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A complicated winter!

A quick overlook of the recent weather:

  • A series of weather fronts and storms at altitude
  • Very strong winds
  • Rain on Monday for several hours, up to 2300m
  • Little or no fresh snow below 2500m, (no info for above.)

Therefore, activities in the high mountain are not obvious during this holiday period.

The information the OHM has received indicates that the ski conditions remain “special”.

Concerning the pisted ski areas, the snow cover is still satisfactory and most of the pistes are open, weather permitting.  Only certain areas at low altitude are suffering from insufficient snow.

In general, ski conditions are OK.  Certain pistes, (particularly the steeper ones,) have hard snow with ice plates starting to show through during the day.  Choose pistes in accordance with your ability and control your speed!

Conditions off piste are “variable,” drifted snow alternating with plates of hard, icy snow, (risk of breaking away in places.)

The langlauf tracks are suffering from a lack of snow and coldness in the valley floor.  The best choice is at Argentière, though there are some pistes open at Chamonix and Vallorcine. More info on what is open at:  https://www.chamonix.com/ouverture-des-pistes,129,fr.html

The avalanche transceiver practice area, (DVA park) at Savoy is closed since today, due to lack of snow.

The snow shoe tracks and the winter walking trails in the valley floor, ( Lac Vert loop, Bossons glacier, Cerro chalet, Cerfs loop, Tines loop) are all possible without snow shoes, Hiking is also possible, (with proper footwear, hiking poles and walking crampons,) near the Ayeres chalets, the Charousse alp and the Chapeau buvette.

Snow shoers need to go to Vallorcine (Granges loop) or at altitude using the lift system, (Prarion, Montenvers, Flégère/Index, Col de Balme and Aiguillette des Posettes from the top of the Vallorcine bubble lift.)  With the recent weather, the snow is hard rather than powdery.  

Concerning ski touring, the OHM has not received any info yet following the good weather this Wednesday.  Last weekend all the classics in the Aiguilles Rouges (Pointe de Pormenaz, Crochue-Bérard, Pointe Alphonse Favre, Col des Dards, Col du Bélvèdère, Beugeant, Buet), in the Argentiere sector, (Col du Passon, Col du Tour Noir, Col d'Argentière) and in the other sectors nearby (Bel Oiseau, Val Montjoie) were done. Generally good conditions, (20-30cms of fresh snow on a hard base), though ski crampons and sharp edges are needed because of plates of hard, icy snow in places .

Hopefully, the conditions have not deteriorated too much since.

The Valley Blanche is being done.  Good conditions high up, but “complicated” lower down due to the lack of snow.

Concerning the alpine ice gullies, there have been ascents on the Pointe Lachenal (Pellissier in good conditions), Cecchinel-Jager and Scotch on the Rock (no further info,) E face of the Tacul (Modica-Noury, Gabarrou-Albinoni), the Combe Maudite (Grassi-Comino), the Col des Grands Montets (Pépite) and the Col des Pélerins (Beyond Good Evil)...

Concerning the icefalls, it is still possible to climb on the true left bank of the Argentière glacier, (Deferlante sector, EMHM) and at Cogne (Lillaz, Patri, Acheronte, some more info here: https://www.iceclimbingcogne.com/ice-conditions/). It is finished for the Crèmerie, (unless there is another cold spell.)