Mountain conditions update

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As they say mountain climbing is dangerous, and there are many dangers to deal with.

This service is a free and institutional teamwork and has been implemented as part of project III ALCOTRA n° 125 Safety in the Mountains around Mont Blanc, funded starting from 2008 by Compagnia di San Paolo di Torino.

This action is promoted by the Safe Mountain Foundation of Courmayeur and the High Mountain Office of Chamonix- La Chamoniarde.

You are strongly advised to consult all available bulletins before each ascent and to make use of the support of mountain guides before undertaking any excursion.

All information found on the site is from staff foundation's accounts according to region's persons in charge and is therefore closely tied to specific weather and snow conditions, which can change unexpectedly. Furthermore, the situations described should be considered in the light of an individual's physical condition and his mountaineering skills .

We are not responsible for the use of the information published on the web

  1. OHM Chamonix
    The mountains look so beautiful!

    Not much to report compared to our last update...this may change very quickly with the arrival of the föhn!

    Lifts still open are: Grands Montets, Aiguille du Midi, Montenvers and Skyway.

    From Sunday evening, the Albert 1er refuge will be closed, and the Requin refuge will be manned by reservation only. The winter rooms will be accessible .

    For hiking , there are no changes from our last newsletter.

    Albert 1er:

    Lots going on here. The Aiguille du Tour, Petite Fourche and Tête Blanche are still being done. The Chardonnet remains very dry, and there is rock at the exit of the Migot spur (not climbed).
    The Col Supérieur du Tour remains the best option if you are crossing the ridge.
    To return to Le Tour, descend the moraine towards the "cabane électrique" (electric hut).

    Argentière:

    Ski touring is still flavour of the month! All the cols are being done. The Aiguille d'Argentière and the Aiguille du Chardonnet are loaded.
    It felt pretty hot yesterday afternoon when the sun came out.
    A few purges were observed on the NE face of the Courtes. The Col des Cristaux rimaye looks complicated to cross.

    Couvercle:

    It's best to use the central couloir to reach the refuge.
    There is little activity in the sector due to bad weather. The couloirs and the rimayes are well filled. Be careful to adapt your route according to your skills.
    Pointe Isabelle looks magnificent and well-filled. You'll have to trail break.

    Cosmiques:

    The equipment on the arete will be dismantled over the next few days and the Z will be maintained until May 12.
    The whole sector is in good condition (as long as the wind doesn't blow!).
    The Contamines-Grisolle, Chéré, Gabarrou-Albinoni and Lafaille gullies are being done regularly, as well as the Cosmiques arête and the Pointes Lachenal. Approaches can be made on skis or snowshoes.
    Note to skiers: some steep slopes are hard, so think about using crampons, ropes etc
    The Tacul was attempted  yesterday, but they turned back at the last rimaye, which is difficult to cross  (see photo).

    Requin:

    Even if the wind has worked the snow, conditions in the Vallée Blanche are still very good, even from the Col d'Entrèves. The Salle à Manger is still going strong and the Combe du Requin is filled in. You can ski all the way to the gondola.
    The Brèche Puiseux is still being skied and is in good condition.

    Grands Mulets:

    The ascent of Mont Blanc is still in condition. The route remains the same: Jonction (higher path), Plateaux then Corridor.
    The N ridge of the Dôme du Gouter and the 2nd "bosse" are still icy. The mur de la cote is also hard, so crampons are needed. The N face has been skied, and conditions are starting to look good in the middle of the slope.

    Conscrits:

    Activity all over the place: on Mont Tondu, Col des Lanchettes and Armancette.
    The biggest difficulty is the Mauvais Pas, because of ice above it; this should improve with the arrival of the foehn, already present today.

  2. OHM Chamonix
    Here's a little snowy update following the return of winter as well as an overview of the routes we've reported on before, when the weather was milder. It's going to snow again tonight, and the wind has been working hard since yesterday: beware of the avalanche risk.
    Glacier conditions are generally good to very good.
    Lifts open: Grands Montets, Brévent (partially open, closed this Sunday), Aiguille di Midi, Montenvers and Skyway.
     
