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La Chamoniarde mountain conditions report for 12 April 2024.

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 1700m.

The first 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.

 

Aiguille du Midi North Face

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: 5PM.

 

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) 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 1800m on the south-facing slopes and 1600/1700 m on the north-facing slopes. Above these altitudes, snow cover is deep and extensive. Remember it's 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.

 

Via Ferrata: The Curalla and Bérard via ferrata are open.

 

 

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.