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La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 23 February 2024.

Some quick bits of information before the weekend!

We’ve had a decent drop of snow at altitude from Thursday’s storm.

There has been a lot of rain at valley level and the cross country pistes are closed for the time being. On the other hand the Mer de Glace grotto opened last Saturday 24 February.

The Cosmiques hut opened last weekend.

The rain snow limit has been fluctuating around 1800m to 2000m, dropping temporarily to 1500m (a few centimetres of snow).

Above that there’s been an average of 30 to 50 cm of fresh snow at 2000 to 2500m. Around a metre at 3800 m. Very strong winds at all altitudes have been moving the snow around resulting in some big wind slabs.

The snowfall is obviously welcome and we should be able to make some great tracks.

Today’s avalanche control (PIDA) resulted in some big releases and therefore great caution will be needed in your choice of routes this weekend. See photos on the website from the Envers du Plan and Vallée Noire. 

Gullies will be heavily loaded for the next few days.

Not much change concerning walking and snow shoeing routes since our last update on the 15th February.

Please do not hesitate to consult us about your plans, whatever the activity and give us feedback on what you get up to. 

 

Translated with kind permission from an original report by La Chamoniarde.

Readers are reminded that conditions in mountain environments are prone to (sometimes rapid) change and that they should use their own best judgement when visiting them.