    Albert 1er:
     
    20 cm of snow fell without wind. The last few days have been busy, particularly on the Chamonix-Zermatt haute route. The Col des Écandies works well to get down to Champex. It's a 20-minute walk to Trient from Arpette. The Col Supérieur du Tour was retracked yesterday.
     
    The Col du Passon is still being done. There is no snow on the normal descent to Le Tour, so you either have to cross over to the Péclerey side or take the moraine path on the right bank (500 m descent on foot).
     
    With the exception of the Aiguille du Tour, there were no summits done this week. Before this wintery interlude, Tête Blanche and Petite Fourche were climbed. The more technical routes such as Aiguille du Chardonnet and Grande Fourche have not yet been climbed.
     
    Argentière:
     
    The Grands Montets lifts are open until May 5.
    The refuge telephone numbers are working.
    Few changes in the sector. Ski touring activity on the main cols (Chardonnet, Tour Noir, Argentière) and on the Aiguille d'Argentière (Glacier du Milieu) with no particular problems.
    Some skiers on the N-face ski slopes (Col des Cristaux, NE des Courtes), but watch out for avalanche risk over the next few days.
     
    Couvercle
     
    Access to the refuge is still via the central couloir.
    The Whymper couloir was done last weekend. For those wishing to ski it, as with any steep slope, especially those that take the sun, be sure to gauge the conditions/your abilities.
     
    Cosmiques:
     
     
    Since Wednesday, around 40/50 cm of snow has fallen with no wind, but no snow today, and the wind has picked up. It's pretty deep even with skis on!
     
    Lots of fresh snow (accumulations up to 1 m) in the Vallée Blanche, which is still going strong: the Salle à Manger is easy to cross, but there's a walk lower down (5 to 15 minutes). Watch out for the opening of two crevasses at the bottom of the Vallée Noire (and for conditions that can rapidly evolve towards hard/frozen snow + slopes swept by avalanche tracks/debris at this time of year).
    The Brèche Puiseux is still being done
     
    The Tacul and the Trois Monts were done last weekend (quite a few sections on foot, but watch out for avalanche risk soon). On Maudit, the route is more complicated than usual (see photo, a crevasse blocking the route halfway up requires you to climb steeply to the right). There were a few rockfalls below the Col du Maudit following last Sunday's heatwave, so some people turned back.
     
    Thursday's snow filled the gullies up (no activity since), so we'll have to keep an eye on how the wind develops over the next few days. There has been some activity on the Contmaine-Grisolle, the Gabarrou-Albinoni, the first pitch of the Supercouloir is dry, but the rest remains good (you have to start by the Gervasutti pillar) and the Lafaille goulotte (good overall conditions). Good overall conditions on the Tour Ronde (Gervasutti couloir, "normal route", N face a little dry but by eye looks OK).
     
    Grands Mulets:
    A total of 60 cm has fallen this week with little wind, so a new track will have to be put in. For the moment, the snow is of good quality, it's cold but today the breeze is getting stronger. Yesterday, a team attempted the N ridge of the Dôme du Gouter, but it's still very icy, so they turned back (a team did it last weekend, so bring good crampons and ice screws). Some are going to try the summit again tomorrow, via the Corridor route (which went well last weekend, but the Mur de la Côte is tricky to descend). The N face had been skied. Bosses ridge still technical (ice below and above Vallot).
     
    Conscrits:
     
    No one has been here since Sunday! About 15cm has fallen daily, and yesterday, Thursday, 60cm with a bit of a N wind. The few sunny spells today mean that we're back in winter. You need to carry skis up to the glacier after the Mauvais Pas; watch out for snow on the slabs and ice above for those who will be attempting to cross the Mauvais Pas over the next few days!
     
    The Miage traverse with descent on the Armancette (beware of the avalanche risk over the next few days, so opt for an out-and-back via the Trè-la-Tête glacier), the Tondu and the Col des Glaciers (watch out for the exit at the top, which is getting steeper) have all been completed. A team was seen finishing the Mettrier arête.  The NW face of the Tête Carrée was skied, as was the N face of the Trè-la-Tête (conditions were quite good, snow worked by the wind but no bad ice). For the Lée Blanche, it's better to bypass the ice on the left and join the ridge coming from Tré la Tête, rather than the NW ridge as shown in the topos.
     
