MOUNTAIN CONDITIONS 25/06/2021
The weather continues to be unreliable. May was very unstable , then there was a 10-day heat wave, then last week there was more unstable weather with often poor night-time freezing. As a result, the snow , technical mixed routes and “grand courses”, which should normally be in condition at this time of the year, are not.
The shorter classic routes or rock routes remain the best option.
The storms of the last few days brought some snow, the amount varying according to the sector and the altitude: a dusting from 2500/3000m; 10-15cm at the Cosmiques hut; 15cm at the Durier hut, 5cm at the Argentière hut, 25-30cm on the Dômes de Miage. There are probably more important accumulations above 3800 m, take care! In all, a good covering of snow. For example, the track on the Tacul is no longer visible. Some purges and slab avalanches could already be seen on Friday morning , e.g. E face of Tacul, N face of Mont Blanc .
With the sun, the rock should dry quickly. There is also a small improvement in the mixed routes but do not expect miracles.
Tour Sector
There are still some snow patches and greasy passages on the way up to the hut from the Col de Balme: only for experienced hikers with poles and good footwear.
Good conditions on the classic routes, (normal routes Aiguille du Tour, Tête Blanche, Petite Fourche). The good tracks compensate for the bad refreezing.
For technical routes on the Chardonnet (Forbes ridge, Migot spur), it's more complicated. They should be OK. given good refreezing.
The Table ridge is being done regularly.
Argentière Sector
The Plan Joran lift opens this weekend. During the week, it operates only from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
It's over for the N faces and for the Y couloir, (Aig d’Argentière ): large purges, runnels etc . The Couturier has a lot of avalanche debris at the bottom and well loaded at the top. Your choice!
The Flèche Rousse ridge is reported to be in good conditions when it freezes. Ditto for the Glacier du Milieu and the Whymper ,(Aiguille d'Argentière).
It may be a bit early for the Jardin ridge (quite a bit of snow).
Plenty of possibilities for rock climbing.
Charpoua Sector
The hut warden is there waiting for you! There is still some snow on the trail. It is preferable to take the path with yellow markings. (The one with shortcuts, green markings, is damaged by landslips).
It is too early for the traverse of the Drus, (approach gully avalanche prone, snow / ice above). Awaiting info on the state of the glacier.
Feasible to climb on the Flames of Pierre side. On the other side, it dries more slowly and needs a couple of days after rain.
Talefre Sector
Access to the hut either by the new ladders (recommended) or the Egralets (shorter but the moraine unpleasant and the in-situ equipment not as well maintained.)
The crevasses a quickly opening up and there have been a lot of landslides.
For the Contamine on the Aiguille du Moine the bergscrund is OK and the rock dry. There are still some problematical snow patches on the normal route, which may need abseiling on descent.
Some parties turned back from the Whymper couloir due to the lack of refreezing. Need to see what it is like with a good refreezing (bergschrund?) OK in descent . The Moine ridge will have been climbed, (no further information).
Jardin Ridge was done last week.
The normal route on the Courtes is in good condition if it freezes, (some ice above the Col des Courtes).
Still sometimes steep snowfields on the balcony paths of the Mer de Glace, but feasible for experienced, well-equipped hikers (crampons).
Leschaux Sector
The N face of the Grandes Jorasses, which had been dry, is now plastered. It will take a period of good weather to clear it again.
The routes above the hut are dry but it is a bit early for the Petites Jorasses and the Aiguille de Leschaux.
The climb up to the Périades is OK given a good refreezing. Some doubt about the SW couloir of the Emboulement, it is probably over for the season, (inquire at the hut).
Envers des Aiguilles
The opening of the hut has been postponed to July 1st.
Take care as there is still snow on the approach to the hut, (on the traverse.)
The normal route of the République and the Grépon-Mer de Glace were climbed ten days ago, (begschrunds OK, descent via the Nantillons glacier OK too). The (many) bergschrunds on the Ryan look to be OK recently. No problems for the climbs on lower rocks (Pointe des Nantillons etc).
Requin Sector
Access to the refuge: still snow on the Mer de Glace. No problems with either the true left bank moraine or the ladders.
The ascent of the Valley Blanche is still filled in and OK, though it may be necessary to retrack. The descent from Midi Plan via the Envers du Plan glacier looks OK.
Chapeau à Corne ridge was done last weekend. There is still a snowfield on the descent (abseiling).
Helbronner Sector
Here too, limited activity due to lack of refreezing. The Kuffner ridge (new tracks visible) and the Aiguilles du Diable traverse have had little traffic since the last bulletin. The Rochefort Arete has not been done for at least 15 days. It is still too early to continue on to the traverse of the Jorasses.
The traverses of the Marbrées and the Aiguille d’ Entrêves OK but crowded.
The N face of the Tour Ronde has been affected by the warmth, (last ascent on Sunday 20/06). The gully directly above the Freshfield col goes in descent but not in ascent, (overhanging bergschrund). SE ridge is OK.
Following the storms there is a light dusting of snow on the Satellites which should clear rapidly. Frost on the Dent du Géant but two parties still managed to climb it on Wednesday 23/06. Conditions should improve.
Aiguille du Midi Sector
15 cm of fresh snow this morning, (Friday) at the Col du Midi. The normal route was retraced on foot and on skis this morning, (parties had turned around yesterday.) The Mont Maudit col was also retracked , (no further information). There is also a track coming from the top of the Kuffner. Many obstacles on the Midi-Plan traverse due to lack of freezing.
