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                                                                CONDITIONS MONTAGNES 03/08/20

A quick update of the general conditions.

The short heat wave last week cleared a lot of stabilising snow from the mountains.

The good conditions that prevailed for the snow and mixed routes in July are now a distant memory.

The brief cold snap and snow today, (Monday,) will merely hide the underlying bad conditions for a few days.  At high altitude, be aware of the risk of small avalanches, (depending on the amount of snow deposited,) over the next couple of days.  

With the return of the hot weather and with the 0ºC isotherm around 4500m foreseen for Wednesday, the best choice will be the (solid) rock routes.  The glacier approaches are still OK, (take care with the snow bridges if the freezing is poor), as are most of the bergschrunds.  However, this can quickly change from one day to the next.  

On the normal route up Mont Blanc, the condition of the Grand (Goûter) couloir has degraded considerably, giving a serious risk from stone fall.  At the end of last week, many parties, and especially those with professional guides, turned back. Before setting out, it is important to be mentally prepared to turn around should conditions not be right on reaching the couloir.

For more specific information, contact the Chamoniarde directly.