In reply to Duncan I:
> I've heard wild talk that the seracs are much less of a worry of late - is the Brenva face of Mont Blanc back in fashion?
>
The problem with the Brenva were (both the Spur and the route on the face proper) were never much the seracs rather than the access - the left flank of the spur beyond col Moore (thus, the traverse towards the Red Sentinel, the access to the Great Couloir and the descent from Col Moore) were all interested by a major rockfall in 1997. Terrain there has now settled down a bit, so Brenva spurt via the original start, Major route (and to a lesser extent the Red Sentinel) are now doable again). Brenva spur via the Gussfeldt couloir was more or less always climbed, and the Pear/Poire is as nasty now as it always has been more or less in the last 60 years!
Summing up:
Brenva spur alternative start / Gussfeldt couloir -> regularly climbed (the couloir is dangerous)
Brenva spur original start -> being done again in good snow conditions, less difficult and dangerous than the Gussfeldt, but more ackward
Red Sentinel -> being somehow done again but rather dangerous
Major -> was completely abandoned for years because of the rockfall, now been done again (repeated at least twice last year) and apparently in excellent conditions after the Great Couloir crossing, but requires good snow for access
Pear -> aaaargh (as usual!)
Pilier D'Angle NF and EF -> being done with three abseils from Col Moore and rushing up below the Pear seracs (as always) fashion now is to start climb in the afternoon.
Hope this has been of some help