Day 1: Ascent to the Gonella Hut
We meet in Courmayeur at the valley station of the cable car from Courmayeur to the Turin Hut ("Skyway Monte Bianco") and leave one car there. With the second car, we drive into Val Veny to the parking lot at the end of the road. From here, we begin the scenic and spectacular ascent to the Gonella Hut. A total of almost 1,500 meters of elevation gain and approximately 5 hours.

Day 2: Mont Blanc via the Papal Way
The day couldn't start any earlier. Breakfast at midnight and, out into the still-long night, we begin a steady climb with headlamps over the crevasse-filled Glacier du Dome. We reach the Piton des Italiens, just barely breaking the 4,000-meter mark, having already gained 1,000 meters in altitude from the hut. We continue over the Dome du Gouter and past the Vallon bivouac, crossing the Bossesgrat to the highest point. At the summit, we'll hopefully enjoy the phenomenal view from 4,810 meters across the entire Alpine range. No point is higher than us. Afterwards, we begin the long descent, with the most technically demanding sections still ahead of us. The Trois Mount Route takes us past Mont Maudit and Mont Blanc du Tacul down to the Cosmiques Hut. A total of almost 2,000 meters of elevation gain, including uphill climbs and descents, is to be overcome, as well as a considerable distance and, especially on the descent, steep sections that require reserves of strength and concentration right up to the very end. It will take us a good 12 hours of hiking until we can hopefully toast our summit on the terrace of the Cosmiques Hut.

Day 3: Cosmiques Hut - Turin Hut - Courmayeur and return home
It's not uncommon for us to be able to sleep in almost as long at such a high-altitude hut. But after our midnight start the previous day and the long hike, this comes in very handy. On the last day, all we have left to do is return to Courmayeur, and for once, we don't have to get up in the middle of the night. We can take the Helbronner cable car (weather permitting) and easily climb over the glacier, or take the more challenging climb over the Cosmiques Ridge to the cable car station. Alternatively, we can cross the glacier on foot to the Turiner Hut and then take the cable car back down to the valley. We'll have our second car parked there to pick up the other one in Val Veny – or we can take the bus if we only have one car.