News

Report: 5 January 2024

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 5 January 2024.

Happy New Year everyone!

We've had a bit of everything over the Christmas holidays: snow, rain, wind, sun, foehn… There was even more on the menu than at Grandma's at Christmas!
 
 
Snow cover remains fairly thin below 1800m, but substantial at higher altitudes. Watch out for the snow conditions, especially with the wind blowing in just about every direction. In 2024, more than ever, the BERA (avalanche forecast) is your friend!
 
Most of the classic ski touring areas are being visited. It's sketchy at the bottom of the Vallon de Bérard and the Col du Passon on the le Tour side (poor snow cover, likely to improve with the snow fall forecast for this weekend) and you need to be a good skier.
 
The “climbers" version of the Vallée Blanche is also in decent condition: the Aiguille du Midi arête is not yet equipped (therefore crampon skills are essential) and you have to make your own way back up to Montenvers until the new cable car is open.
 
The Brèche Puiseux was climbed last week: lots of snow, plan 2x30m for abseiling, head well to the right to exit the Mont Mallet glacier (the couloirs on the left are not in good condition!)
 
In the Argentière basin, there are lots of people on the cols (Passon, Chardonnet, Tour Noir), often there and back. The Aiguille d'Argentière was skied via the Glacier du Milieu (fairly well filled in glacier, a mixed pitch to get up the narrows and 15m of abseiling on the descent) and via the Y couloir (10m step to cross the rimaye, 40m abseil on descent, spring conditions in the couloir).
 
Conditions for these high-altitude routes are likely to change as temperatures drop and snow and wind arrive!  
 
For fans of snow, ice and mixed terrain, it looks like the season is about to get under way with the cold snap expected later this week. For the moment, only the Déferlante sector on the left bank of Argentière is offering decent conditions (watch out for overcrowding!)
 
Gullies: Chéré couloir on the Tacul was climbed in very dry conditions. Several teams on Petit Viking (complicated rimaye with 40m of M5 on the right, then OK conditions) and Charlet-Ghilini. Mini Blast, Rébuffat-Terray and M6 Solar were also climbed without further information.
 
For our friends the snowshoers and other winter walkers, the valley's signposted routes are all open! More information on the dedicated page on La Chamoniarde.
 
 
 

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.

 
 
 

Report: 22 December 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 22 December 2023
 
A few bits and pieces of information before the holidays start!

Lifts opening up tomorrow:
  • The Aiguille du Midi
  • The Le Tour ski area (road reopened)
  • Les Houches ski area

The snow cover is good above 1800 m but quite poor below that. It snowed at altitude (above 1700m) last night (around 20cm at 1800 m, more above). The wind has been working hard (moving snow around), so beware of the risk of avalanches (remember the avalanche report is there to be read!).
 
The Aiguille du Midi arête is not equipped.
 
The Montenvers/Mer de glace access regulations were amended today. Access via the lower station of the old gondola (path + stairs) is once again possible until the opening of the new gondola, but is no longer maintained and requires the use of mountaineering equipment. You can also go up by the new “ferrata" route. Otherwise, you'll have to call Father Christmas and his sledge :)
 
There's not much snow in the Bérard valley, so you'll need to be a good skier (see the report in our cahier de course on the website).
 
The cascade season is starting tentatively either on the rive gauche (Déferlante) or at Cogne (not well formed).
 
Good weather is forecast for the start of the holidays, so we look forward to hearing from you!
 
 
 

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.

 

 

 

Report: 15 December 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 15 December 2023
 
Here's some news before what promises to be a sunny weekend!
 
After the partial opening of Argentière-Lognan and La Flégère, it's the turn of the Domaine du Brévent to open tomorrow, Saturday 16 December. On the other hand, you'll have to wait and see further up the valley (the road to Le Tour village is closed). There is poor snow cover on the Vallorcine pistes and at Les Houches. The Aiguille du Midi (looking very snowy) will open on Saturday 23 December.
 
The Mont Blanc tunnel is open again from this evening! Here's to pizza and hiking in the Aosta Valley! The Monte Bianco Skyway is open, as is the Courmayeur ski area.
 
The Montenvers train is running. 
IMPORTANT INFO: the new gondola lift is not yet open (due to open in January), which means :
- No access to/from the glacier for non-alpinists.
- The old gondola lift, staircases and ladders have been dismantled/closed/prohibited by municipal by-law.
- The only access between the Mer de Glace and Montenvers is the new route (in yellow on the map below). A sort of via ferrata, it requires mountaineering equipment and techniques.
 
 
The marked up hill ski touring tracks are closed for the time being due to lack of snow. La Trapette at Argentière is just about passable (watch out for the Pierre à Ric home run, which is closed for the time being).
 
The best solution is therefore to take the lifts up to find better snow conditions. If you start in the valley (Le Buet, etc.), you will probably be carrying your skis, particularly on the descent. In the Argentière basin, the classics were tracked today in good conditions: Col  du Passon, Col du Tour Noir, Col d'Argentière. On the way back, it's best to take the right bank or the centre of the Argentière glacier, as the left bank is "acrobatique".
 