    The Royal traverse was done last weekend (they put crampons on a lot). The snow was pretty hard, with bits of ice, and dry overall. No worries about finding the Dômes abseil to reach the Durier refuge, and the Bionnassay ridge was in good condition, with hard snow on the ascent to the Piton des Italiens.
     
     
    For hiking, the document published in the last update is still valid. Don't forget that at the start of the season, the trails are neither marked nor cleaned. Many trees are in the way following storms and torrential floods. It's sometimes difficult to get through, even more so with a mountain bike.

  3. OHM Chamonix
    At last some decent weather, lets get out there!!!! 
    The mercury has been rising for the last 3 days and activity has been picking up. Early starts and early finishes may be needed!  And don't forget your sunscreen! Here's an overview of the conditions.

    Conscrits

    Skis on after the mauvais pas. The Dômes traverse is tracked. The glacier is well filled in. The summit of the Dômes is bullet hard. The Armancette descent is hard snow at the top, but then the skiing is quite good. Skis off at the lake at 1700 m.
    The 1st team of the season left this morning for the Durier. 
    The Tré la Tête was done yesterday (no further info).
    Mont Tondu: several slides in the area due to the sand layer. A team on the Pain de Sucre earlier this week. The summit of Mont Tondu looks heavily corniced.  
    Grands Mulets
    Regular activity on the Mont Blanc route. Access to the refuge via the Jonction (upper path). For those brave enough to set off on foot from the tunnel, access conditions are here. The north ridge of the Dôme is ice. Parties are therefore taking the Plateaux route. The Bosses ridge has some bits of blue ice (good crampons and good crampon technique needed). The North face has not been skied (hard snow).

    Cosmiques

    3 skiers set off this morning on the normal route of the Tacul and turned back below the serac in the middle of the face.
    Teams on the Chéré (grey ice), on the Supercouloir. The Lafaille goulotte was climbed today in good conditions. The Modica Noury and the Gabarrou Albinoni (3rd belay damaged) were still going well 3 days ago. Conditions could change rapidly on the east face with the heat forecast.
    By eye: small slide to the left of the Lachenal ridge. The traverse has been done on foot. The Cosmiques arête is being done a lot (access on foot also possible). 
    Apart from these two routes, all other approaches need to be on ski. 

    North face Aiguille du Midi

    The gullies are dry. On Thursday, a team were seen finishing the Mallory, and this morning, another team tried and turned back: hard work to reach the foot of the couloir despite a night in the Plan de l'Aiguille winter room.
    Vallée Blanche 
    Lots of people with this beautiful weather window. The snow is changeable all along the route and quickly becomes heavy as the hours go by. Its a 10 minute walk to reach the Mer de Glace gondola (last ascent at 4pm). Last train back: 17:00 
     
    Torino

    The Aiguilles Marbrées and Aiguilles d'Entrèves traverses have been tracked. Approaching on foot is feasible, but snowshoes are still not a bad idea. 
    Tour Ronde: the Gervasutti couloir is in good condition, but the rimaye is a little tricky. The same applies to the normal route. The north face is very dry.
    The Dent du Géant looks very dry. 
    Brèche Puiseux: very busy. The conditions of April 6 are still valid. 

    Couvercle

    Access to the refuge is via the central couloir. 
    Activity on the Whymper couloir and Pointe Isabelle. The Aiguille Croulante couloir was skied a week ago. 
    Lots of people at the refuge this evening making the most of the w/e: so we should get some more info! 

