news blog

Report 20 May 2020

MOUNTAIN CONDITIONS 20/05/2020

Some information for the long bank holiday weekend.

The return of the good weather, together with the opening of the Aiguille du Midi lift and the Montenvers  train, has allowed for a lot of activity in the high mountain. Take heed of the warm weather, conditions will have certainly changed since last weekend.  We are between the ski and alpine seasons.  Skis and snowshoes remain useful for moving about the mountain.

Tour Sector: The hut is accessible either on foot, (a snow patch to cross near the water outlet then dry until the junction with the other path below the hut), or on ski, (a part of the moraine still has snow, 1hr of carrying.)  A lot of people were on the Table Couloir (mixed section low down, final ridge OK,) and the normal route on the Aiguille du Tour. Some parties have done the Migot Spur.

Argentière Sector: The skiing still starts at the rocky section of the Pierre à Ric. Last weekend the Couturier  Couloir was in good condition, (still 30m of ice at the narrows.)  

Talèfre Sector: No information other than to reach the hut, the central gully and the Pierre à Bérenger are dry. It is better to go by the Egralets ladders (free of snow but the equipment on the ledges may not be all there.)

Aiguille du Midi Sector: The lift will be open from Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th.  The ridge is in good condition, (no ice,) and with some stakes in place

Skiing remains the main activity.  Return trips from/to the Aiguille are popular.  The upper part of the Valley Blanche is in good condition but this is not the case lower down, (crevasses at the Salle à Manger, sticky snow and the skiing ends at the junction with the Leschaux glacier, 1hr of walking to the Montenvers ladders.)

The Glacier Rond and the Cosmiques couloir have been done, no further information. It is recommended to return to the Plan de l'Aiguille, (one starts walking well above the old Glaciers station.)  Be aware that conditions are changing rapidly.  

Quite a few skiers have been going, there and back, to the Col des Marbrés and the Col d'Entrèves.

The Gervasutti couloir was popular (good conditions), as was the normal route on the Tour Ronde (no further information.)

The normal route on the Mont Blanc du Tacul was done in good conditions last Sunday.  The bergschrunds are OK and one can keep the skis on throughout. There were some parties on the Chere couloir, (looks to be very dry,) on the Contamine-Grisolle (black ice showing through) and on the Contamine-Negri. The Gervasutti couloir has been skied, (conditions have probably changed since).  As last year, the bergschrund for the Mont Maudit looks to be problematical .

The Cosmiques Arete has been done, (approach on foot tracked.)  The west Pointe Lachenal was popular.  The traverse has not been done but looks to be in condition.

Not many rock climbers about even if the south facing rocks look to be dry, (e.g. Aig du Midi S face, Cosmiques Spur, Pointes Lachenal.)  There is still a bit of snow on the ledges.

Mont Blanc : No recent information concerning the Jonction.  There looks to be ice on the N ridge of the Dôme du Goûter.  Again, the descent via the Plateaux « looks » OK.

Dômes de Miage: The Mettrier ridge was OK but with a long carry.  The Dômes traverse and descent by the Armancette is still feasible with skis, ( the walking starts above the lake)  The  Aiguille de la Bérangère,  there and back, is also OK via the Mauvais Pas. (The skiing starts at the glacier.)

Skiing is finished for this year at the mid altitudes, (Buet etc).

Hikers should not forget it is only the start of the season and there is still a lot of snowabout.  Not everybody is aware that more than half of mountain accidents happen to hikers. 

As well as the hikes indicated in last weekend’s bulletin, the following are now feasible: the Aiguillette des Posettes  from Le Tour or the Col des Montets, the Signal Forbes from Montenvers,  (N/B. the Grand Balcon North traverse still has too much exposed snow,)  the Bellachat hut from Chamonix, the chalet des Pyramides, the chalets de Pormenaz from the Tête de la Fontaine, the chalets de Miage from Gruvaz.

Multi pitch routes are now permitted so it is possible to climb in the sun, for example at the  Cheserys. The Evettes  via feratta (La Flégère) is feasible but does involve a long walk from the valley.  

Attention :  The Barberine cliff is in Switzerland: the border police have done numerous controls and the fine is 100 CHF per person for someone crossing the closed border.  This is also true for the Baberine canyon.

Report 13 May 2020

Mountain Conditions 13/05/2020

Back in business !!!

