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Parent Category: News
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Created: Friday, 26 July 2024 14:42
This is the weekly summary translated from the original French. Daily updates (in French only) may also be available on the
Chamoniarde website.
Summer is here at last: stable weather, little wind and a decent refreeze!
It's relatively warm: snow & mixed routes are changing, but the conditions are still good for the end of July in the 21st century! We'll have to keep an eye on the glaciers, rimayes and slopes. At the same time, the rock continues to dry out, particularly above 4,000m!
As far as hiking is concerned, almost everything is feasible!
Le Tour
Access to the Albert Prem is now completely dry, with only a tiny, residual snow patch below the hut.
Chardonnet: the gullies are now completely dry. It's the end of the season for the Migot Spur, with a wide open rimaye and very dry above. The Forbes Arête is in good condition. There's just a bit of ice on the "Bosse", but otherwise everything's fine. Conditions are still quite good on the normal route.
The Aiguille du Tour is being climbed daily via the Arête de la Table and the normal route: nothing to report.
Good conditions on the normal routes of Petite Fourche and Tête Blanche (for information, the north face is no longer being climbed).
Aiguilles Dorées traverse: good general conditions but no further details.
Argentière Glacier
As we announced last week, the access to the Argentière hut has been modified by adding 21m of ladders below the old ones to avoid climbing the moraine.
This is the end for the Flèche Rousse (very dry at the bottom).
You can still descend via the Glacier du Milieu if you get there early.
The rimaye on the Pointe des Améthystes is steep and technical, best done with 2 ice axes. The ridge is practically all snow.
The rock is nice and dry!
Drus
The Dru traverse is in good condition and the Contamine (see photo above).
‘The Charpoua glacier is still passable, but there are a few tricky sections, including a small jump to cross a crevasse,’ says the guardienne. (See photo below!)
Talèfre basin
Get to the hut by the true left bank of the Mer de Glace, then crossing to the right bank (just below the Envers ladders): this avoids crossing the river (bediere) in the middle of the glacier several times. It is best to use the ladders that go up to the balcony path (access is quite steep and there is some rope to get up to the ladders).
Nice rock climbing on the Moine and the Nonne-Evêque traverse: the rimayes are almost non-existent.
Arête du Moine on the Verte: the rimaye doesnt look good but you can cross it on the RHS and then go back left to find the start of the route. There is still a little snow on the upper part: with good refreezing conditions, the route is feasible.
Arête du Jardin: the rimaye is still passable, but there has been a rockfall. The letterbox no longer exists, it can be climbed with aid, but it's not the same.
Whymper Couloir: some teams failed at the start of the week, the rimaye is no longer crossable in ascent but can still be considered on the way down.
No news yet from the Grands-Montets ridge.
Pointe Isabelle: conditions remain good: the route is all snow (only the mixed terrain is a little dry). Just a reminder: don't hang around under the seracs!
Leschaux
Access to the refuge via the balcon path is getting better and better (a few residual névés with no difficulties). Flexible ladders have been added at the bottom of the glacier access.
The Petites Jorasses and the Aiguille de Leschaux have been climbed with easy glacier access.
The granite behind the refuge is in good condition.
The north face of the Grandes Jorasses hasn't been done yet. Looks like mixed conditions from the triangular névé upwards. Something to think about!
Envers/Requin
Almost everything is good!
The République/Grepon sector has dried out nicely, but watch out for crowds at the Tour Rouge bivouac.
Access to the Ryan ridge (Aiguille du Plan) is no longer possible, as the crevasse that runs along the access cone has opened up and no longer allows access to the wall above.
Requin: the glacier de l'Envers is still OK, zigzagging a little.
The ascent and descent of the Vallée Blanche pose no problems. The glacier is still quite well filled in.
The Dent du Requin is being done a lot. A new access route has also been equipped to facilitate access to Congo Star when the torrents are too big (check with the refuge).
Punta Helbronner
A few teams on the Jorasses traverse, probably still a lot of snow. The first pitches of Pointe Young are dry, but there's snow as soon as you switch to the north side.
No recent news from the other ridges (Hirondelles, Tronchey) even though there must be a lot of people there (thanks in advance for your feedback!)
Access to the Salle à Manger is drying out. Best to take off your crampons and take the right-hand side of the couloir. Be careful not to follow the old track that used to pull you left in the snow and which leads you into rotten terrain, but keep to the right along the edge of the spur.
The belays on the Dent du Géant have been re-equipped.
Tour Ronde: the Gervasuttti couloir may still be possible (to be confirmed). Use the full Freshfield Arête.
Quite a few teams on the Kuffner Arête, which is holding up well, and the Aiguilles du Diable traverse, which is drying out, both in good conditions (with refreezing, of course).
The Tacul satellites are fine, apart from an unstable zone at the top of the Clocher du Tacul with rockfalls on the routes below.
Aiguille du Midi
Good conditions on the Trois Monts, no ice. Two ice axes may be useful, especially for the descent.
The goulottes on the Triangle can be done early in good freeze conditions (Contamine - Grisolle quite good, Chéré: L1 very dry then good).
The Cosmiques Arête is drying out.
Midi-Plan still okay with a good refreeze (dry rock, no ice, one sandy section but it's short). A few teams on the traverse of the Aiguilles. As a reminder, following a rock fall, the route is no longer passable in the Blaitière - Plan direction on the ascent to the Dent du Caiman.