    Argentière sector 

    No alpine activity in the sector. The faces are loaded. The gullies are dry. A team was seen in the Z on the Aiguille Verte (the Couturier is not in condition). A team has started today on the Lagarde couloir but is making very slow progress, no further info.
    All the classic ski touring routes are tracked: Passon (ski de combat to get back to Le Tour) - Chardonnet - 3 cols - Tour Noir - d'Argentière.
    The Aiguille d'Argentière was tracked by the Glacier du Milieu (see cahier de course on website) and the couloir en Y: rimaye OK, a pitch of mixed afterwards on the left bank. 
    The Barbey couloir was skied yesterday 11/04: good conditions overall, slightly wind affected/crust at the start. Then powder on a hard base and finally heavy powder/spring snow on the left bank.
    The Col des Cristaux (ice at the top) and the NE face of Les Courtes were also skied. 
    The Chevalier couloir on the Petite Verte is in poor condition. 
    Beware of the moraines: with the expected heat, beware of possible rock falls. 
    Lift closure: Sunday evening (14/04) for the Planpraz/Brévent - Flégère/Index - Vallorcine / le Tour - col de Balme lifts. As a reminder, the lifts at Les Houches (Bellevue and Prarion) are already closed. So only the Grands Montets lifts will remain open.
    Hiking: conditions are changing very slowly. The snow limit is around 1800 m on the south-facing slopes and 1600/1700 m on the north-facing slopes. Above these altitudes, snow cover is deep and extensive. Remember its not the time of year for the grands balcons nord and sud,and mountain lakes (whatever their colour!!). Be patient!  
     
    In the meantime, here are a few hiking ideas.
  4. OHM Chamonix

    Some summary information:

    Conscrits
    Two hours of portage before the Mauvais Pas. You can hear the water flowing from Tré la Grande, but for the moment its fine. The north face of Lée Blanche was skied on 20/03 in quite good conditions (no ice). The Dômes de Miage has been done there and back via the Col des Dômes. A team also did the traverse with descent via the Bérangère (watch out for cornices on the ridge to climb back to the summit). The Bérangère there and back is ok.

    Grands Mulets
    Pending the opening of the refuge scheduled for Easter weekend, here are the first observations in the sector: the lower track on the Jonction is blocked by a crevasse (ok 50 m. below). The higher Jonction path is fine for the moment (keep your skins on on the way up, and keep your ropes on on the way down). Watch this space. At the moment, the north ridge of the Gouter is ice not snow. A bit of activity on the Plateaux: nothing to report apart from a few serac falls, one of which crossed the Plateaux. From the slope below the Vallot, conditions become more technical, requiring a good crampon technique (and good crampons!): ice and "bullet hard" snow. The north face has not yet been skied.

    Cosmiques
    The snow was very wind affected, packed and covered with orange dust during Wednesday night's storm. 
    The arete Laurence and the Cosmiques arete are being steadily retracked (snow not too deep on the approach). The traverse of the Pointes Lachenal had been tracked earlier in the week in decent conditions. 
    As far as goulottes: the Chéré was climbed in " fossillised ice " conditions. Climbers on the Modica-Noury (see cahier de course on web site), the Super Couloir. M6 Solar was climbed in rather dry conditions.

    Torino
    The refuge has been open since March 1, but there are still few people in the sector. Some activity on the mixed routes of Le Flambeau. The Tour Ronde normal route was climbed on 19/03 with a descent on the Brenva glacier. The Maudit gullies are still very snow-laden. 
    There are still 4 equipped abseils at 30 m on the left bank of the old Toule stairs (at present, you can descend without abseiling).

    Argentière
    Little has changed since our last update, as the faces are still very loaded (only short weather windows). The Col des Cristaux and the NE face of the Courtes (very dry at the top) have been skied. No recent activity on the Aiguille d'Argentière, but no noticeable change (still at least one 20 m abseil when descending the Glacier du Milieu). The Y-shaped couloir narrows are ok. You will need to spend the night at the refuge, as things are heating up fast and furiously! The col du Passon moraine is starting to dry out (skis off twice to reach the village of Le Tour).

    Albert 1er
    Good snow conditions: the cols du Tour, supérieur du Tour, fenêtre de Saleinaz, col du Pissoir, col du Midi des Grands have all been tracked in good conditions. The Aiguille du Tour is in good condition on the normal route. The couloir de la Table has not been climbed (visually very beautiful, but the entrance is very loaded). 
    The Chardonnet has not yet had a visit and the gullies are quite dry. Petite Fourche also looks dry.

