Report: 22 June 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 22 June 2023

Some bits and bobs of news before the sun comes back this weekend.

As a reminder, the basic rule in the high mountains is not to start on routes when the weather is poor (wind, bad visibility). The PGHM rescuers were "surprised" to see a lot of activity on Mont Blanc (Trois Monts, Gonella) and Bionnassay with the bad weather over the last few days.

A few days of SW wind have certainly stripped off some snow.

The first two photographs (above and below), provided by the Leschaux guardians, are very telling.

The refreeze has been very, very bad and the snowpack has taken a beating in some places, which may have made some sections worse or more technical. It could snow or rain this Thursday on a snowpack that's already very wet, which could lead to special conditions over the next few days (poor snow consolidation).

Let's hope that the refreezing improves quickly so that we can get back to snow routes.

We're entering a period where we'll have to watch out for snow bridges on the glaciers and start looking out for the risk of rockfall.


Le Tour / Trient

There’s still snow on the way up to the Albert 1er refuge. The Trient hut has been renovated and is waiting for you!

The classic routes are all being enjoyed in good conditions: Aiguille du Tour (no more Couloir de la Table, Arête de la Table OK, Voie Normale via Col Supérieur du Tour OK), Tête Blanche (Voie Normale, no news about the N face), Petite Fourche (Voie Normale). The S ridge of the Purtscheller is dry. The Dorées traverse is well-travelled (the Copt Couloir is no longer doable). A 40m abseil on a dead man (in situ) to cross the Col Blanc on the Trient side.

There's also activity on the Chardonnet when the weather permits.

Forbes Arête (info from 18/06): Good route up to the “bosse". A bit of ice on the bosse but OK with 1 ice axe. Lots of snow on the arête: good progress but difficult to protect. Poor conditions over the last few days with no refreeze: soft snow on the arête, serious.

Migot Spur: Still being done but getting worse. Rimaye looks OK but icy higher up.

The Escarra and Charlet-Bettembourg goulottes are drying out.

Descent /Voie Normale: Good conditions, last I heard only 1 abseil of 25 m on bolts to pass the rimaye, otherwise it's possible to down climb but it could change quickly. 


Argentière Glacier

Until the Plan Joran lift opens on 1 July (every day), access to Plan Joran is possible from Monday to Friday by arriving at 8am sharp. Descent at 4.30pm. Ski passes must be purchased from the on-site ticket machines.

Access to the refuge is still possible via the glacier (most teams pass first along the left bank and then along the right bank, which is covered in snow), but beware of crevasses. Another option is via the ladders, which have been cleared of snow, but there is still a lot of snow afterwards. Follow the yellow dots until you see the glacier. Then traverse 200-300m to the right and descend to the glacier over névé. The classic passage under the Rognons moraine is too snowy and steep for the moment.

Glacier du Milieu: OK if it refreezes well, all snow, 20m of ice at the “narrows" above the rimaye, hard snow at the top.

Arête du Jardin (Aiguille d'Argentière): still a bit of snow (and therefore water!) but it's still a bit early. A window of opportunity is sure to open very soon!

Flèche Rousse: a few passages that are drying out but OK.

End of the day for the Y-shaped couloir (Aiguille d'Argentière).

Col du Tour Noir : OK

Nobody on the N faces of the basin and it seems to be over already...

There were still a few climbers a short while ago, but it's the end of the road for the Couturier, which has been washed away over the last few days (400m of ice).

As for rock, it's all dry but access is snowy and often steep (crampons + ice axe). 


Charpoua / Couvercle / Leschaux

A team did the traverse of Les Drus last weekend, but there's still a bit too much snow (same on the N face). The right window of opportunity should be opening soon!

The path up to the Couvercle is almost dry (there is still a névé at the foot of the Moine). On the other hand, you'll need crampons, ice axe and mountaineering experience to continue towards the Leschaux hut (descent to the Talèfre glacier and steep, snowy couloir before Leschaux).

S ridge (+integral) of the Aiguille du Moine is dry. However, don't forget your crampons and ice axe as, despite appearances, the normal route is still very snowy (and quite technical in these conditions). No activity on the Contamine yet, but from what I can see: rimaye OK, first and second pitches dry. The rest of the route is likely to be a bit snowier.

There's still a lot of snow on the Nonne - Evêque traverse (both on the ridge and on the descent paths), so no one's out there yet. A high skill level will be needed for those considering the route.

It's far too early for the Moine ridge on the Verte. The rimayes from the Whymper to the Col Armand Charlet - access couloir to the Jardin ridge are still OK, but they're getting bigger!

Whymper: lower bit of the couloir is “mixed", then main couloir: snow. Summit ridge in good conditions.

There and back to the Grande Rocheuse is fine.

Col Armand Charlet: same as Whymper, mixed at the bottom then snow to the col.

