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.