There's also been some activity in the Aiguilles Rouges, but we don't have any more information (Index/Lac Blanc sector). We await your feedback!
 
Beware, there has been a lot of snow in the high mountains (above 2200m) and the north wind picked up today (moving snow around).
 
As you can imagine, there's been no activity in the high mountains recently!
 
As far as snowshoeing is concerned, there isn't enough snow at the bottom of the valley, so the signposted snow shoeing routes can be done with good shoes and poles. As for the high-altitude itineraries, they are being prepared and you can check their opening times in the bulletin.
 
 

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.

 

 

 

Thalay Sagar Expedition Film

Thalay Sagar Expedition Film

In May 2023, Keith Ball, Mike Pescod and AC member Guy Buckingham travelled to the Garhwal Himalaya for an attempt on the unclimbed south-east ridge of Thalay Sagar (6805m). The expedition was supported by both the Alpine Club Climbing Fund and the Mount Everest Foundation.

Mountain Equipment have now released a short film of their expedition which you can watch below.

 

 

 

Kapadia Interviews Go Online

Kapadia Interviews Go Online

Alpine Club member and Editor of the Himalayan Journal Harish Kapadia has, over a period of nearly two decades, conducted interviews with many notable figures from the world of mountaineering. In 2023, Kapadia formally made a gift of these recordings to the Alpine Club Library.

From December 2023 onwards, we will be releasing these interviews once a week via our YouTube channel so that they can be enjoyed by mountain-enthusiasts throughout the world. Episodes will release on Thursday mornings UK time. If you subscribe to the channel, you will receive a notification when new episodes go live.

The first episode, an interview with Sir Chris Bonington conducted in March 2008, is now online and can be watched below. In the recording, Sir Chris discusses his personal journey into climbing, his 1970 expedition to the south face of Annapurna, the evolution in Himalayan style from siege to alpine and his experience of managing mountaineering teams in a leadership role.

 

 

 The Alpine Club Library holds a wealth of mountaineering material to which we are very pleased to add these recordings.

 

 

 

Report: 1 December 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 1 December 2023

The weather’s still unsettled. The rain/snow limit has been going up and down like a yoyo!
 
There are large quantities of snow in the high mountains, so the glaciers must be very pleased! Reasonable snow cover in the “moyenne montagne". With the rain (and now the snow), there is around twenty centimetres at the bottom of the valley!
 
Lots of avalanches yesterday, because of the rain, and the avalanche risk will remain high for the next few days. So be careful. We're all eager to the start of the season, but you have to tread carefully!
 
 
Skiing
 
The good news is that the Argentière-Lognan ski area will open partially but continuously from Saturday 2 December! Beware of the risk of avalanches and rocks, it's only the start of the season!
 
Remember that the other ski areas are still closed and being prepared, which means that they are not safe and that piste bashers are in action (beware of cables and please respect the work of groomers and pisteurs!). This is particularly true of the Nants piste (Brévent area), where a mechanical digger has gone up to 1500m to carry out repair work following the recent torrential floods (work completed).
 
 
The Montenvers train has also reopened. Please note that the old Mer de Glace gondola lift is closed permanently. Work to finish the new lift is continuing, but it is not yet ready for use. This means that there is no access to the grotto or the glacier for non-climbers. The old stairway (currently being dismantled) and the ladders are closed by decree. Access to the glacier is therefore only possible via the new access. See the map above which shows the "via ferrata" in green. This route requires mountaineering equipment and techniques (anchors in place). We haven't yet had any information on whether it can be used in winter.
 
 
Snowshoeing
 
With the arrival of the snow, snowshoeing is beginning to be possible on the signposted routes at the bottom of the valley:  
(https://www.chamonix.com/activites/randonnees/itineraires-de-randonnees-en-raquettes; sometimes possible without snowshoes with good shoes and poles).
 
In fine weather, the more experienced might consider climbing to the Chalets de Chailloux or Loriaz (itineraries that are neither signposted nor safe).
 
 
Climbing
 
In the high mountains, a few teams have climbed the Rebuffat-Terray goulotte in good conditions during the one window of good weather.
 
 

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.

 

 

 

Up Close with AC Aspirant Hannah Mitchell

Hannah Mitchell is an Aspirant AC Member, an outdoor journalist and the driving force behind ‘Tidy Climbers’, a new initiative aimed at cleaning up our crags. We sat down with Hannah to learn a little more about her, her work and her penchant for litter picking.

Hannah climbing at Castle Rock of Triermain - Andy Milton

 

Hi Hannah. Could you kick off by telling us a little about what you do for work?

I’m primarily an outdoor and adventure journalist. My work is for adventure magazines and websites and I also do copywriting for outdoor brands.

 

And how long have you been doing that for?

I’ve enjoyed writing most of my adult life in one way or another. I was working in a Youth Hostel in the Lake District and during the COVID lockdowns I wrote an article for the BMC magazine and realised that this was the sort of thing I liked doing most. And I feel like if you can do what you like for a living, then brilliant!

I decided to take the leap and I did a Master’s degree in Journalism which I just finished at the end of last year and I’ve been writing for a living for a couple of years now.

 

Obviously you’re focused on the outdoors, but are there any topics within that field that you’re particularly interested in writing about?