    Aiguilles Rouges
    The traverse from the Col des Crochues to the Col de Bérard is very tricky and exposed due to hard snow and avalanche debris.  The crossing of the small bridge before the Bérard buvette is increasingly narrow.
    The Dards, Belvédère and Beugeant cols heading towards Le Buet have all been done

    Hiking conditions have hardly changed since our last update.

  5. OHM Chamonix
    La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report Wednesday 13th March

     It's been a tough couple of weeks keeping track of the weather!

     Weather conditions have been complicated, with alternating episodes of heavy snow and strong, even stormy winds at altitude, interspersed with a few fine but all too rare sunny days: you have to seize your opportunities as much as possible!

    Ski touring is the main activity: 

    We have been tracking, retracking and retracking again between storms. Snow conditions are good above 2000 m. On southern aspects, the snow is softening very quickly on lower altitude mountains. In the high mountains, the cold snow is dense and alternates with wind- affected areas. Old and new windslabs are scattered around across the massif.

    Activity has returned to all the classic cols of the Aiguilles Rouges: Crochues-Bérard, Dards, Bevédère, Beugeant and those of the Argentière basin: Passon, Chardonnet, 3 cols (a 60 m fixed rope has been installed at the Col du Chardonnet to descend to the Trient side), Tour Noir, Col d'Argentière.

    The return track to the village of Le Buet (skis off at the Bérard waterfall) and to the village of Le Tour remain in boardercross mode. 

    Today, the Brèche Puiseux is being retracked. Tracks seen down from the Col du Tacul.

    The marked Prarion and Trapette uphill ski touring tracks are no longer viable. The Lognan route is still being done despite a lack of snow lower down. The Le Tour up hill track (Caisets) is still popular, but the piste descent is shut.

    Goulotte activity is becoming marginal. 

    The Chéré goulotte was done in relatively dry conditions.
    A major serac collapse occurred yesterday on the north face of the Tacul (see photo).

    One team bailed at the foot of the Gabarrou Albinoni (deep snow on the approach), but from the look of things, conditions were good in the goulotte, as well as on the neighbouring Modica-Noury, Super couloir and goulotte Lafaille.   Another team also bailed on the very dry Pélissier goulotte (Pointe Lachenal).

     One team left this morning for Ice is Nice on the back of the Requin.  

    No alpine activity so far in the Argentière basin. 

    The north faces are well loaded at the bottom and rather dry at the top. Heavy accumulations at the bottom of the basin and towards the Aiguilles Rouges du Dolent.


    At the Conscrits refuge, no activity since last weekend's opening. The snowpack in this sector has also been very wind affected (lots of wind slab). The Tré la tête refuge opens this weekend, March 16, as does the Albert 1er refuge.

    Hiking conditions are little changed. 

    All the marked snowshoe tracks at the bottom of the valley can be enjoyed on foot without any problems, as can the petit balcons north and south, access to the Floria and Chapeau chalets (open until mid-May), the Dard waterfall, the Cerro chalets and the Bossons glacier.

    Following a very strong fohn episode on the night of March 9 to 10 (gusts of over 90 km/h in the valley bottom), you may find some trees across certain paths. Thank you for your feedback.

     You'll have to walk up to around 1800 m before putting on your snowshoes to reach the Loriaz refuge (open and guarded) and the Chailloux chalets.) The bottom of the Bérard valley has very hard snow, and crampons are a good idea before putting on snowshoes.

    The marked snowshoe tracks at altitude in the Prarion, Flégère and Tour-Vallorcine ski areas all have good snow conditions.

    Contact us before you set off to find out if the route you are planning is suitable for snowshoeing, as the appearances from the valley floor can be deceptive!

    So much for a general overview of the Chamonix valley.

    Now it's your turn to tell us what you find! 
  6. OHM Chamonix
    La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report, 23 February 2024.
    Some quick bits of information before the weekend!
    We’ve had a decent drop of snow at altitude from Thursday’s storm.
    There has been a lot of rain at valley level and the cross country pistes are closed for the time being. On the other hand the Mer de Glace grotto opened last Saturday 24th February.
    The Cosmiques hut opened last weekend.

    The rain snow limit has been fluctuating around 1800m to 2000 m, dropping temporarily to 1500m (a few centimetres of snow).

