It’s only mid-August, we know… but the ski edits are already dropping! In this one, Rab athlete Anna DeMonte sets new women’s ski FKT on the iconic, fearsome Mont Blanc.
American athlete Anna DeMonte has set a new women’s ski Fastest Known Time (FKT) on Mont Blanc’s grueling, exposed Grand Mulets route—probably the most dangerous the mountain has on offer.
On June 5th, the Utah-based mountaineer completed the course in an impressive 7 hours and 29 minutes, carrying all her own gear.
DeMonte’s time came within two minutes of the women’s overall FKT, set by runner Hillary Gerardi, after a 100-foot slip on the icy ascent. The route, covering approximately 3840 vertical metres, combines severely technical trail running, steep ski mountaineering and complex glacier travel.
“I am both happy and humbled with the effort I put together,” said DeMonte. “We put so much time and focus into training, scouting, acclimatizing and waiting, all in a new country, and still conditions were far from optimal. I’m stoked to have done this in a style I am proud of, carrying all of my own equipment, from start to finish.”
DeMonte and her partner, Jack Kuenzle, spent this spring in the mountains around Chamonix and it soon became clear to her that she wanted to attempt a FKT on Mont Blanc—the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus, rising over 4,805 metres.
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The Grand Mulets route presents a daunting challenge, including a 1,006-metre trail-climb past the Mont Blanc tunnel, traversing the Bossons glacier, navigating massive crevasses and seracs, and ascending the Arete des Bosses to the summit. The descent involves a high-octane ski down the north face, which DeMonte described as “one of the best skis I’ve ever done.”
DeMonte hopes her achievement will inspire more women to attempt speed ski efforts on the white mountain.
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