That first article I wrote for the BMC was about disparities in financial support for outdoor workers and guides during COVID. The outdoors is the underpinning theme in just about everything I do, but I like to hone in on social and environmental issues. I’m also really interested in championing women in outdoor and mountaineering spaces and amplifying the voices of people you don’t typically see in those areas.

Speaking of environmental issues, that leads us quite nicely to Tidy Climbers. Could you explain what it is?

So I think with issues like litter at crags, it’s very easy to get bogged down and feel helpless, or frustrated, or angry, or even sad. And whilst I think it's really important to acknowledge those feelings, I think sometimes a far more positive way of tackling issues like this is to amplify the good stuff that's going on.

I was aware that a lot of climbers like myself were habitually picking up rubbish when they went climbing. Having a little clean up, either of the parking area or the crag. It’s something that quite a lot of people do already. One element of Tidy Climbers is to celebrate the good work that people are doing. Whilst they're probably not doing it for recognition or anything like that, I think it's really important to thank people and celebrate the positives.

The second, and probably the most important element, is to inspire behavioural change in people who perhaps don't already do that. It’s hard to force yourself to pick up someone else's mess, but hopefully by seeing other people doing it, more of us will just habitually take two minutes out of our climbing day to have a little root around the bushes or the car park and pick up any crisp packets or finger tape, or whatever we happen to find there.

Access to a lot of crags is a privilege for climbers and if areas are being trashed, it jeopardises that access, even if the rubbish isn't being left by climbers. So it benefits the entire climbing community if we all just do that little bit. And finally, it’s important to remember that these places aren’t just there to serve us as a recreational space – they’re habitats and ecosystems that we have a duty to take care of if we want to share them.

 

Was there a particular inciting incident that inspired you to start Tidy Climbers?

Oh, there have been plenty! I live in the Lake district, and it tends to be that I find less rubbish at crags, particularly high mountain crags, just because they're less visited areas. It's usually on the walks in and out that you come across all sorts of awful stuff like abandoned camp sites . A friend and I walked off Needle Ridge in The Napes and we found a completely abandoned campsite by the tarn and we basically just bagged and gathered everything up that we possibly could and then enlisted the help of some walkers to carry it all down. I guess that was the final straw!

Climbing on Dow Crag - Garry Smith

How would you most like other people to get involved with Tidy Climbers?

What's really putting a smile on my face at the moment is the fact that I'm getting contributions from people from all over the UK. I've had people send pictures from north Wales, from the Peak District and from Scotland. So it's really nice that it's kind of uniting people up and down the UK. I think just having people get involved and experience that feeling of community is one of the most important parts of it.

I'm constantly on Instagram trying to get people to send pictures of what they've picked up over the weekend, even if it's just like a handful of sweet wrappers. I just want people to get involved and engage with it.

 

How did you discover climbing?

I've always been outdoorsy, but I came to climbing relatively late in a bit of a baptism of fire. I’d maybe been indoor climbing a handful of times and then ended up going on a sport climbing trip to Spain and was just sort of thrown in at the deep end. But luckily I was surrounded by lots of people who were far more experienced than me and really willing to stand by me and hold my dead rope!

On the summit of the Dent du Géant following a successful Aspirants' Meet

I believe you’re heading to the Aspirants’ Meet this year. Is that part of why you joined the Alpine Club?

Since joining, I've spoken to a lot of people, particularly women, who've said “Oh, no, I couldn't join. They wouldn't let me in. I've not done X or Y.” And it's kind of like that thing where you apply for a job and they say “Well, you haven't got any experience…” and you reply “Well, where do I get the experience if I don't get the job?” So I think it [the Aspirants’ Meet] is great, because, for me, I've done a lot of mountain trad climbing and I've done odd bits of alpine style climbing, but nothing like what I'm about to go and do next week. So it's amazing to have that opportunity and to be able to get a real grasp on the very important skills that you need to be a safe and reliable partner.

 

 

You can follow Tidy Climbers on Instagram and Facebook.

This interview originally appeared in the Autumn 2023 issue of the Alpine Club Newsletter. Previous issues of the newsletter are available to read here.

 

 

 

Denise Evans

Members will be saddened to learn that Denise Evans died on 25 November, peacefully with her family.  Denise was President of the Alpine Club in 1986, the only female President in the Club’s history.

Report: 23 November 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 23 November 2023

Now the sun has come out it’s time for an update. 

The weather has calmed down a bit in the valley! The snow has melted down to around 1700m. It rained quite heavily last weekend.

For walkers venturing into Chamonix, we'd like to remind you that we're between seasons: too much snow at altitude for classic hikes and not enough for snowshoeing. The trails are heavily snow-covered from 1700m (and therefore impassable) and some have been damaged by the heavy rain of the past week. For instance access to the Chapeau buvette. (See photo below).

However, it's still possible to enjoy the sunshine (when it's there) and the beautiful colours on the paths near the valley floor. However, the footpaths are slippery and you need to be properly equipped.