Arête du Jardin: good conditions if there is a good freeze (although the rimaye may change). Couloir is full of snow. Chimney below the ridge is dry. Arête well covered with snow (best if the snow is frozen, more complicated if not).

Droites normal route : the rimaye in the oblique couloir is a little high but still passable (some rock outcrops in the couloir itself). Otherwise, the classic route is fine. Above, the mixed section can be "scary" depending on the conditions as it is very snowy. Watch out for a track that goes round to the right (more technical mixed route). Rappels for the descent OK with 2x50m.

Les Courtes (there and back): OK if good refreeze, good crampon technique needed for the descent in the passage under the Col des Droites (it's steep!). Some teams on the traverse, but you have to keep to schedule and get up early (wake up at midnight in the refuge!). The descent via the Col des Cristaux goes well (snow). On the traverse, the snow is often softer (hence the importance of keeping to schedule).

Pointe Isabelle: good conditions, although many teams bail at the large crevasse below the serac (which can be impressive) or on the plateau (running out of time).

Not much changing at the Leschaux hut. The hot spell signals the end of the mixed climbing on the N face of the Grandes Jorasses (see photo above). For snow routes, there has to be a freeze (Brèche des Périades tracked; glacier du Mont Mallet filled in but keep an eye on your watch). South couloir of the Aiguille de l'Eboulement with a descent of the normal route done in good conditions. Routes behind the hut are dry. The west face of the Petites Jorasses may be in condition soon (still a bit of snow here and there). The glacier approach looks OK. 


Envers des Aiguilles / Requin

There is still snow to reach the Envers hut (watch out for the "snow bridges" which are easy to cross). There’s climbing on the lower crags (crampons and ice axe for the approaches): Aiguille de Roc, Tour Rouge, Tour Verte... A team did the voie normale of the Aiguille de la République (cross rimaye well to the right then traverse to the left, a little snow on the ledges). Descent via the République Bananière abseils (too much snow to be climbed at the moment).

No news from the Grépon-Mer de Glace but here too the right window of opportunity is looming (probably still snowy though). No attempt at the Ryan, so no news! A team failed on the S face of the Fou, but we have no further information.

For the moment, you go up to the Requin via the right bank.

A few climbers have come down from the Midi-Plan. The ascent of the vallée blanche is still fine, with a bit of crevasse dodging. The rock has dried well, and the first climbers are expected this weekend!


Helbronner

Still a lot of people on the classics: Rochefort arête, Dent du Géant, traverses of Marbrées and Aiguilles d'Entrêves.

With the warm spell, things are changing, but not for the better on the N face and the Gervasutti couloir (rimaye) on the Tour Ronde. The SE ridge is still passable when the freeze is right.

The Kuffner is still a popular route, and the procession takes place on days when the weather is favourable: "Good access couloir with 2 rocky passages. Quite a few large unstable boulders at the first rock bastion! L'Androsace goes very well".

The Aiguilles du Diable traverse still has a long way to go (we'll have to see if it snows again in today's thunderstorms).

There’s climbing on the satellites (rimayes OK). Crossing the vallée blanche still OK (for the time being!). 


Aiguille du Midi

A bit less snow here too... Ice is appearing in the Triangle du Tacul. With a good freeze, Contamine-Negri; Contamine-Grisolle; Contamine-Mazeau; Chéré are all possible.

Still some activity on the Trois Monts. It rained at the Cosmiques hut, so we'll probably have to be careful on the Tacul and have good crampon skills. Mont Maudit is still going well (a bit of ice above the rimaye). Two abseils (30 then 45m) on the descent from the Col du Mont Maudit are best (dead man needed).

Some activity on the Lachenal traverse (50m rope sufficient for abseiling, a belay has been added) as well as on the Cosmiques ridge and Midi-Plan.

Rock climbing remains a safe bet around here!


Plan de l'Aiguille Sector

The Mallory has come to an end. It's very soft and, above all, the snow is gradually giving way to passages of (bad) rock.

If we find good refreezing conditions (for the approach and the exit), the Frendo should still be possible (rock sometimes wet). Lots of ice on the left exit. A good pitch of black ice as you exit to the right to find the snow slope below the arête.

Crampons and ice axe are still required to access the rock routes in the area.

Peigne: the Papillons ridge is dry, there's still snow in the couloir below point 3009 and a bit of snow on the quartz ledge. It's too early to consider the Peigne - Pélerins - Plan traverse. No information about the Grutter.

There’s climbing on the red pillar of the Blaitière and the Aiguille de l'M (frêtes des Charmoz, NE ridge, Couzy, normal route...) or the Petits Charmoz. No information yet on the Cordier pillar.


Mont Blanc via the Grands Mulets

It smells like the end! The quality of the skiing is no longer guaranteed, but it's worth checking out!

