Happy New Year 2025 to everyone! We wish you lots of adventure and happiness at altitude!

 

 

 

In the last 24 hours, around 30cm has fallen at La Flégère, 20cm at Planpraz, 20cm at Vallorcine, 20cm at Les Houches and 40cm at Loriaz. There was some wind during the storm, and weak layers (frost) resulting from the anticyclone at the end of 2024 may have been buried: so be careful as there may be a danger of avalanches over the next few days!

 

All the valley's ski areas and lifts are open!

 

Before the storm hit, conditions for ski touring were pretty good, especially on the slopes that don't get much sun at this time of year, where the snow remained powdery and pleasant to ski. As is often the case, there were still sections of ice and hard snow (ski and boot crampons and ice-axes are rarely too much when you go out hiking in this area). Snow cover in the woods and lower down is OK for the time of year, but not exceptional either: you can ski from the car parks (Plaine Joux, la Flatière, Le Tour, Le Buet, Finhaut, Col de la Forclaz...) but you have to take it easy on the way down. This is also the case at higher altitudes, where stones are sometimes not far away!

 

The signposted ski touring uphill track in Les Houches now starts from Maisonneuve. You can take the line 7 from Le Prarion to Maisonneuve.

 

 

The Vallée Blanche and its variants offer great conditions, with pleasant snow for most of the route. As with the other glacier itineraries, this is still early in the season and is reserved for experienced mountaineers (remember to call in a professional if you're not!) who knows how to tackle this type of terrain. Some of the technical sections, particularly under the Requin and in the moraines, require caution, vigilance and a good level of skiing.

 

The Montenvers cable car and train are open for business. The descent via Les Mottets is a possibility for experienced skiers looking for a bit of adventure (quite a few ascents/descents etc). The refreshment bar is open and ready to welcome skiers for a well-deserved break. The descent to Chamonix is possible despite a few rocks and trees in the way.

 

 

 

The conditions of the gullies vary according to the itinerary and sector. There is sometimes a lack of filling, making certain technical passages difficult to protect and/or exposed.

 

 

There's a lot of activity, for example, in Micro-Goulotte on the Col des Montets, in Marie-Noëlle on Pointe Farrar, in Mini-Blast/Rebell Yell (For the two photos above, beware the rimaye has collapsed), in Beyond Good and Evil and Rebuffat-Terray on the Aiguille des Pèlerins, in Fil à Plomb on the Rognon du Plan, in Super Couloir, in Laratoune and Valéria on Petit Capucin, etc.

 

In winter, the Cosmiques arête, the Marbrées traverse, Petit Flambeau and the pointes Lachenal traverse are all possible when the weather permits.

 

The ice climbing season is gradually getting underway! Sectors at the bottom of the valley are still often thin and difficult to protect, such as the Crémerie (practically nothing has been formed, making climbing impossible for the time being) and Berard (only a few lines are beginning to be climbable, but only top-roping: there's no need to rush there! Remember, online booking is compulsory:https://reservation.chamonix-guides.com/reservation-cascade-de-glace-berard.html ).

 

Conditions are good on the Loriaz sector, on the left bank (the ‘dents de la mer’ wall) and the right bank (the ‘Grand Bleu’ wall) of the Argentière glacier.

 

 

 

For snowshoeing and walking, the routes at the bottom of the valley and at altitude are practicable and pleasant. Please remember that dogs are only allowed on the Montenvers train and the Tramway du Mont-Blanc.

 

 

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.