The petit balcon sud between Chamonix and Argentière is still not recommended, nor is the petit balcon nord between Le Tour and Argentière (parts of the trail are eroded). Due to a major landslide, the paths in the tête de la Jorette area (Montagne des Posettes) are prohibited by decree. We'd like to take this opportunity to remind you how much we value your feedback from outings so that we can spread the word!

For those looking to climb a little higher, the Chailloux chalets or Loriaz are still a good options (with snow on the upper slopes).

The return of the sun means that ski tourers can get out their skins at La Flégère. With the rain-snow limit above the Index last Sunday, the surface of the snow cover is often hard and frozen. The road to the village of Le Tour is still closed, and there's no snow down there anyway! The ski areas are still closed (the Grands Montets is due to open on 2 December, snow permitting).

In the high mountains, there's been little or no activity, but there's plenty of snow and the wind has (as usual) been blowing hard (watch out for accumulations). Some of you will no doubt have taken advantage of this weather window to check out the mixed conditions.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Cold Comfort on Chomolungma

In a piece originally published in the 2023 Alpine Journal, Annie Dare, Head of Communications at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), explains why her organisation is moving from a solely knowledge-sharing role to become an active advocate on the issue of climate change and its impact on the Hindu Kush Himalaya. She also explains how alpinists can add their voices to ICIMOD's call for world leaders to take all necessary steps to protect this spectacular mountain region and the people who live there.


Going, going, gone? Seventy years on from the first ascent of Everest, the Khumbu glacier is disappearing at an accelerating rate. (Alex Treadway)

This spring, Catalan athlete Kilian Jornet was training around Everest, in Nepal. This was his 10th visit to the Khumbu region, but it was the first time he and his partner Swedish athlete Emilie Forsberg were accompanied by their two youngest children. Jornet, the son of a mountain guide who reached the summit of his first 3,000m peak at the tender age of three, was hoping to plant the seed for his daughters to develop a love for the people and nature of the Himalaya to equal his own. He delighted in seeing the girls playing with people and in places he felt so connected to.

Yet the trip was bittersweet. A climate advocate who consciously limits how often he flies in order to try to drive down his personal carbon footprint, it had been 10 years since Jornet had first seen Everest, or Chomolungma, ‘goddess mother of the world’ in one translation of the Tibetan. ‘The changes that have taken place in the snow and glaciers here, just in the space of that decade, are so immediately obvious, and so dramatic,’ Kilian told me. ‘It’s happening so, so fast.’

The family’s visit came just before dignitaries from the climbing world gathered at the base of the mountain, in Namche Bazaar, to mark the 70th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s first ascent. The glaciologists and researchers I work with at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), which for 40 years has monitored the cryosphere across the entire 3,500km long expanse of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), used the moment to zero in on the specific impacts of climate change on Everest. Their data provides incontrovertible scientific evidence to corroborate climbers’ increasingly alarming eyewitness accounts, such as Jornet’s, or that of Lukas Furtenbach, who saw puddles on the South Col in 2022, or another climber who, when climbing Gasherbrum IV in 2021, was shocked to find water cascading down a rock at 7,000m. Worryingly, ICIMOD scientists found that the 79 glaciers around Everest had thinned by over 100m in just six decades and that the rate of thinning had almost doubled since 2009. The iconic Khumbu glacier itself is disappearing up the mountain. And the further east you go, the worse this thinning becomes.

Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa, an early-career glaciologist at ICIMOD, travelled to Namche to join his grandfather, the last survivor of the first ascent, Kanchha Sherpa, and Helen Clark, the former prime minister of New Zealand, and Hillary and Norgay’s descendants for the anniversary events. Together, this group launched a campaign asking climbers to raise their voices to press for faster action to avert catastrophic, irreversible changes to Everest and other mountains under the banner of #SaveOurSnow. The campaign asks members of the public, but particularly climbers, scientists and mountain communities, to share stories of the climate impacts they’re seeing on social media and to add their name to a declaration that asks for governments to honour their commitments to limit warming as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.


All change in the Icefall. Always danger- ous, climate change is impacting on this key section on the ascent of Everest

Kanchha Sherpa, last surviving member of the 1953 expedition that put Hillary and Tenzing on the summit. (Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa)
 
 

‘The sporting community needs to step up,’ Jornet, one of the signatories of the declaration, says. ‘Alongside scientists studying these mountains, and the communities that live here, it is those of us who return year after year to these mountains, to work and to train, who can see with our own eyes the extraordinary pace of changes to mountain glaciers, snow and permafrost. These changes are not only aesthetic, of course. They also pose new dangers to climbers in terms of unstable terrain. But the much more profound impacts are the dangers these changes pose to the people and nature that rely on these mountains, for water, for livelihoods, for habitat.’