More and more portage from Plan de l’Aiguille. The Jonction has changed a lot and needs to be re-tracked; the lower track seems to be a better option.

There is more and more ice on the N ridge of the Dôme du Goûter. 


Mont Blanc via the Aiguille du Goûter

The snow is melting gradually on the way up to the Tête Rousse and you now go up via the summer path. You can still descend via the névés on the right bank of the Bionnassay glacier.

The Goûter couloir is still full of snow, but a large gully has formed in its centre as a result of slides caused by the severe thaw (see photo 2). It is currently difficult to traverse.

The cable should be replaced on Friday by the guides from St Gervais. Good conditions above.


Miage / Bionnassay

Some teams heading for the Tricot Arête , watch this space!

Mettrier Arête: access to the ridge via the variant route (see last update) now includes a 25m gravel passage in the middle of the couloir. Otherwise, you will have to do the “integrale” (and again, you'll be wandering through some not-so-great rock at the bottom). The rest of the ridge is mixed (snow/rock) but no ice.

The ascent to the Durier via Plan Glacier and the Miage glacier goes well, you just have to be careful not to be too late.

With a good freeze , with no 100km/h winds or fog, the traverse of the Aiguille de Bionnassay is in good condition (no ice or cornices).

The Conscrits footbridge is in place, but there are still some exposed snow patches. The ascent via the Mauvais Pas and then the left bank as indicated in our last update is still going well. No major changes in sight for the routes in the sector. The route on the Trè la Tête glacier will change depending on the crevasses. Good conditions on the Dômes de Miages traverse. The descent to the refuge from the top of the Aiguille de la Bérangère is still made easier by the snow.


Gonella / Monzino

Mont Blanc via Gonella: No change since our last update.

Eperon de la Tournette climbed in good conditions.

Little change around the Monzino. The rock routes (Innominata, Croux) are accessible if there is a decent freeze. Teams have climbed to the Eccles via the glacier to continue on the Innominata ridge (information on C2C).

The Bonnatti-Oggioni to the Pilier Rouge may still be covered in snow (Gabarrou-Long and Anneaux Magiques, which are steeper, should be OK). It's also a bit early for the Freney pillar.

The S ridge of the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey is dry. The window of opportunity is closing for the complete climb!


Aiguilles Rouges

In the Aiguilles Rouges, crampons and an ice axe are often useful for approaches and descents!

For all the latest news about walking, check out our dedicated news page.

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.

Report: 16 June 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 16 June 2023

Autumn is just around the corner! Oops no! There's summer first :)


Hiking and Trail Walking 

With most of the valley's ski lifts now open, the hiking season is well under way! Most routes are now accessible, with the exception of those at the highest altitudes. 

Although the snowpack is gradually melting in the mid-range mountains, there is still plenty of snow above 2,200/23,00m on the south-facing slopes and 2,000/2,100m on the north-facing slopes. Good boots, crampons, poles and a good mountaineering head are essential if you want to climb safely above these altitudes! Good navigation skills are all the more essential when the paths are obscured by snow.

The following are NOT yet accessible (except for the most experienced among you):

- Lac du Brévent - Lac Cornu / Lac Noir - Lac Bleu
- The Albert 1er refuge
- Le Buet
- La Jonction
- Le Brévent and the col du Brévent

More information about the Tour du Mont Blanc and hiking in general here.

___


As is often the case at this time of year (lots of snow, short nights), activity in the high mountains is highly dependent on refreezing conditions (which in turn depend on the presence of wind or clouds during the night...).


Tré-la-Tête / Miage / Bionnassay

The Conscrits hut can still be accessed via the glacier, but it is not advisable to climb up the snow slope on the right bank (on the left as you climb up): the torrent flows strongly underneath and the snow bridge becomes fragile. Instead, you need to head rightwards to reach the left bank of the glacier (see illustration below). The summer footbridge should be in place this weekend. There are still good conditions on most of the routes in the area (traverse of the Dômes, Tré-la-Tête traverse, etc.)

The Plan Glacier and Durier huts have also got their season off to a good start. A slight change of route on the classic Mettrier ridge (see image below). The intégrale could be considered! The direct ascent to the Durier is not recommended in the afternoon, because of the numerous purges from mid-day onwards. With a good freeze, conditions will be good on the Durier - Bionnassay - Goûter traverse. 

Monzino

The refuge opens today! Access is almost dry (a 10m section of névé with a handrail in place that should melt quickly). Crampons are still useful if you are coming from the Col des Chasseurs.
Here too there is a lot of snow at altitude and the activity depends on the refreezing. The Aiguille Croux and the Punta Innominata (crampons and ice axe needed for the approaches) are possible.
No one has climbed to the Eccles yet. It's too early for the Ratti-Vitale on the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey. On the other hand, we're all set for the S ridge.