    Above that there’s been an average of 30 to 50 cm of fresh snow at 2000 to 2500 m. Around a metre at 3800 m. Very strong winds at all altitudes have been moving the snow around resulting in some big wind slabs.

    The snowfall is obviously welcome and we should be able to make some great tracks.
    Today’s avalanche control (PIDA) resulted in some big releases and therefore great caution will be needed in your choice of routes this weekend. See photos on the website from the Envers du Plan and Vallée Noire. 

    Gullies will be heavily loaded for the next few days.
    Not much change concerning walking and snow shoeing routes since our last update on the 15th February.

    Please do not hesitate to consult us about your plans, whatever the activity and give us feedback on what you get up to. 
  7. OHM Chamonix
    La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report 15th February 2024.

    A very mild start to the half term holidays. There was a little snow last weekend (especially at higher altitudes) but some real snowfall would be welcome... !!!!

    The snow cover remains good above 1800 m, but below that it’s poor!

    So there's plenty of snow in the ski areas (except on the way back to the resort). At this time of the year, we would like to remind you more than ever to ski with caution, moderating your speed and controlling your skis and your direction! Just a reminder: it is strictly forbidden to skin up the slopes.

    All the classic ski touring routes are popular (always keep your ski crampons close by). The light snowfalls on Sunday and Monday have eased conditions a little. Departures and returns without lifts remain very dry: skis on at the bridge on the Roman road at Les Contamines, at 1650 m below the Loriaz refuge; the bottom of the Buet valley is still very sporty (little snow, avalanche debris to cross).

    Nothing special to report as far as glaciers go either. The boardercross at the bottom of the Col du Passon is no problem for good skiers (one stream to cross). The Col du Chardonnet is easy to cross (NE-facing couloir snowy, rimaye filled with snow). Vallée Blanche/Brèche Puiseux sector (good general conditions): you can ski to the new Mer de Glace cable car (last ascent to Montenvers at 4pm!). 

    All the variants of the vallée blanche have been done. The salle à manger is fine but there are a few visible holes at the entrance and exit. The Pierre à Béranger and the central couloir (access to the Talèfre basin) look OK.

    The snowfall at altitude (30-40 cm at the Aiguille du Midi) put a slight halt to the gully activity (while it purged and cleaned up) but didn't change the conditions much either. On the whole, it's dry (often quite dry and more technical than the ratings given in the guidebooks), although there's still plenty to climb in some areas (we have had no feedback since the start of the week and the snow): Pointe du Domino (Petit Viking); Triangle de la Verte (Ravanel-Frendo + Claire Chazal fairly dry, La Pépite in quite good conditions); Mini Blast still a victim of its success, cornice at the top of Rebuffat-Terray purged; E face of Tacul (Gabarrou-Albinoni, Modica_Noury, Supercouloir, Lafaille. ...); Requin sector (Sorenson-Eastman: initial section difficult to protect, moraine tricky, Ice is Nice: lots of threatening snow).

    The ice climbing season didn't really happen this year. No feedback, but still a bit of activity on the left bank of the Argentière glacier (Déferlante, Mini Couloir; it's over for EMHM) and at Cogne.

    Given the low snowfall at low altitude, there is exceptional hiking just about everywhere below 1600m. Higher up, it's not possible to do anything other than follow the signposted snowshoe trails or the Chalets de Chailloux (from La Flatière) or the Chalets de Loriaz! You can't get to Montenvers on foot... or via the Plan de l'Aiguille!
  8. OHM Chamonix
    Here's some news as we approach a period of high pressure!
    The snow cover is exceptional above 1800 m, but below that it's terrible... There was a bit of snow in places last night at high altitude (Argentière glacier , Vallée Blanche).
    The classic ski touring routes are popular. Don't forget your couteaux/harscheisen, as the snow is often hard on all aspects (you need to be a good skier). Also beware of the risk of falls/slides both off and on piste. You will be walking/ carrying skis until you leave the woods if you dont start from a ski lift (Roman road in les Contamines, Plaine Joux, la Flatière, le Buet/Couteray, Finhaut).