Climate impacts across the world’s cryosphere are fast outpacing scientists’ previous projections, with the fight to save summer ice in the Arctic declared essentially lost earlier this year, and revised forecasts suggesting Antarctica is vulnerable to devastating and permanent impacts at just 1.5°C of temperature rise. At 2°C of warming, glaciers in the Alps, the Andes, Patagonia, Iceland, Scandinavia, the North American Rockies and New Zealand are all set to disappear completely, while according to ICIMOD’s latest report Water, Ice Society, and Ecosystems in the Hindu Kush Himalaya around half of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya would be gone. That even just half might remain is unlikely: our current emissions trajectory sets us on course to smash through the ‘safe’ 1.5°C ceiling. At the currently plausible 4°C of warming, 80% of glaciers in the HKH will vanish by the end of the century. While glacier loss worldwide will devastate local communities and result in sea-level rise, the consensus is that the consequences of glacier loss, more erratic snowfall and permafrost thawing for people and nature in the hugely populated and bio-diverse HKH region, where 12 of the world’s major rivers originate, will be nothing short of catastrophic.

‘Nowhere is safe from climate impacts,’ says ICIMOD’s deputy director general Izabella Koziell. ‘But the Hindu Kush Himalaya holds the third largest frozen body of water on the planet, which provides freshwater services to a quarter of humanity. A staggering half of that population already suffer malnutrition. In the past two years alone we’ve already seen devastating climate-driven humanitarian disasters unfold in this region – in Afghanistan’s droughts, and Pakistan’s floods: a chilling illustration of what our scientists say will be one of the key climate impacts in our region – the issue of ‘too much water, too little water.’ The magnitude of the humanitarian catastrophe that will unfold should the reliable water supply that flows from these mountains be lost – undermining the food and water security of two billion people in Asia – is almost beyond imagining. Yet this is what the science tells us will happen unless world leaders act decisively now.’ 

The case for action is compelling. With very low emissions, most glaciers and snowpack can be preserved for water resources, with scientists saying losses would begin to slow slightly around 2040, with glaciers stabilising sometime in the next century. And the support alpinists have given the campaign has been unequivocal with over 2,000 signatories in the first 48 hours, including Kenton Cool, Rebecca Stephens, Peter Hillary, Wolfgang Nairz, Reinhold Messner, the glaciologist and alpinist Patrick Wagnon, Jamling Tenzing, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, Lakpa Dendi Sherpa, documentary-filmmaker Craig Leeson, and Pemba Sherpa. Other backers include the Nepal Mountaineering Association, the Mountain Research Initiative, the UN Mountain Partnership, and the UIAA.

‘It’s amazing to have had this strong early support from the climbing community,’ says Izabella Koziell. ‘But it feels like we’re barely scratching the surface with what might be possible, in terms of the leadership role alpinists might be able to play at this crucial moment,’ says Koziell. ‘Not just because of their tenacity and influence, but most of all because of their unrivalled intimacy with mountains and mountain people. Many climbers’ lives have often been if not profoundly transformed then at least hugely enriched by encounters with the landscapes and cultures of the Hindu Kush Himalaya. These experiences give them an intrinsic awareness of how much we stand to lose unless we check emissions that are threatening lives, livelihoods and cultures.


Visible changes seen in the terminus of glacier AX010 from 1978 to 2008. Situated in the Shorong Himal, this glacier has lost almost half its surface area in just the last three decades. (Alton Byers)

The terminus of the Rikha Samba glacier between 1974 and 2010. The rate of loss has only accelerated since then. (Alton Byers)

‘It’s hard to have spent any time among such communities too and not be struck by the sheer injustice of what we’re seeing unfold across this region: of the lives of peoples who have trodden so lightly on the Earth for generations being destroyed as a consequence of political and business choices being taken millions of miles away.'

ICIMOD, for its part, is reinventing itself to rise to the challenge of supporting communities and governments in the region that will confront the impacts of the changing climate. The organisation has completely reconfigured its portfolio in order to reduce the region’s vulnerability to disaster risks: biodiversity loss; and water, energy and food insecurity. This work runs from installing early-warning systems to forewarn communities of floods and encouraging governments to share data across national boundaries, to advancing the rights and recognition of nomadic communities and the role of rangelands, to identifying incentives for communities to protect biodiversity and forests.

Critically, the organisation is setting out to build an advocacy voice that is commensurate with the region’s importance and peril. Because, despite how much hangs in the balance in terms of human population alone, knowledge of the consequences of continued climate inaction on the Hindu Kush Himalaya globally remains low. There was no mention of mountain impacts at all within the draft text of this year’s critical Global Stocktake process, an integral of the Paris Agreement under the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In collaboration with and on behalf of its eight regional member countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan – the organisation is setting out to change that lobbying at global fora: for faster action on mitigation globally; for the urgent scaling up of adaptation and ecosystem restoration funds; and programmes and for the mobilisation of loss and damage finance.


ICIMOD glaciologist Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa in the lap of Ed Hillary in 1992.

And with his grandfather Kanchha Sherpa. (Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa)

In seeking to strengthen its impact, ICIMOD is also looking outwards, exploring the creation of a new regional political mechanism, akin to the models used by the Alpine or Carpathian Convention, with the aim of accelerating political change through closer collaboration among countries to build greater resilience to these issues, many of which are trans-boundary, such as floods, and in securing greater prominence and negotiating power for the region.

‘For 40 years, ICIMOD has acted as a knowledge centre for the region, generating and sharing evidence to our member countries to support their policy processes, and this remains our primary work,’ says Koziell. ‘However, with humanity standing at such a crossroads, and our cryosphere being so central to that, our board, donors, regional member countries and stakeholders were all unanimous that ICIMOD should start to take a much more assertive role.