Mont Blanc

On the Italian side, the Gonella refuge is open and there's snow halfway up the Miage glacier. The normal Italian route is in good condition: good refreezing, good tracks, the glacier passes well.

There was snow on the exit to the Col des Aiguilles Grises. The Piton des Italiens ridge is in good condition (not too narrow, no ice). Some teams headed for the Tournette spur, but no further information!

On the French side, the Tramway du Mont Blanc is inaugurating its new trains this weekend! There will be 3 mountaineering shuttles a day to and from the Nid d'Aigle (reservations must be made in the refuge): see the timetable here, under the mountaineering shuttles tab. Some additional information, to be confirmed: "The shuttle will stop between the two tunnels at the paravalanche. Take the path outside the last tunnel, then a new path in the moraine above the track work (start next to the old TMB chalet, follow the cairns)".

Otherwise, there are good conditions on the classic French routes (voie normale via the Aiguille du Goûter, Trois Monts, Grands Mulets/arête N du Dôme). On the last-mentioned route (on foot and skis), be careful at the Jonction: the glacier is gradually opening up.


Plan de l'Aiguille / Aiguille du Midi

Things are starting to happen around the Plan de l'Aiguille, with teams heading for the Aiguille de l'M (dry NNE ridge, couloir de la Bûche + approach and descent in snow) or the Papillons ridge (crampons and ice axe required).

Some keen climbers got their boots out on the W face of Blaitière, but unsurprisingly it's still quite wet!

Regular ascents of the Mallory-Porter, in good conditions. The window of opportunity for the Frendo Spur will open soon, but a good refreeze is essential: many of the teams failed last week...

Higher up around the Aiguille du Midi, no significant change in the sector since last week's update. 


Helbronner

The Vallée Blanche has a good track. The classics of the sector are widely climbed when the refreeze permits:

- Arêtes de Rochefort in good conditions. It's too early to consider crossing the Jorasses.
- Dent du Géant ok but there's still a bit of snow and in particular névé on the second pitch.
- Traverse of the Marbrées and the Aiguilles d'Entrêves: Okay
- Tour Ronde via Freshfield or the full SE ridge okay, Gervasutti okay too. A rock fall on the left side of the N face, but apparently it's still possible to climb it.
- Daily teams on the Kuffner arete (see the cahier de course).
- A few teams on the Aiguilles du Diable traverse. Rimaye and access couloir OK. There's quite a bit of snow on the rock, so crampons stay on a lot.
- Satellites du Tacul: all the rimayes are fine! Probably a bit more snow on the terraces of the Suisse/O Sole Mio routes (Grand Capucin). 


Requin / Envers des Aiguilles 

The Requin hut is open! The ascent of the Vallée Blanche has been done! The Envers du Plan glacier too! The rock looks dry (Chapeau à Corne ridge, Aiguille de Pierre-Alain, still névé on the descent of the Dent du Requin but probably not a problem).

The refuge de l'Envers is also opening this weekend! The lower sectors are in good condition: Tours Rouge and Verte, the first Pointe des Nantillons... There's still quite a bit of snow on the upper slopes.


Leschaux / Talèfre / Charpoua Basins

The Mer de Glace balcony path as far as Couvercle is virtually dry: only a steep and exposed 10-metre section of névé remains to be crossed. Watch out for the last snow slope just below the refuge! There's still a lot of snow on the balcony path as far as Leschaux, so crampons and ice axe are a must! Alternatively, you can get to the refuge - which opens this weekend - without stepping foot in the snow, via the Leschaux glacier!

The snow routes around Les Périades and the Aiguille de l'Eboulement are in good condition, when the freeze is right, of course. Visually, the west face of the Petites Jorasses is dry! Headlamps have been spotted on the N face of the Grandes Jorasses, a matter to be followed up...

A few teams on the Courtes traverse with good conditions overall, although there are still a few small cornices. No news from the Droites for a few days, but there are still a lot of people on the Verte and especially on the Whymper. The rimaye has changed over the last few days (see photo below) and the first couloir is increasingly bottlenecked with stones sticking out, but it's still going well. The Jardin ridge is still waiting for some motivated people to clear it! 

The Charpoua refuge is still under construction. Opening planned for 29 June if all goes well!


Argentière Basin

The refuge is open! Plan Joran lift: one lift at 7.45am and one lift down at 4.30pm. The gondola will run continuously from 1 July. On the N side of the Verte, the Couturier is in good condition (of course, you need to get to the top very early). For snow routes a little further afield, the Col du Tour Noir and the Pointe Supérieure des Améthystes are in good condition. On the Aiguille d'Argentière, climbing the glacier du Milieu requires experience of steep snow slopes (40°). The Flèche Rousse ridge is in good condition and most of the rock routes around the refuge are dry!