The Vallée Blanche is still relatively easy. Take the lower track between the Col Flambeau and the Pointe Adolphe Rey (large crevasse that's opening up, see photo below).
Plan de l'Aiguille
This is the end for the Frendo Spur (dry exit).
As for the rest, it's all good!
The Nantillons glacier is still in good condition, with just a little blue ice.
Mont Blanc via the Grands Mulets
Last week for the hut (closes on 1 August). Guaranteed solitude for those contemplating a wild Mont Blanc! The last diehards have apparently put their skis away (icy below the Petit Plateau, so it's not so easy to ski!)
The path across the glacier has wands. There are still a few teams on the N ridge of the Dôme du Goûter (20m of ice at the top!) The plateaux are also tracked, as are the Corridors (on foot).
Mont Blanc via the Aiguille du Goûter
Conditions are holding up.
The Goûter couloir is full of snow. Make sure you get there early (on the way there and on the way back). Then it's dry all the way to the refuge.
Miage / Bionnassay
Great conditions up here!
Plan Glacier is still only accessible via the Col de Tricot and the sentier des Contrebandiers. The glacier leading up to Durier goes well, and after that it's generally dry.
The Tricot ridge looks dry up to the Pointe Supérieure, after which it's all snow!
The Durier refuge is full all week!
Access to the Conscrits only via the summer path!
The Tré-la-Tête glacier is OK, but watch out for the snow bridges, which are bound to change soon.
Dômes de Miage traverse in optimum conditions: no ice, good route down to the Col de la Bérangère, the ridge back up to the Bérangère is a good mix of rock and snow that climbs well with crampons. The descent to the refuge is down snow: the knees are very pleased!
Good conditions for the traverse of the Aiguilles de Tré-la-Tête! Like many routes, don't follow the guidebook. Climb to the right of the serac (which means you have to pass underneath it, but it is not very threatening, see photo below) to get to the aiguille N. A bit of ice on the summit ridge, then good conditions. The descent via the Col des Glaciers is still all snow!
It's a little drier on the Mont Tondu side, particularly on the lower ledges (it can be a good idea to keep your crampons on in this sandy-gravel terrain).
Mont Blanc via Gonella
Aiguille Grise route in good conditions! Good route, the glacier still passes well, exit slope on the ridge and snow ridge.
Teams on the Tournette Spur report good conditions. From now on you need to go via the rocky spur as the Y-shaped couloir is dry and not very inviting (rock falls).
Monzino
The via ferrata up to the Borelli bivouac has been re-equipped. One belay is missing and the cables are partly in the snow at the Col Chasseur: crampons and ice axe are needed to cross the névé.
The Freney glacier is not easy but can be crossed. The Ratti-Vitale can be climbed.
South ridge of Aiguille Noire: névé to get onto the ridge. “Snow on the Pointe Brendel and in the couloir below Pointe Bich."
The Peuterey integral has been done. The Eccles couloir is becoming less and less popular. You need a good freeze and an early start for the outing because it's getting very hot.
Aiguille Croux and Punta Innominata OK.
The Eccles bivouac was overcrowded, but access via the glacier was good. Good conditions on the Innominata. A number of teams failed below the Col Emile Rey to access the Brouillard ridge (snow-laden slope). Teams on the Brouillard integral, to be continued! The Pilier Rouge is being climbed (access from the bottom is not possible, you have to go via Eccles + 2 abseils; pitch 9 is a bit wet). The Brouillard ridge is tracked out all the way to the summit. Quite a lot of snow, but there have been teams on the Freney pillar, but no further information.
Hiking
All the footpaths are now clear of snow, apart from the Col de la Glière, which can still be a problem.
The Salenton / Buet sector is still covered in snow, but is not a problem if you have proper boots.
On the Tour du Mont Blanc, there is still a little snow around the Val d’Arpette and at the foot of the Brévent ladders.
The section of the Petit Balcon Sud between Les Bossons and Merlet has reopened!
The tricky passage under the Chalet des Pyramides has been secured with a chain.
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.
Graham Zimmerman's A Fine Line is shortlisted for the Jon Whyte Award for non-fiction mountain literature, while Heather Dawe's Dreams of Lost Buttresses and Ben Tibbetts' The 4000m Peaks of the Alps, Volume 1: West have been nominated in the Mountain Fiction & Poetry and Guidebook categories, respectively. 
Livingstone and climbing partner Aleš Česen on the summit of Gasherbrum III following the first ascent of the west ridge 
Aiguille du Midi Web Cam, 13 September 2024
Index Web Cam, 13 September 2024
Emosson, © Pierrot
Nantillons Glacier on 22 August
Point Lachenal on 23 August
The author examining lichen heath on Meall a’ Bhuachaille
White worm lichen (Thamnolia vermicularis) growing amongst a bushy reindeer lichen (Cladonia arbuscular) on the Cairngorm plateau - Nathan Chrismas
Crinkled snow lichen (Flavocetraria nivalis): This pale yellow leafy lichen is a common sight on alpine heath, but in the UK is only found in the Cairngorms. 
Working on the latest prototype for Vertura
Ronnie tackling the cornice on Cinderella, Creagh Meagaidh - Andy Cowan
A sneak peak of the Vertura down jacket out on a test