‘I believe that at this moment all of us are being called to go beyond ‘business-as-usual’ – and that it’s for all of use whatever platform we have to urge governments and businesses to transform how we power our lives, feed ourselves, move around so that Earth can sustain life. The science is clear – there really is no time left. Perhaps this transformation will be humanity’s greatest summit yet.’

 

  • To sign the declaration go to icimod.org/SaveOurSnow and share your story of impacts using the hashtag #SaveOurSnow.

 

 

 

Report: 17 November 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 17 November 2023
 
 
After the snow and the flooding, it’s certainly been a strange month!

The heavy rain (rain-snow limit above 3,000m) and the associated melting of the snowpack have had a major impact on the footpaths in the valley, which have been badly damaged. Surveys are underway and we don't have much information yet, so please let us know what you see! Some sections of path have been completely washed away, while others may still be unstable (unstable boulders etc.) This is particularly true of the Petit Balcon Nord (Le Tour-Planet sector) and Sud (Nants-Floria-Caisets sector) and the access to the Chapeau Buvette, which should be avoided.
 
 
At altitude, there is still a lot of snow above 1,600-1,700m.
 
So hiking is complicated at the moment (but come on: it's not really the season any more either)! We know that the Bérard cascade, Loriaz, the Blaitière alpage, the Cerro and the Chailloux alpage don't pose any problems (there are certainly others!).
 
As far as snowshoeing is concerned, it's still a bit early with not enough snow on the possible itineraries.
 
The Flégère gondola has reopened after the bad weather. The snow pack has been soaked up to high altitude. It is still waterlogged and not completely consolidated, but it is gradually drying out. In the "moyenne montagne", it snowed a little last night (between 8 and 15cm depending on the area and altitude). This prevented refreezing at depth but generally improved things. The latest news is that you can skin from around 1,700m.  
 
 

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.

 

 

 

Mont Blanc: The Summit Paintings - Grand Opening

Mont Blanc: The Summit Paintings - Grand Opening

In the summer of 2022, artist and AC member James Hart Dyke retraced the footsteps of famed mountain artist Gabriel Loppé. His aim? To paint as Loppé had, capturing the sunset view from the summit of Mont Blanc. In the process, James produced a series of paintings which captured his journey, including two works carried out from the summit itself. 

James at work on Mont Blanc

On 5 December 2023, James's latest exhibition 'Mont Blanc: The Summit Paintings' will open at the Alpine Club's Charlotte Road premises, where his pictures from the climb will hang alongside one of Loppé's original summit paintings from 150 years ago. There will be the opportunity to meet James and to hear him discuss the experience of painting at altitude in a Q&A with the Club's Honorary Keeper of Pictures, William Mitchell.

The event is free to attend and open to all, but we do ask that you register your intention to attend using the form below.

Doors will open at 7PM for a 7:30PM start.

The exhibition will run from 28 November 2023 to 31 January 2024. Details on how to visit are available here.

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Lee

We have recently learned of the death on 8 September of Jonathan Lee.  He had been a member of the club since 1988

Alpine Club partners with the Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust to Provide Mountain Safety Instruction to Young People

Alpine Club partners with the Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust to Provide Mountain Safety Instruction to Young People

From 2024, the Alpine Club will support the work of the Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust through an annual donation that will provide 10 places on the JCMT’s Summer Alpine Course.

The Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust, founded following the death of mountaineer Jonathan Conville in 1979 has, over the past 44 years, provided more than 5,000 subsidised places on introductory training courses in North Wales, the Alps, and Scotland. Their work has equipped generations of young climbers with the skills they need to enjoy the mountains safely.

As the largest organisation representing alpine climbers in the UK, the Alpine Club, which was founded in 1857, has many members who took their first steps into the mountains under the supervision of the JCMT. To recognise that long-standing relationship and to ensure that future generations of enthusiastic young alpinists can start their alpine careers on the best possible footing, the AC has committed to provide financial support for the Trust’s ongoing work.

Alpine Club President Simon Richardson said:

“Together, the Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust and the Alpine Club have both made huge contributions to British alpinism. This is a natural partnership that not only allows young climbers to get the early support they need, but hopefully also demonstrates a path to future progression and many years of successful climbing through the Alpine Club”.

Neil McAdie, Chair of Trustees for the JCMT said:

“We’re extremely grateful to the Alpine Club for their generous commitment to fund an annual ten places on our Summer Alpine Course. These courses are life-changing experiences for many of our attendees and donations like this allow us to continue offering that experience into the future.”

 

You can learn more about the Alpine Club at www.alpineclub.org and you can donate to the ongoing work of the Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust at www.jcmt.org.uk.   

 

 

 

Ramsden and Miller Make the First Ascent of Surma-Sarovar (6605m)

Ramsden and Miller Make the First Ascent of Surma-Sarovar (6605m)

Less than a month after being announced as the recipients of a Piolet d'Or for their 2022 ascent of 'The Phantom Line' on Jugal Spire (6563m), Paul Ramsden and Tim Miller have returned from Nepal with another stunning first ascent on an unclimbed peak.