Le Tour

The access paths from Charamillon and les Autannes still have steep névé: they are therefore reserved for mountaineers equipped with crampons and ice axe! Otherwise, not much has changed up here: most of the snow routes are in good condition, particularly the classics in the Aiguille du Tour sector (normal route, arête de la table), Tête Blanche and Petite Fourche.

Good conditions also on the Aiguille du Chardonnet. Some teams on the Forbes arete, although the large quantities of snow sometimes limit the possibilities for protection. The ice is not far away at the top of La Bosse, ice screw placement possible. The Migot spur is also crowded. The access ramp after the rimaye is made of loose rock: make sure you space your teams well apart and don't climb below each other on this passage to avoid unpleasant surprises! Otherwise, the conditions are still good higher up. The Charlet-Bettembourg gully is being done in good conditions. The normal descent is still well covered in snow, but you should plan a 25m abseil to get past the rimaye.

The Trient hut is open! No information on the Aiguilles Dorées traverse. We'll have to climb on the S face instead.


Aiguilles Rouges 

With the opening of the ski lifts, the climbing season in the massif has begun! Most of the routes are dry, but you'll need to bring crampons and ice axe for the approaches!

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.

Report: 9 June 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 9 June 2023

Summer’s almost here! Here's a quick look at the current conditions.


Hiking / Trail 

The valley's ski lifts are off to a flying start! The ski areas of Les Houches (Bellevue, Prarion), Brévent (Planpraz, Brévent), Flégère (Flégère gondola, Index) and La Balme (Charamillon, Autannes) all open this Saturday 10 June! 

Although the snowpack is gradually melting in the “moyenne montagne", there is still plenty of snow above 2,200/2,300m on the south-facing slopes and 2,000/2,100m on north-facing slopes. Good boots, crampons, poles and a good mountaineering head are essential if you want to climb safely above these altitudes! Good navigation skills (and of course GPS, map and compass) are all the more essential when the trails are obscured by snow.

More information about hiking and trail running here.

___

In the high mountains, rising temperatures are allowing the snow to gradually settle, even if this is regularly disrupted by unstable weather, which sometimes causes problems with refreezing. Overall, conditions have changed little since last week's update.

Tré-la-Tête / Miage / Bionnassay

Most of the routes in this sector are in good condition (Dômes de Miage traverse, Mettrier arête, traverse of the Aiguilles de Tré-la-Tête, etc.)

The Durier refuge is currently being cleared of snow and will open on Saturday 10 June. The direct ascent from Plan Glacier (open) has been done, but is not the most advisable route given the current snow depths. It seems wiser to go via La Mettrier. The Durier - Bionnassay - Dôme du Goûter traverse has been done in good conditions.


Mont Blanc

Ditto here, with little significant change to the classic routes on the French side and generally good conditions. On the other hand, our Italian neighbours are gearing up! On the Italian normal route first of all: the Gonella opens this weekend and the Pape route has been done today. Conditions aren't exactly ideal at the moment. A large rockfall from the Aiguilles Grises has wrecked the Dôme glacier and destabilised some (now worrying) seracs. There is also breakable crust with unconsolidated snow beneath as far as the Col des Aiguilles Grises. Better conditions above. The Tournette Spur has been climbed: unsurprisingly, there's a lot of snow on the route! 


Aiguille du Midi / Helbronner / Envers des Aiguilles

All the classics are being done. The Mallory has been done in ascent, while the Eugster is finished (the veneer of snow in the bottom gully has collapsed). It's still too early for the Frendo, but the first attempts have been laborious! On the Midi-Plan traverse, teams have only been going as far as the Rognon. The traverse of the Vallée Blanche is fine on foot and on skis. On the Triangle du Tacul, the Contamine-Mazeaud has deteriorated so much that you can't exit at the top. The Perroux goulotte has been climbed, but not in good nick! The first team to cross the Aiguilles du Diable had to keep their crampons on all the way: it's still a bit early. There were a lot of people on the Kuffner, and the conditions were good, but they had to be careful about the timing: things heat up quickly up there. Most of the teams descended from the shoulder of Mont Maudit, but a crevasse is starting to open up: be careful! Still good conditions on the Tour Ronde on all routes. The “historic” normal route is starting to look bad (rockfalls on the lower left bank), so a descent via the Freshfield couloir or the Col d’Entrèves is preferable. The Dent du Géant is being done, but some pitches are still in near-winter conditions, particularly the second pitch on the normal route. The Rochefort arête has been done as far as the foot of the Aiguille.