A little information as activities restart. Even if one cannot go too far, or too hard and the weather is decidedly unreliable, everyone is happy that we can hike, bike and ski again.   

The Company du Mont Blanc has confirmed that the Aig du Midi cable car and the Montenvers train should be open on weekends 16th/!7th and 21^st/24th May.

The snow level has receded a lot during the lockdown period.  Conditions are several weeks in advance compared of other years.  To get an idea, look at the webcams on the Chamoniarde site.

Bad news for the ski tourers, who will have long walks carrying their skis. The skiable snow starts around 1800m on the N side, e.g. 100m below Pierre à Bérard hut, at the water outlet on the true right moraine of the Tour glacier and at the last big bend on the Pierre à Ric below the Lognan station.

Above, the snow is Spring nevé, pleasant to ski but with the more recent snow often being soft and “sticky”.

It is difficult to judge the conditions in the high mountain and  also difficult to access within a day.  The recent bad weather from the SW has plastered snow on the faces and concealed the underlying bad situation.  The Tacul Triangle was seen to be very dry on the 12^th May.  Without doubt, snow will have accumulated in other areas and care is needed with unstable conditions.

Hikers will find that the snow level starts around 1800m, regardless of orientation, and is fairly continuous from this level. Therefore, it is too early for hikes to the mountain lakes,  (Lake Blanc, Chéserys lakes, Lake Cornu...), the Grands Balcons etc.

On the other hand there are some beautiful early season walks e.g. Cerro chalet, Bossons glacier, the Floria - Chapeau, Loriaz chalets, Pendant Alpage from Lavancher, Tête de Prapator, Montenvers via the Mottets buvette, Blaitière Alpage, Montagne de La Charlanon, Planpraz via the Plan des Chablettes, Chailloux chalet (some snow still on the Aiguillette des Houches), Prarion via the Col de la Forclaz, Lac Vert and the Ayères chalets, Varan hut.....

The Parc de Merlet opens on  the 16th May. The bridge way to the Bérard waterfall is accessible.

It is also a good time for mountain biking (with or without “assistance”)  and for crag climbing!!!

Please do not hesitate to telephone the Chamoniarde for more precise details or to pass on your information.  

Report 6th March 2020

MOUNTAIN CONDITIONS 06/03/2020

Some (brief) information for the weekend.

One spell of bad weather has been quickly followed by another, making the good weather windows very short. The main activities, therefore, have been off piste skiing, ski touring and snow shoeing, (on the trails at the head of the valley.)

On Thursday, there was 50cms of fresh snow at Vallorcine and a bit more in Courmayeur, (due to pockets of cold air). In the Chamonix valley and the Prealps, (Chablais and Aravis,) it rained up to 2000m

At altitude, there has been 40 to 50cm of new snow reported since Thursday morning. PIDA, (Avalanche Patrols) have released unstable snow with depths of 40cm to 1m, sometimes in large quantities.  

Concerning the off piste, the snow is relatively good and the successive snow dumps have increased the chance of making “fresh tracks”.  Be aware of the avalanche risk.

The three designated ski touring trails (Les Houches, Trapette at Argentiere and Le Tour) are feasible.

All the classic ski tours could be OK but be aware of the avalanche danger. It is possible to start skinning from Notre Dame de la Gorge, Plaine Joux (Pointe de Pormenaz), La Flatiere (Aiguillette des Houches), Buet (Bérard Valley / Buet), Couteray (Loriaz sector), Finhaut (Bel Oiseau sector) and Col de la Forclaz (Pointe Ronde).

Concerning the glaciers, the Argentiere sector is popular, (hut open, telephone working again.) It is still probably too early for the Aiguille d’Argentière by the glacier du Milieu, even if the recent snows have improved the lower part.

No information for the Brèche Puiseux or the Conscrits sectors, (weather windows often too brief.)

The recent snowfalls have improved conditions for the lower part of the Mer de Glace and it is possible to reach Montenvers without problems. The people responsible for the ice cave have put out a warning that the old, (lower,)  ice cave is at risk of collapsing.  It is therefore best not to pass this way but to approach the steps from above.  

The descent by the Mottets snack bar, (open this weekend,) down to Chamonix is possible, with some rocks showing through on the lower part of the glacier and on the bends before the Planards Farm, (not to be recommended to people with new skis!)  

