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La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 17 May 2024.


Here's some news on the eve of the weekend, with the return of the sun this morning!

The mountains are all beautiful and white!

A good 50cm of snow has fallen recently at the Cosmiques hut. There was 4 cm at the Grands Mulets refuge (which fell without wind).

Watch out for the risk of avalanches in the coming days!

 

A brief overview of conditions in the mountains:

Most lifts are closed. The Aiguille du Midi and the Flégère gondola remain open.

Most of the refuges have switched back to unguarded mode. The Conscrits, Grands Mulets and Cosmiques huts are open! The Robert Blanc refuge opened today!

Above 2000m, it's winter! Skis (or even snowshoes for short approaches) are still the essential means of getting around. Skiing is still the main activity. There's a bit of mountaineering activity around the Aiguille du Midi and in the gullies (Triangle du Tacul), but things warm up quickly and fiercely at this time of year in other sectors (the E face of the Tacul, for example).

Hikers should always stay below 2000m. You can find a list of possible hikes here. While the Flégère gondola is open, the hikes are not practicable (Grand Balcon, Sud, Lac Blanc etc).

Unless something changes, the Bellachat refuge will be closed this summer.

Valley crags are climbable but higher up (Aiguilles Rouges, Mont Blanc massif: Envers, S face of Aiguille du Midi etc), there's still too much snow.

Fine weather last weekend (Ascension) meant that there was plenty of activity in the mountains! It has since snowed again, but that has only improved conditions!

 

Robert Blanc Refuge (open since this morning): it’s a 5-minute walk from the Chalets des Lanchettes car park before you put your skis on! A good opportunity to visit this wild sector!

 

Dômes de Miage: The refuge is open this weekend (one of the guardians went up today!) The latest news is that it's skis on after the Mauvais Pas once you are on the glacier. How long the snow bridges will last that cross the torrent at the bottom of the glacier is anyone’s guess: watch this space!

The traverse of the Dômes was in good condition, as were all the routes in the area (Tondu, North faces).

The Mettrier arete was tracked in good conditions last weekend. The traverse of the Aiguille de Bionnassay is possible if the weather is good and the snow has settled and stabilised.

 

Mont Blanc via the Grands Mulets: From the tunnel, skis on around 1900m. From the Plan de l'Aiguille, it's all fine (follow the summer path that skirts the moraines of the Pélerins glacier from below). The Jonction can be reached from the bottom as well as the top. Last weekend, there were still several sections of ice on the N ridge of the Dôme: ice screws, good crampons and 2 ice axes on the menu!

The conditions on the Bosses arete have improved: 1st bosse: on the crest then left across the ridge, beware there is a small crevasse to cross.

2nd bosse: on the crest

"False" arete: go around a crevasse on the right then a small steep wall of snow/ice to reach the ridge. The ridge is fine and good.

Rocher Tournette: ok! A bit of ice but not too bad, it's flat. Then the steep part, there's a bit of ice but patches of snow allow you to pass.

Final ridge: all snow.

The Corridors are still very easy, as is the N face of Mont Blanc.

 

Aiguille du Midi: The ridge has been de-equipped. The Tacul was retracked this morning. The Trois Monts were climbed last weekend in good conditions. There was a slightly overhanging step to cross a rimaye halfway up Mont Maudit (may have changed with the new snow). The rimaye on the Col du Mont Maudit is completely filled in and the slope above is all snow! The traverse to the Col de la Brenva is in top form, as is the Mur de la Côte, which is covered in snow. (That's rare!)

The gullies on the east face of the Tacul were well exposed to the sun last week: rock falls, "It's not too bad" said the hut guardian. The Lafaille goulotte was in good condition with a very early start ("Rimaye goes all the way to the left. Belay is buried on the approach slope under metres of snow. For the descent, aim for another belay with a bolt on the left bank of the rocky spur below"). The Triangle was climbed on Ascension Day (last weekend): Chéré - Mazeaud - Grisolle: conditions OK. La Negri should also be possible. For the time being, the approaches are more comfortable on skis and/or snowshoes, but the conditions can quickly settle down.

Crossing the Pointes Lachenal and the Cosmiques ridge OK!

 

Helbronner: the Skyway and the Torino hut (winter room only) are closed until 24 May. Activity on the Tour Ronde: normal route, Gervasutti couloir, N face. It looks like an attempt on the Kuffner ridge was made but they turned back (too much snow).

 

Mer de Glace Basin: The Montenvers train and gondola are closed. Work is in progress (dismantling of the temporary lift, the old telecabine and the old stairs). The site is closed (under the hotel: terraces and viewpoint inaccessible) as is access to the Mer de Glace until the 21st. The paths leading up to Montenvers (except the one between Les Planards and the Caillet buvette) will be closed from 20 to 31 May. Access will be possible for climbers via the via Corda. You can follow the closures on La Chamoniarde.

The refuges are all in winter mode. Its an hour's walk to get to the bottom of the new cable car. Access to the Couvercle hut is still via the central couloir (too much snow on the ladder access) but it's dry in the middle (scree). The Whymper couloir on the Aiguille Verte has been climbed in good conditions, as has the Pointe Isabelle. Here too, skis or snowshoes are essential.

 

Argentière Glacier: Here too, access is difficult as the Pierre a ric (home piste) is closed. Otherwise, it's all white!

 

Le Tour: Access to the Albert 1er hut (winter mode) is via the moraine path. There is snow at the water intake at around 2000m. The classics are popular with skiers (Aiguille du Tour, Tête Blanche, Petite Fourche). The Migot spur at Le Chardonnet may be an option once it has stabilised.

 

Some activity on Mont Dolent: Normal route and Gallet ridge.

 

 

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.