Miller and Ramsden on the Summit - Photo: Paul Ramsden

The pair, along with Hamish Frost and Matt Glenn, travelled to the Salimor Khola in the far west corner of Nepal. The area had seen very few previous visits and the team had limited information and no photos of the valley to help with their planning. Howerver, what they saw on Google Earth looked promising and ultimately, the huge effort required to reach the valley proved worthwhile.

Over fours days, Ramsden and Miller established a route to the summit of the previously unclimbed Surma-Sarovar (6605m). Their route climbed the mountain's colossal north face which stretches for 2km above the valley floor. Miller noted that the route's major difficulties involved crossing a rock band between 6000 and 6250m. After this, the weather turned and the pair summitted in poor conditions before starting a complex descent, made more hazardous by the fresh snow. The whole descent, which involved downclimbing a long ridge, took two days.

The line of ascent (right) and descent (left) Note: The image does not show the entirety of the north face - Photo: Hamish Frost

Commenting on the expedition experience overall, Miller said: "The social aspect of being a team of four was definitely the highlight for me and we all agreed that it was the wildest trip we had ever been on."

Glenn and Frost made attempts on two adjacent peaks, but on both occasions were forced to retreat in the face of poor conditions.

The expedition was supported by both the Montane Alpine Club Climbing Fund and a grant from the Mount Everest Foundation.

 

 

 

Report: 10 November 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 10 November 2023

Winter’s hanging around before a forecast milder spell from tomorrow....

The storms have been (and will be) coming one after the other, and it has snowed regularly down to 1000m, even though the snow has not lasted at this altitude. There is a bit of snow from around 1100m. Above 1500m, there are significant amounts (20-25cm at 1500m, 70-80cm at 1800m). Snow cover and the risk of avalanches should therefore be taken into account when choosing your outings, whatever the activity (hiking, skiing, etc.)

These are winter conditions, which means that hiking opportunities are very limited and mainly restricted to below 1500m. We would remind you that virtually all classic summer hikes are not possible in these conditions, even with snowshoes (steep terrain, avalanche risk, etc.)

Thanks to very good snow cover for the season, ski touring is possible above Flégère (gondola open but ski area closed) or at Le Tour (skis on from the car park).

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Arctic-Alpine Plants: Engineers and Warning Bells

In the UK, arctic-alpine plants are a key component of upland habitats, laying the groundwork for insects, other plants and larger predators to survive in mountain environments. But new research suggests that these species are under threat; withdrawing uphill and perhaps on the verge of vanishing from our slopes entirely. Sarah Watts, a PhD researcher in plant ecology and conservation at the University of Stirling, explains why these plants are so important and why they’re currently in retreat.

From Left to Right: Purple saxifrage, snow pearlwort and drooping saxifrage - Sarah Watts

When most people consider the arctic, or high-altitude mountain landscapes, they think of endless snow, ice and bare rock. But pastel-coloured flowers, sometimes just a few millimetres wide, bloom in these dramatic places too. These miniature flowers not only weather some of the toughest habitats on Earth, but can also help to engineer the landscape for other species.

Don’t be fooled by their delicate petals. Some species of rock jasmine and sandwort grow at well over 6,000 metres on Mount Everest, while purple saxifrage flourishes on the northernmost point of land in the world – Kaffeklubben Island, north of Greenland.

Plants in freezing cold environments are typically small and often form as ground-hugging rosettes, or dense tufts with short stems, known as “cushions”. Antarctic pearlwort sits no more than 5cm high and displays a tight bunch of minute yellow blooms. The summits of the Scottish Highlands, where temperatures can drop to -27℃ in winter, are home to tiny flowers also found in the Arctic, such as moss campion, dwarf willow, trailing azalea and starry saxifrage.


Trailing azalea close up - Sarah Watts

Moss campion, a mountain wildflower - Sarah Watts

Although plants such as these may appear fragile, their minute size helps them cope with freezing weather and fierce winds. Low stature and tightly packed leaves act as an aerodynamic trap and storage system for water and solar radiation. Microspaces within the dense, dome-like foliage are efficient structures for retaining moisture and heat. An arctic-alpine cushion’s internal temperature can be 15°C warmer than its surroundings.

Cushion plants and mosses can be integral to their local environment. They are known as “keystone species” and “ecosystem engineers” because they stabilise their harsh microclimate, and are often the first to colonise bare ground. As the cushions grow, they improve the moisture and nutrient content of thin soils by accumulating organic material both directly within the plant itself, and through their root systems. By buffering temperature extremes, cushions reduce the frost risk in their immediate surroundings. These processes create a habitat more suitable for less stress-tolerant plant species including arctic-alpines in the daisy and pea families.

Cushion formers are therefore vital “nurse” plants in mountain and polar regions. They also shelter small arthropods including beetles and tiny wingless insects called springtails. These animals may in turn pollinate the plants they take refuge in, and provide food for others higher up the food chain.