If you want to rock climb, the faces with the best exposure to the sun are drying out one after the other. As well as the S face of the Aiguille du Midi, the Eperon Cosmiques and the Pointe Lachenal, we're now enjoying our beautiful granite on the Pointe Adolphe Rey, the Grand Capucin (still a little snow on the less steep sections, a little early for the voie des Suisses for example) and the Trident du Tacul. It's also gradually drying out around the Envers des Aiguilles (Tour Rouge and Tour Verte are dry, and other areas will certainly be in the near future). 


Talèfre Basin

Access to the Couvercle was described in last week's update. Around here, refreezing conditions seem to be more complicated than elsewhere. It's often an act of faith to access the faces! But when you don't stumble on the approach, the conditions above are pretty good! In addition to the route of recent weeks, the Whymper rimaye is now also crossable just below the secondary couloir. The latter is full of snow (two technical axes best). The snow conditions are still good in the main couloir. For the descent, most of the abseil points are in place. The S couloir on the Col Armand Charlet has been climbed in good conditions. Lots of people on the Droites normal route, using both access routes (diagonal or via the glacier). Complicated snow conditions above the ramp (second snow slope via the diagonal), this can be avoided on the left but makes the route more technical. The snow is more supportive higher up. The traverse of Les Courtes has also been done in good conditions (watch out for cornices!). For all these routes, keeping to a decent schedule is obviously crucial! There is still a lot of snow on the Jardin ridge. 


Argentière Glacier

It's always hard to get information when the hut is closed and we don't get any feedback  Just kidding, thanks to all the generous climbers who call us, drop in or fill in the “cahier de courses"! The Couturier was climbed at the start of the week in good conditions (easy approach, rimaye passes well on the right, hard snow above the step). Climbing is starting around the hut (which opens next weekend!), on the Vierge for example. A little further up on the Aiguille d'Argentière, the Flèche Rousse ridge has been climbed.


Le Tour

Here too, the classics are being regularly climbed: Aiguille du Tour (normal route, couloir and Arête de la Table - the narrows in the couloir is easy to bypass), Tête Blanche, Grande Fourche, etc. Good conditions on the Chardonnet too, with lots of people on the Forbes Arête, the Migot Spur and even the Charlet - Bettembourg! On the descent, the rimaye is opening up a little: plan an extra 25m abseil.


Aiguilles Rouges 

With the opening of the ski lifts on Saturday 10, the alpine climbing season in the massif is about to begin! Most of the ridges have already dried out, but you'll need to bring crampons and ice axe for the approaches!

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.

Report: 2 June 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 2 June 2023

At last, the seasons seem to be getting their act together! At the start of June, conditions look like...well, the beginning of June. The winter snow is slowly but surely melting in the mid-mountains, while it is settling and transforming in the high mountains.


Hiking

Although the high altitude classics are still inaccessible (Grand Balcon nord, lacs Blanc/du Brévent/Cornu/Noirs/Bleu/Pormenaz, Buet, Albert 1er, Jonction, Brévent, etc.), more and more routes are becoming accessible. 

You can find more information in our updated hiking article here. 

On the Tour du Mont Blanc, conditions are still tricky, with heavy snow covering all the cols: Col du Bonhomme - Col de la Seigne - Grand Col Ferret - Col de Balme - Col du Brévent.


Tré la Tête / Miage

No major changes around here. The Conscrits hut is still reached via the glacier, and there's snow once you're past the Mauvais Pas. It's fine on foot all the way to the hut, but it's better to have snowshoes on, especially for the descent. 

The N face of Tré-la-Tête has been done, with 40m of ice below the summit ridge. The traverse of the Aiguilles de Tré-la-Tête was done in good conditions all the way to the Dôme des Glaciers, which is rare enough to be worth mentioning!

On the Miage, the conditions on the Dômes traverse were “formidables". The ridge between the col and the Aiguille de la Bérangère is narrow and snowy, which might be imposing for some people.

The Mettrier arete is also in superb condition (see our “cahier de courses"). The Plan Glacier hut open this week end.

On the Armancette descent, its skis off at 2,100m, or 2,000m for the more adventurous!

^{The North Face of Mont Maudit, Taken on 28 May 2023}

Mont Blanc

Things are off to a flying start on the normal route! The Tête Rousse and Goûter refuges are now open and conditions are generally good. As for uplift in the area, the Bellevue cable car opens this weekend (Saturday 3) but you'll have to wait until the 10 June for the TMB. A special feature this year is that the terminus will be at Bellevue or the Col du Mont Lachat. Only three trains/day will continue to the Nid d'Aigle (departure from Le Fayet 7am, 11am, 3pm; descent from NA 8.10am, 12.10pm, 4.10pm) and these will be reserved for mountaineers with a valid refuge reservation. Departure only from Le Fayet or St Gervais for the moment. As for access to the Goûter refuge, the couloir is filled with snow. It's fine for the ascent, but be careful on the descent: more than ever, you need good crampon technique to avoid slipping/falling. There is a good track from the hut to the summit. The NW face of the Aiguille de Bionnassay has been skied regularly over the last few days, in varying degrees of difficulty (beware, the conditions are changing quite a bit at this time of year).

