 9 AM at Snell's, opening time, then drive to Argentiere and Grands Montets lift.
Down hill to Argentiere Glacier (2500 m.) and skin up (4h.) to Col d'Argentiere (3562 m.). Ski down to Argentiere (1200 m.)
-Sunday: meeting at 7h.30 at the Aiguille du midi cable car, ski down the upper Vallee blanche and skin up the Periades Glacier (3 to 4h.) and ski dwn to Chamonix
For 3 of us, this will be our first attampt at ski touring... Should be fun!
...................................................................................................................................................................................................

We would be extremely grateful if you could spare any cash to support us in our quest. We've set quite a stretch fundraising target, but hope we're doing something that'll catch the imagination a little.

Our updates will be pretty regular from now on, as we get a more detailed itinerary and maybe organise some kind of pre-ascent event.

Many thanks in advance for your generosity and to those that have donated already we can't thank you enough,

Team Blanc