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A brief update on the conditions for this weekend :

The recent snowfalls have not been enough to significantly improve the situation for the snow/mixed routes but enough to cause problems on the rock routes in some of the higher altitude areas.  These, however, should dry quickly as the warm weather returns.  

In general, there are a lot of open crevasses on the glaciers and the recent snow has only served to camouflage some of the weak snow bridges.  Good glacier ropework needed !

 

- Albert 1er : Conditions not too bad in this sector and Aiguille du Tour is being climbed by the Table ridge and the normal route.  The Tête Blanche and Petite Fourche are also being done but the Chardonnet remains out of condition despite the new snow.

 

- Argentière : The descent from the Grands Montets lift remains OK and the rocks near the hut are dry,  None of the snow routes are in condition, with the exception of Col du Tour Noir, (there and back).

The Belvédère, (East) ridge on the Aiguille des Grands Montets has been done recently but the Petite Verte still has a lot of bare ice and so is far harder than usual.

 

- Charpoua : The snow is disappearing quickly from the rocks in this sector. The Evêque looks dry and parties were climbing on the Flammes de Pierre today (Friday).  The Drus should soon be in condition.  

 

- Le Couvercle : The Moine has been climbed by the normal route, the S ridge and the Contamine.  The snow/mixed routes are not in condition and there appears to be too much snow on the Verte Moine Ridge for the moment.

 

- Leschaux : the Grandes Jorasses N face is holding a lot of snow but the W face of the Petites Jorasses is drying quickly.  The rock routes behind the hut are dry.

 

- Envers des Aiguilles : Still snow at altitude and with the cloud cover this is taking time to melt away. Climbing is possible near the hut, e.g Pilier des Contes, Tours Rouge and Verte and the 1ère Pointe des Nantillons.

 

- Le Requin : Still some snow at altitude but the Pierre-Alain is dry. The way up the Vallee Blanche towards the Cosmiques and the Torino requires good experience at route finding and care with the snow bridges.

 

- Torino : No tracks on the Rochefort Arete but the Dent du Géant was climbed on 27/07. Some parties had to turnback on 28.07 due to strong winds. The traverses of the Aiguilles Marbrées and the Entrèves remain feasible, though care needed on the approaches, (snow bridges…).  No news about the Kuffner or the Tacul satellites

 

- Cosmiques : The Tacul normal route is tracked, (no further information).  Some climbing on the Pointes Lachenal but the Tacul triangle remains desperately dry.  The Cosmiques ridge is tracked.  The traverse of the Vallee Blanche is tracked but has a lot of crevasses.

 

- Grands Mulets : No particular problems for the approach to the hut and the North Ridge of the Dôme was climbed on 28/07, no further information.

 

- Conscrits : The Dômes de Miage traverse was done on 28/07 but the snow cover over the ice was thin and conditions are likely to deteriorate quickly.  The route to the central Dôme by the Tré la Tête glacier, (there and back) remains feasible, though the glacier is heavily crevassed.  Except for the Bérangère, the other routes are no longer in condition.

 

- Monzino : Conditions OK for the Pointe de l’Innominata  and parties went up to the Eccles to attempt the ridge on 29/07.   The approach to the bivouac is heavily crevassed.  The Brouillard glacier is OK for the moment.  Parties were seen on the S ridge of the Noire de Peuterey.