A start has also been made for the Trois Monts, which can be skied and hiked in excellent conditions (little or no ice, and only one axe needed).

The Mont Blanc ski season via the Grands Mulets is continuing nicely! Little has changed since the last update, we're still favouring the Jonction low down on the way up, and the Dôme's N ridge is still covered in snow (with underlying ice in places) but it's slowly easing off. Bosses arête in motorway mode with the opening of the normal route refuges. Cold snow on the N face as far as the Grand Plateau, the two rimayes at the bottom of the face still going well (the one at the top is crossed on the right). You can ski as far as the Plan de l'Aiguille.


Aiguille du Midi

All the classic alpine routes are being done: Vallée Blanche, Pointes Lachenal, normal route on the Tacul, arête “Lolo” (Laurence) and the Cosmiques Arête. Conditions have deteriorated a little on the Triangle du Tacul, with ice showing a little on the Contamine Grisolle and Mazeaud. Still good in the Négri and the Chéré. A few teams on the Mallory (ascent), but no further information. The Vent du Dragon and Jottnar gullies have been climbed, dry and in decent conditions respectively. There are still a few tracks descending the VB, but the passage through the Salle à Manger is becoming really tricky.

On the other hand, the rock season is gradually kicking off: the Rébuffat on the S face and the Eperon des Cosmiques have been climbed (snow at the end of the 5th pitch on the former, an exit in inconsistent snow to reach the ridge on the latter). The Contamine on the S face of the Aiguille du Midi looks dry (from a distance), and the Contamine on the Pointe Lachenal has also been climbed and is also dry.  


Helbronner

As elsewhere, all the classics are well-travelled, and approaches are being done on foot: the Dent du Géant, traverses of the Marbrées and the Aiguilles d'Entrèves, the Tour Ronde via the Gervasutti couloir, the N face, the "winter normal route" (make sure you descend before 10am as it gets very hot) or via the Col Freshfield or the full SE ridge. Some teams turned back on the Rochefort ridge traverse last weekend: too much snow but no news since. The Kuffner ridge had also been done, looks in good condition (approach on foot, very easy descent from the shoulder to pick up the Trois Monts path).


Envers des Aiguilles

It's slowly drying out up here. Due to glacial retreat, access to the foot of the ladders is not easy. There is snow 150m above the top of the ladders, so take care on some exposed spots to reach the refuge. Average freeze in the area over the last few days. The Tour Rouge and Tour Verte are dry and teams have started to climb.


Talèfre Basin

Access to the Couvercle is still tricky. For the Egralets ladders, you have to go well beyond the ladders to climb up to a big rock on the Leschaux glacier. Be careful about the timing of the climb: snow residue can release rocks balanced on the slabs above! Also be careful on the snow slope below the refuge. Higher is better. Here too, snowshoes are still good to have for the approaches and returns (skis are beginning to be less useful). The Whymper is still in good condition, as is the Pointe Isabelle (all snow). The normal route on the Droites has been done, with a step to get past the rimaye. The traverse of the Courtes is good. Arête du Jardin will soon be OK, but still too early for the Moine.


Argentière Glacier

This area is waking up! There may be a few people using the winter room. The approach is on foot (snowshoes are still far from a luxury!) and on skis. Skis on just above Lognan.

Some people in the Couturier, but no further information. The Y to the Aiguille d'Argentière was climbed in good conditions, the lower step is all snow (2m, steep). Glacier du Milieu can be climbed on foot (down climbing the narrows) and on skis (abseil).

Watch out for construction machinery on the Pierre à Ric during the week! 


Le Tour

Great conditions up here too. The ascent to the Albert Ier refuge is still via the moraine, with snow at around 2,300m. On the Chardonnet, the Migot spur and the descent have been done on foot in superb conditions: a little ice on the spur for ice screws, the rest snow. Average freeze over the last few days, with a few exceptions. The Forbes Arête and the other gullies are untracked. The ridge from the Fenêtre supérieure du Tour to the Grande Fourche has been done out and back in good conditions. Normal route on the Aiguille du Tour, Tête blanche and Petite Fourche on foot, also very good conditions. North face of Tête blanche climbed yesterday, rimaye visible in places. Couloir de la Table and Arête de la Table very good and tracked despite the large amounts of snow. 


Emosson

You should be able to ski up here for another couple of weeks. The track along the lake after the dam has been cleared of snow, which adds a little portage before heading towards the Veudale gorge. The Perrons traverse could be considered for mountaineering (ice axes and crampons required).


Aiguilles Rouges

The climbing season has started at Les Chéserys! Otherwise, there's still plenty of snow higher up.

