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The period of bad weather period is almost over, so we're going to give you some info for route planning, we'll go into more detail after we get some feedback.

In the Argentière basin, snow conditions seem to be good. The col du Tour Noir and the col des Améthystes are in good condition. The Aiguille d'Argentière and Flèche Rousse are being done. There are lifts from Plan Joran Monday to Friday at 8am and 4.30pm.

Around the Albert 1er, it hailed just a little. Everything is being done as before: Aiguille du Tour, Arête and couloir de la Table, Tête Blanche, Petite and Grande Fourche, Forbes and Migot. L’envers des Dorées is accessible by foot from Saleinaz without any problems. The conditions for the traverse of the Dorées E-W are generally good.

In the Mer de Glace sector: At the Couvercle, the Contamine on the Moine, the South ridge and the normal route are being done. The bottom of the Whymper is very dry! (Tricky to climb!) The refuge opens on June 10th. La Charpoua opens on June 18, Leschaux and le Requin on June 11. You can climb above the Envers but access to the hut, which normally opens on June 24, is still snowed in.

In the Plan de l'Aiguille sector, everything is being done (Lâmes Fontaines, Aiguille du Peigne (snow on the descent) etc etc). There has been a rockfall on the last bit of the Petits Charmoz. It’s impassable on the Mer de Glace side with a lot of loose blocks. 

At the Cosmiques, there was 10cm of snow this weekend with a lot of wind. The Grisolles and Chéré are in great condition, the Mazeaud was tried without more information. Midi-Plan was climbed yesterday, watch out for refreezing conditions. The last pitches of the Frendo are ok, more snow is needed. The South face is plastered, so wait a while. For the Vallée Blanche traverse, the crevasses are rather open, cross at the lowest point. Tracks on the Tacul this morning, Küffner has been done.

The normal route of Mont Blanc is being done and everyone finds their own solution to the Bosses arête problem; N or Italian side. The cable in the grand couloir will go back in Thursday 09/06.

Access to the Grands Mulets from the Plan de l’Aiguille seems to have deteriorated a lot, there is a lot of portage until the Jonction. No tracks so far!

Around the Torino, it is already quite warm, and everything is back to normal in the area: Marbrées and Entrèves traverse ok, Dent du Géant and Arête de Rochefort ok, still a bit early for the Grandes Jorasses traverse.

On the Italian side, Gonella and Monzino open on June 10th.

Plan Glacier: It has become very dry towards the Mettrier, be careful with time keeping and don’t have an epic!

The access to the Durier which opens tomorrow 09/06 is rather dry and is done from below. The conditions on the Dômes de Miage and Bionnassay are quite good.

At the Conscrits, all the classics can be done, despite the dryness, you have to rope up on the glacier. The ascent to the Dômes goes well and the descent by the Bérangère to the refuge is good. Mont Tondu is OK, no attempts on the Lex Blanche the face of which looks good. The N face of the Aiguille de Tré-la-Tête is apparently all ice. The footbridge (“passerelle”) is in place but you can still get through via the glacier although the steep slope to the refuge is ice.

In the lower hills, it is becoming more snow free, we are almost a month ahead of the snow conditions. We still need equipment on Mont Buet, Col du Brévent, Col d'Anterne, Lac Cornu and Lacs Noirs. The Tricot footbridge is in place. Around Flégère, there is still a névé to reach Lac Blanc, and there is more on the other side.

The Evettes via ferrata is doable, but the one in the Saint Gervais thermal park is closed until further notice due to a landslide.

Access to the climbing routes in the Aiguilles Rouges still requires snow kit.

The Flégère lifts open on June 9th and Brévent, Vallorcine, Bellevue and Prarion on June 11th, the Mont Blanc tramway on June 13th.

 

Translated with 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.