La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 12 March 2024.
It's been a tough couple of weeks keeping track of the weather!
Weather conditions have been complicated, with alternating episodes of heavy snow and strong, even stormy winds at altitude, interspersed with a few fine but all too rare sunny days: you have to seize your opportunities as much as possible!
Ski touring is the main activity:
We have been tracking, retracking and retracking again between storms. Snow conditions are good above 2000m. On southern aspects, the snow is softening very quickly on lower altitude mountains. In the high mountains, the cold snow is dense and alternates with wind- affected areas. Old and new windslabs are scattered around across the massif.
Activity has returned to all the classic cols of the Aiguilles Rouges: Crochues-Bérard, Dards, Bevédère, Beugeant and those of the Argentière basin: Passon, Chardonnet, 3 cols (a 60m fixed rope has been installed at the Col du Chardonnet to descend to the Trient side), Tour Noir, Col d'Argentière.
The return track to the village of Le Buet (skis off at the Bérard waterfall) and to the village of Le Tour remain in boardercross mode.
Today, the Brèche Puiseux is being retracked. Tracks seen down from the Col du Tacul.
The marked Prarion and Trapette uphill ski touring tracks are no longer viable. The Lognan route is still being done despite a lack of snow lower down. The Le Tour up hill track (Caisets) is still popular, but the piste descent is shut.
Goulotte activity is becoming marginal.
The Chéré goulotte was done in relatively dry conditions.
A major serac collapse occurred yesterday on the north face of the Tacul (see above photo).
One team bailed at the foot of the Gabarrou Albinoni (deep snow on the approach), but from the look of things, conditions were good in the goulotte, as well as on the neighbouring Modica-Noury, Supercouloir and Goulotte Lafaille. Another team also bailed on the very dry Pélissier Goulotte (Pointe Lachenal).
One team left this morning for Ice is Nice on the back of the Requin.
No alpine activity so far in the Argentière basin.
The north faces are well loaded at the bottom and rather dry at the top. Heavy accumulations at the bottom of the basin and towards the Aiguilles Rouges du Dolent.
At the Conscrits refuge, no activity since last weekend's opening. The snowpack in this sector has also been very wind affected (lots of wind slab). The Tré la tête refuge opens this weekend, March 16, as does the Albert 1er refuge.
Hiking conditions are largely unchanged:
All the marked snowshoe tracks at the bottom of the valley can be enjoyed on foot without any problems, as can the petit balcons north and south, access to the Floria and Chapeau chalets (open until mid-May), the Dard waterfall, the Cerro chalets and the Bossons glacier.
Following a very strong fohn episode on the night of March 9 to 10 (gusts of over 90 km/h in the valley bottom), you may find some trees across certain paths. Please report any feedbakc on this.
You'll have to walk up to around 1800m before putting on your snowshoes to reach the Loriaz refuge (open and guarded) and the Chailloux chalets. The bottom of the Bérard valley has very hard snow, and crampons are a good idea before putting on snowshoes.
The marked snowshoe tracks at altitude in the Prarion, Flégère and Tour-Vallorcine ski areas all have good snow conditions.
Contact us before you set off to find out if the route you are planning is suitable for snowshoeing, as the appearances from the valley floor can be deceptive!
That's the general overview of the Chamonix valley.
Now it's your turn to tell us what you find!
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.