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.

Report: 24 May 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 24 May 2023

It's time for a change! Winter is gradually giving way to spring and big boots are bit by bit replacing ski boots. The poor weather of the past few weeks is gradually giving way to better weather for mountain activities.

Despite everything, there is still a lot of snow above 1,900m on north facing slopes and above 2,100m on southerly slopes. For the moment - and this is likely to change relatively quickly - skis or snowshoes still seem to be pretty necessary for most outings in the high mountains, while crampons are often good to have at the bottom of the bag for hikes in the “moyenne montagne" (see the dedicated Spring Hikes article).

Tré la Tête / Miage:

Skis on after the Mauvais Pas to go up to the Conscrits refuge. A poor refreeze and lots of purging around the refuge. A bit of activity on the Dômes de Miage, which are being done there and back. On the Armancette you can ski down to about 2,100m. The N face of the Dômes de Miage is quite white, probably quite loaded as well. The guardian of the Plan Glacier is going up this weekend.

Mont Blanc: 

The normal route is about to get going. The Tête Rousse and Goûter open this weekend (respectively the 26th and 27th). There is a track in on foot and on skis to reach the two huts. As everywhere in the massif, there is still a lot of snow up there! Beware of purges on the slopes of the Goûter, plan to climb early. The Grand Couloir was skied in good conditions a couple of days ago, but it's been hot since. 

Still good conditions for the ski ascent by the Grands Mulets! The low track on the Jonction is good. The Plateaux has been tracked in ascent and descent (beware of seracs...). More people have been up the N ridge of the Dôme (recommended!). There is some ice under the snow for 10 meters on the arête, otherwise it's good. More comfortable with 2 ice axes though. There is no track on the right side of the arête as there is ice in places. A nice ski track higher up, which goes around the ice under the Vallot (bring couteaux, hard snow). Bosses arête OK. Good skiing on the N face of Mont Blanc this morning. 

The Trois Monts are still waiting but it shouldn't be long now. The Maudit north face in particular looks good compared to previous years. Be careful with the large amounts of snow on this route.

Aiguille du Midi:

The snow is starting to settle with a reasonable refreeze at the Col du Midi. For the moment, the sector is about the only one where approaches can be considered on foot. Teams in the Pélissier gully turned back at the penultimate pitch (inconsistent snow difficult to protect and a threatening cornice at the summit), but conditions were OK until then. The Lachenal traverse, the Arête Laurence and the Cosmiques Arête are being done regularly in good conditions. Top conditions also in the Triangle du Tacul, where all the classics such as the Contamines and the Chéré are being climbed at the moment (a bit of black ice in places at the start of the Mazeaud). The north face of Mont Blanc du Tacul has been tracked up and down, on skis and on foot.

A team did the Midi-Plan and came to a stop at the Rognon: lots of snow. Some people on skis on the N face of the Aiguille du Midi: Eugster, Mallory, Col du Plan ... not in super conditions. 

It's almost the end for the Vallée Blanche, now reserved for experienced skier-mountaineers: the Salle à Manger is still passable but it's opening up a lot, lots of purging on the southerly slopes below the Requin hut with brown snow below. Skis off at the bend in the glacier then once at the grotto you have to walk back to Montenvers (grotto and gondola closed).

^{The N faces of the Aiguilles du Plan and du Midi, and in the foreground the Grand Balcon Nord still entirely under snow
(and therefore not accessible for hiking, as you can see!)}

Talèfre Basin:

The "least bad" access to the Couvercle at the moment seems to be the Egralets ladders, the others presenting either risks of purging and falling, or risks of rockfalls. The moraine under the ladders is still unstable and you must be careful. The Whymper was climbed this morning in good conditions (alpine, not for skiing). The S faces of the basin (Droites, Courtes col des Cristaux...) as well as the Pointe Isabelle are quite white and the rimayes are well covered. What about the quality of the snow over there though? And as some people have asked: it's too early for the Moine or other rocky routes in the area, as elsewhere in the massif.

Argentière Basin 

Not much activity and therefore not much information on the area. Skis on just below Lognan. For the rest, the webcams of the Argentière refuge are your friend.

Le Tour

The ascent to the Albert I hut is by the moraine, which is dry until above the water intake. The refuge is reopening this Saturday! Above, tracks on foot (keen people!) and on skis towards the Aiguille du Tour. 

Emosson

A lot of people in the area since the opening of the road! Towards the gorges de la Veudale / Pointe de la Terrasse : skis on just after the dam and the conditions are pretty good beyond, with the precious spring snow which has been so absent this season.

Aiguilles Rouges / Buet

It's still too early to consider rock climbing in the area. A bit of activity on le Buet, where there is snow just above the Pierre à Bérard refuge.

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.