The marked snow shoe trails at altitude are feasible but check first for those managed by the Company du Mont Blanc on their website: : http://www.skiplan.com/bulletin/bulletin.php?station=chamonix&region=alpes&pays=france&lang=en). The more experienced snow shoers can consider the unmarked trails up to Chailloux or Loriaz.

For the hikers, it is best to keep down in the valley on the signposted paths.  Please check the avalanche risk before doing certain routes.  For example, the way up to the Chapeau cafe, normally practicable this winter, has frequently to be avoided during the last few weeks due to avalanche risk

Following a stonefall, the path beside the Arve between Les Monquarts and the Eaux Rousses path is closed until 13^th March.

There is still icefall climbing on the true left bank of the Argentière glacier, (Déferlante sector) and at Cogne, (Patri, Lillaz gully, Patinaggio Artistico etc).

There is no recent information for the gullies, except for a party seen on the Pellisier (Pointes Lachenal) last weekend.

A party did the Fil à Plomb on Wednesday: deep snow, crux still with ice but too thin for ice screws.  

The gullies on the N face of the Aig du Midi, (Vent du Dragon etc ), and the Triangle du Tacul look to be very dry.

Report 21 February 2020

Some information for the weekend!

The Argentière and Cosmiques huts open this weekend. The Requin, Torino, Loriaz and Lognan huts are already open.

The recent snowfalls  have improved ski conditions. There are still some ice plates or hard snow, notably on the moguls or convex slopes, (drop offs). In general conditions are reported to be good, even if some areas are wind affected.   It was warm on Thursday and the snow on the slopes receiving the sun is being transformed, (could be crusty).

Most of the classic ski tours should be feasible this weekend, plus the forecast is for good weather.  

At mid altitudes: for example,  Crochue-Bérard traverse, Cols des Dards and Bélvédere, (there and back), Col de Beugeant, Mont Buet, Col de l'Encrenaz from the Col des Montets, Col de la Terrasse, the Bel Oiseau / Fenestral sector, (some walking low down), Contamines sector: Col de la Cicle / Jovets lakes, (roman road icy, crampons useful).

On glaciers: Helbronner sector (the Marbrées, Toula glacier, col and shoulder of the Entrèves, Brenva glacier were done on Thursday 20/02), Brèche Puiseux, Argentière sector (Col des Grands Montets, Col du Passon, Col du Chardonnet + 3 cols. N.B. the glacier du Milieu is very dry and not recommended. Col du Tour Noir, Col d'Argentière), descents towards Trient (this sector has been affected by the wind, it is only just possible to get to the parking on skis.)

All the Valley Blanche variations were skied on Friday 21/02, (good snow, in the process of being transformed,). The Salle à Manger passes reasonably well.  There are still some plates of icy snow on the Vallée Noire, but it is OK.

There is a lack of snow in the lower part, but the last two snowfalls have made it possible, (for the moment,) to ski within 50m of the ice cave without too much bare ice or rocks. After the Salle à Manger it is best to keep to the true right bank until the junction with the Leschaux glacier. 

During this holiday period the lifts, (Aiguille du Midi and Montenvers train) are very busy. Think about reserving a “benne”, (Aig du Midi) and having spare time at the end of the day.

Some information on the "couloirs", (the conditions can change rapidly.)

- Cosmiques couloir and  Rond glacier: very hard snow at the top, walking foreseen from below the ancient Para station or the Combe des Glaciers.

- Gervasutti couloir on the Tour Ronde is skiable but better suited for alpinism!

- Capucin couloir has been done; no further information.

- NNE of the Courtes (the summit part is probably fairly dry) and the Col des Cristaux were skied with good snow on 20/02.

- Aiguille d’Argentière: Barbey couloir was skied last weekend, (“concrete” high up, better on the lower two thirds.)  No information for the “Y” this winter.

Concerning the ice gullies: little or no change since the last update of 12/02, (most of the climbing is in the Valley Blanche sector.)  The ice plating on « Beyond Good Evil” is now very thin.  

The approach behind the Requin was tracked by ski on 20/02. (Ice is Nice : looks thin but with ice  + Sorenson Eastman: the bergschrund is no longer passable, need to use the rocks, then good conditions until the narrow gully near the top which is very dry.)

No major changes concerning the hiking or snowshoe trails.  Likewise, for the icefalls.