    Bits and pieces: The Bérard valley has thin snow cover and also its been devastated by avalanches, so it's not very pleasant! The same goes for the Passon descent towards Le Tour. A large avalanche has gone down the Pétoudes gully (Trient), which should be avoided for the time being!
    Bullet hard sections on the descent of the Brévent/Cornu towards the Pont d'Arlevé.
    The three Cols is in good condition (apart from the bottom of the Passon, see above). The descent couloir on the N side of the Col du Chardonnet is well filled in..
    The Vallée Blanche is being done every day. The Aiguille du Midi arête is equipped (Z not in place). Glaciers generally well filled. The bottom of the Vallée Noire is very icy. The Requin refuge opened its doors on Saturday 27 January. 

     You can ski as far as the old staircase. The cable car is due to open soon, so keep your fingers crossed. In the meantime, head back up to Montenvers via the old stairs and the path. The descent to Chamonix is out of the question (the bottom of the glacier is chaotic). Brèche Puiseux has been tracked today: expect 2 abseils of 30 m + exit to the right under the Grandes Jorasses at the bottom of the Mont Mallet glacier and not via the couloir).

    Gully climbing is back on the agenda. No news from the Argentière basin. The Couturier looks very icy.
    Some teams on Mini-Blast (good conditions) and Rebuffat-Terray: fairly dry conditions + beware there's a big cornice at the brèche overlooking the whole route... Some teams also on Beyond Good and Evil but it's very dry.
    A few climbers on the Chéré but it’s pretty dry, especially the first slope below the start (https://www.skaping.com/chamonix/aiguille-du-midi). You can climb the Modica-Noury and the Gabarrou-Albinoni but beware of (over)crowding. It might be worth looking a little further afield, even if it's generally dry and we have no information (Supercouloir, Lafaille, Valeria, Ice is Nice; Pellissier: dry).

    It won't be a winter to remember for ice climbing. The hot weather finished off the few routes that existed, particularly around Cogne. A few ice climbs are still possible on the rive gauche of the Argentière glacier.
  9. OHM Chamonix
    Get ready to ski! Here's a brief report on the conditions.

    If you want to get away from the grey plains conditions here are great with cold temperatures, anticyclonic conditions and fresh snow above 1800m.
    On the whole, the snow is still soft and pleasant to ski in (apart from the areas affected by the wind), but it is starting to get a little wetter on the southern slopes.

    Ski touring :

    All the Aiguilles Rouges classics have been tracked
    (Crochues-Bérard, Pointe Alphonse Favre, Buet, Col des Dards, Col du Belvédère, Col de Beugeant). The Berard valley exit is much improved (skis off once or twice).

    Lots of activity around Bel Oiseau - Fenestral (short ski carry at the start).
    In the Argentière basin, lots of activity on the Col du Passon (you can ski down to Le Tour) despite a few potholes.   Col du Tour Noir, Col d'Argentière also possible.  All the Grands Montets lifts are shut today (Saturday) because of a technical problem.


    Valley ice climbing:

     In the Chamonix valley, you can climb on the rive gauche of the Argentière glacier in the "Dents de la Mer" sector (Déferlante, Minicouloir, Home wet Home). On the rive droite, the Mur des Jumelles looks doable (not yet checked).

    The Bérard icefall is not yet accessible.
    Outside the Chamonix valley, the ice at Le Reposoir, Samoens/Giffre has not yet formed. Cogne is the spot of the moment with an interesting choice of lines.
    The place to be at the moment is Cogne.

    Ice and Mixed:

    Teams on Mini Blast, Rebuffat Terray,Tout Schuss. No recent news from the East face of the Tacul. The Cosmiques arête has been tracked in winter conditions. The lines behind the Requin look like they are building up.
    We look forward to feedback if you go up there.

    Gourmet randonneurs: 
    the Chalet du Chapeau is open every day except on category 3 and above days (look at avalanche forecast).  Snowshoes are not necessary, but a pair of crampons will make progress more comfortable, especially on the descent.

    Remember that the Loriaz refuge is also open (booking required).
  10. OHM Chamonix
    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 snowfall 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 arete is not yet equipped (therefore crampon skills 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 our dedicated page on website.