“Reaching the top felt so overwhelming, after such a tiring few days and the uncertainty of the weather, I had tears come to my eyes when we managed to get to the top!” Zach expressed with Lovin Malta.

The climbers started their journey with weeks of physical training before their ascent, albeit endless training in Malta would have not prepared them for what they were to face as nothing could have prepared them for the grandeur and height of this mountain.

A week before climbing Mont Blanc, Andrew and Zach were trained on routines and acclimatization regimes on Mount Gran Paradiso to prepare for their actual summit attempt.

During this climb, they were met with cold, strong winds and static electricity which hindered them from making it to the top of Gran Paradiso just shy of the last 15m.

“It felt so frustrating to be so close to the end and not manage – this definitely made us feel less confident to attempt Mont Blanc at the time and the pressure was on,” Andrew said.

The bad weather persisted even during the Mont Blanc expedition making the Goûter Route highly dangerous, a difficult feat even in the best of weather conditions.

Their first resting point was the Tête Rousse Refuge at 3,167m. The following day, the group climbed the treacherous Gran Colouir to reach the Refuge du Goûter which stands at 3,835m.

The Gran Colouir, a dangerous gully, often referred to as the ‘gully of death’, has to be traversed on foot and was an extensive test to their stamina and physical fitness.

The third day allowed the climbers to finally sigh with relief, as the weather conditions slightly improved and gave them the opportunity to finish their ascent.

Their final day started off at 02:30am – starting their journey in total darkness, the brave climbers – accompanied by two highly competent mountaineering guides – proudly made it to the summit.

Well done Zach and Andrew!