Otherwise there is little change, with people doing the easy classic routes (Lachenal, Cosmiques,) or rock climbs while waiting for better weather and freezing conditions. Nothing special to report about the traverse of the Valley Blanche.
Still no news about the Gervasutti pillar, (only to be expected, given the weather and snow).
Plan de l'Aiguille Sector
Frendo spur: parties to attempt it on Saturday, (forecast for a good freeze.) It looks like this route will be in condition only for a short time this year. (The exit is already grey ice.)
The Papillons couloir is dry (crampons not essential for the Papillons ridge and the Minettes Spur).
The normal route on the Peigne, the Grutter etc are OK but crampons and ice axe advisable. Ditto for the Aiguille de l'M,(NE ridge, normal route) and for the approach to the Pillar Rouge de Blaitière.
No information yet on Charmoz-Grépon (upper parts snow dusted by thunderstorms, residual snow in the shaded passages?), Should come into condition soon.
Mont Blanc via the Grands Mulets
Still ski activity!
Access to the hut is itself already an alpine route! Quite a bit of ski carrying from the Plan de l'Aiguille (you ski under the Mallory and at the glacier). The Jonction still goes either high or low, your choice, (crevasses are appearing.) As is to be expected at this time of the year, crossing the Jonction can be complicated.
The plateaus were tracked this morning, (Friday) on foot and on skis. Only a few parties on the N ridge of the Dôme du Goûter ,(ice just below the surface, 2 ice axes recommended).
Mont Blanc via the Aiguille du Goûter
The Mont Blanc Tramway should be open tomorrow, (Saturday) as far as the Nid d'Aigle.
Still a lot of snow to go up to Tête Rousse.
Large runnel. (2m deep) in the Grand couloir. Quite a few rock falls reported last week in the absence of refreezing. Here too, the recent snow and better refreezing should improve conditions.
Crevasses are appearing on the climb up to the Dome de Goûter.
Bosses ridge in good condition.
Miage / Bionnassay Sector
Work on the footbridge on the summer path to the Conscrits hut will be carried out all next week for a possible opening on the weekend of 3-4 / 07. Access to the hut is therefore via the Mauvais Pas and the glacier (alpinists only). Try to get there early.
No changes on the Mont Tondu side since the last newsletter. Likewise, nothing to report for the Aiguille de la Bérangère, there and back.
Dômes traverse is in good conditions, (25-30 cm of fresh snow Friday morning.) The ridge up to the Aiguille de la Bérangère is narrow and airy.
Still no news about the Aiguilles de Trè la Tête traverse.
Access to Durier hut (15 cm at the hut on Friday morning) is almost dry (snow on the last 100m below r the col). Traverse of the Aiguille de Bionnassay in good conditions (retraced this morning).
Mont Blanc from Gonella
Good track on the glacier, then good conditions from beyond the Piton des Italiens.
Monzino
No one has yet had the courage to go up to Eccles Bivouac, (lots of snow and no refreezing). The task promises to be tough for those who will put in a track, but the conditions of the routes (Brouillard – Innominata ridges - Red Pillar du Brouillard) should be OK soon.
Nobody on the side of the Punta Innominata either. It is still a bit early for the Ratti on the Aiguille Noire ,(South ridge OK). The Aiguille Croux is being climbed.
Aiguilles Rouges
Even if it is quickly melting, there is still a lot of snow about, making crampons and ice axes often useful for the approaches. They are not necessary to access the long routes under the Brévent, (Frison Roche or Poème à Lou sector).
Please note, it is not recommended to climb Cocher Cochon, as there is a snowfield on the slabs between the short abseil and the last bastion.
The Crochues traverse is good ,(crampons necessary on the approach, ) despite a delicate step to pass the gap between the snow and the rock at the start. No snow on the ridge or on the ledges.
Crampons and ice axe are necessary on the Perrons traverse.
Hiking
The snow is gradually melting, and conditions continue to improve. Most of the hikes are now practicable. Others require one to be careful, surefooted and to be properly equipped (good boots and poles). Examples:
- Plan Glacier hut by the Miage chalets
- Nid d’Aigle
- Col d'Anterne
- Brévent / Brévent lake via Bel Lachat or the Brèche du Brévent from Planpraz
- Lac Blanc from Flégère or Col des Montets / Trè-le-Champs
- Grand Balcon Nord between Montenvers and Plan de l'Aiguille
Two other possibilities for the more experienced: Lac Blanc from the Index and the Albert 1er hut.
Hikes that are not advisable except for the very experienced because of snow and exposed passages are:
- the traverse from the Col de Tricot to the Plan Glacier hut
- Jonction, (also the path is closed for works until 30th June)
- Lac Cornu and Lacs Noir / Col de la Glière
- Mont Buet
- Col de la Terrasse / Emosson sector
There is still snow on the Tour du Mont Blanc high cols. Poles and good footwears are needed. A pair of crampons in the bottom of the rucksack is good for peace of mind, (hard snow in the morning.)
Crampons are still recommended for the TMB variants (Col des Fours and Arpettes) and for the Tour des Aiguilles Rouges.
There is a deviation at the level of the footbridge on the Planpraz Vertical Kilometre (officially, this is not a footpath but the line of evacuation under the cable car.)
The path up to the Chapeau buvette has reopened.