A rove beetle on snow pearlwort - Sarah Watts

However, these tiny arctic-alpine plants are now sounding a warning bell for the loss of biodiversity due to climate change. The plants have an important relationship with snow, which offers them protection from disturbance and erosion. But rising temperatures are causing earlier snow melt, allowing the spread of other species previously restricted to lower altitudes and latitudes. Consequently, taller generalist plants, such as common grasses and sedges are crowding out the smaller arctic-alpines.

High mountain areas are warming at twice the global average and are geographically isolated from other places with similar climates, leaving the specialist flowers nowhere to relocate to.

Arctic-alpine plant numbers are plummeting in Britain and climate change is impacting numbers across the world, threatening the future of species that depend on them. Snow pearlwort, a cushion plant usually no bigger than a penny, is the first flowering plant in Britain to have its International Union for the Conservation of Nature status moved from vulnerable to endangered due to climate change. Our research analysing long-term monitoring data from the Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve in the Scottish Highlands has revealed that the British population of snow pearlwort declined by 66% between 1996 and 2019. These data, collected for over 40 years by National Trust for Scotland staff and volunteers, also show that two other arctic-alpine plants have lost over half of their population since the 1990s. As temperatures have risen, snow pearlwort, mountain sandwort and drooping saxifrage have all withdrawn uphill. What’s more, these species face mountaintop extinction here in the UK because there is no higher ground left for them to retreat to.

Snow pearlwort growing on Scottish munro Ben Lawers - Sarah Watts

If we lose these plants from their British mountaintop outposts – at the edge of where they occur globally – this will signal that their strongholds in the Arctic and the Alps are also in danger.

Polar and mountain regions are havens for biodiversity, nurturing species found nowhere else in the world. We risk losing the cultural and inspirational value that rare species give us, with implications for the preservation of our natural heritage.

Plants are the building blocks of habitats and food webs on which other lifeforms across the planet depend, but they are frequently overlooked in conservation news stories. There’s a name for this phenomenon – “plant blindness”. Scientists, nature writers and the media usually turn to trees or species with large colourful flowers to open people’s eyes to the importance of plant life. But we must celebrate and protect our tiniest of plants too. If we don’t, the spectrum of diversity across the Earth’s extremes will be lost for generations to come.


-  Sarah Watts (PhD researcher at the University of Stirling)

A version of this article originally appeared on The Conversation. Changes have been made with the permission of the author.

You can read Sarah’s research via Science Direct and follow her on Twitter.

 

 

 

The Conversation

Report: 2 November 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 2 November 2023

Winter has come for the Toussaint (All Saints) holidays.
 
It snowed down as far as the valley floor last night. It’s white down to 1000m. This morning there was between 40 and 50 cm of snow at 1900m! And it's going to snow again!
 
 
The weather remains very bad for mountain activities.
 
There has been no activity in the high mountains. We'll have to wait and see when (if) the good weather returns. For the moment, it's snowing hard!


There arent many opportunities for walking between the snow showers.

The mountains are now well covered in snow above 1500m. Take a look at the webcams (if you can see anything) to get an idea.

At present, most of the classic hikes (lakes, balcons) above 1800m are out of the question, even for seasoned hikers.

As you can see, depending on the weather and snow cover, you'll have to make do with short walks below 1700m (some ideas here) to get some fresh air and enjoy the beautiful contrasts with the snow and autumn colours.
 
Snowshoes might come in handy if you want to go as far as Loriaz (but I'm not sure if the weather will play ball over the next few days).
 
For ski touring enthusiasts, we'll let you take a look and then tell us how it goes, but don't forget the rock skis!

For those lucky enough to be climbing in the sun in other parts of the world, enjoy it for us too!

As a reminder, the Aiguille du Midi, the Montenvers train and the Planpraz lifts shut this Sunday (5 November). Flégère is running from Monday until 26 November.
 
 

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.

 

 

 

Report: 27 October 2023

La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 27 October 2023
 
 
The off-season is well and truly here! The Indian summer seems to be behind us and winter is just around the corner!
 
The weather over the last 10 days has not been very favourable for mountain activities, but the glaciers (at least at altitude) and the water tables are recovering!
 
One storm after another. Last night, it snowed down to 1,800m in the Aiguille Rouges and a little higher (1,900- 2,000m) on the other side of the valley. Guess what, the higher you go, the more snow there seems to be!

In the high mountains, there must be quite a lot of fresh snow, with a lot of snow transported by the inevitable wind. Even if there isn't really a window of opportunity in sight (a bit of sunshine this weekend, but it's forecast to be windy), beware of the risk of avalanches up there, even on the classic 'short' routes from the Aiguille du Midi, for example. You'll also need to watch out for fragile snow bridges on the glaciers.

With favourable weather, it is still possible to hike in the valley. You will need to adapt to the snow conditions and stay below around 2,300m. The paths are quickly greasy and slippery at this time of year, so bring poles and good boots, as well as warm clothing. This is no longer trekking season, so it's best to opt for day hikes.
 
For your information, several trails are currently closed (particularly in the Argentière-Lognan and Chamonix-Plan de l'Aiguille sectors). For more information, click here.

As a reminder, the Aiguille du Midi cable car, the Montenvers train and the Planpraz cable car are open until 5 November (end of school holidays). After that, the Flégère cable car will be open from 6 to 26 November.
 
 
 

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.