UKC

Any news of conditions? Saw the reports of excellent conditions on the Jorasses 2 weeks ago, and cold temps and a load of snow last week. Temps looking pretty warm at the moment though! Anyone been up there in last few days? How's it shaping up? Interested in Grandes Jorasses N Face, Petites Jorasses, Grand Pilier d'Angle, Tacul East face (Supercouloir, G-A), Argentiere North Wall etc.

Beta is proving hard to come by!! Any info much appreciated.

In reply to gav p:

I think you really have to take the bull by the horns, the conditions in all of the areas you mention are probably fantastic at the moment, just think about the snowy summer and all that freeze thaw, the Macintyre colton blitzed in a day it aint rocket science!.

If i could get my lardy ass off this couch i would be there right now dude.

In reply to gav p: there's a recent video of the cechinnel nomine on the tvmountain site, from a wqeek or 2 ago

In reply to gav p: All north face routes are in in a big way right now. It has gotten warmer over the last week but at night the temperature really drops again. You should be fine on anything for the moment there is so much geting climbed right now.
Not sure about Supercouloir- it is thickening up but I rekon it may be a little too warm to be heading up it. The rock behind may not have colled down enough yet but I cant say from first hand experience. I am seeing a mate this afternoon who had been up there recently so will update you on what he says
Enjoy yourself
jon

In reply to gav p:
Would add my vote to those recommending getting out there and having a look. At this time of year, the weather they have been having is not going to strip conditions, so the stuff that has been in should still be around. Rather than the worry about whether the climbs are actually there, I think weather windows and unconsolidated snow become more the issues, which requires more opportunistic tactics.

My Chamonix knowledge is 2-3 weeks out of date, mind, but the ice routes on the GPd'A were looking mint back then. I'll send you a appetite-whetting hi-res photo of them taken from La Fourche, if you want to email me. Hope useful, Tony

In reply to MattG: That TV Mountain video is pretty exciting, looks like great conditions then and it won't be getting thinner. I think a quick hit might be in order in the next few weeks. If anyone goes sooner can they post a report please? Best get on the bike this afternoon!

In reply to Kendal47: Looked like hard work, but very good conditions! I think I need to train a lot more before I can do a route like that, it is inspiring though.

In reply to MattG:
The Terray-Rebuffat video added on Sunday is a goodie too. Massively better conditions than when I did it. Bloody typical! Instead of boot width wide ribbons or palm size splats of ice, it's all squeeky, fat hero-ice. No wonder the route is mobbed in the film.

In reply to all:

Thanks for the info, feeling a bit more positive about likely conditions now. Heading out early next week, getting psyched! Anybody heard whether Droites N Face has been climbed recently?

In reply to gav p: Both Droites and Courtes N faces are in the best condition they have been in for years according to quite a few people here. Mind you that seems to go for almost everything for the moment. Temperatures are going to rise a bit over the next few days but as long as it stays cold over night (which it is for the moment) you should have any route you want in great condition.
have fun
jon

In reply to jongriffith: Has anyone got any more up to date info on ice conditions out in cham, have seen its pretty warm during the day but is it still freezing hard at night and things staying firm in the shade?
Going out tomorrow.
cheers
ps. have seen the droites thread.

In reply to sgl:

Last Sunday Les Droites was in good condition, Les Courtes looks good too. There were some goulotte lines on the Petit Jorasse that looked thin but will fatten up in the coming months (Omega has not formed yet though).

The North Face of the G Jorasse is looking in great condition. The ice on the Colton-Mac looks great and the Shroud is looking superb. Lots of other lines looking good too.

Alb-Gab on the East face of Tacul is coming in, but is incomplete and thin at the mo. Some friends reported excellent conditions on the Cecc-Nom route on the Grand Pil 3 weekends ago.

Got photos from Sunday of Les Droites, Les Courtes, Petit Jorasse and Grande Jorasse, let me know if you want them.


It's shaping up to be a great season! Good luck

In reply to sgl: Its not that warm during the day up high, epecially in the shade. Freezing level below the Midi at night and has been for quite a while now. Cant really add more on conditions from the post above apart from agree with coniditons on tacul and GJ. but there is alot to be done for 'inter' season, and the weather looks stable for quite a while now
enjoy
jon

In reply to all:

Anyone got any info on current conditions, especially interested in north faces of Droites, Pelerins and Dru (Dru Couloir in particular).

Cheers, Andy

In reply to Andy Hobson: sgl and partner did the droites on Saturday. I'll get him to let you know.

In reply to Andy Hobson: Climbed the Ginat on Les Droites on saturday, conditions very similar to those given above, lower icefield in good condition, first pitch of the headwall is a bit unconsolidated and slightly delicate, the rest of the headwall is all good neve/ice with top section being fairly steep and thin, soul destroying powder in the final gully to the breche.
The abseil down the south side of the breche wasn't very pleasant in the afternoon, lots of loose rock and water etc.
No gas at either the Argentiere or Couvercle huts (although there is wood for the stove at the couvercle), long way back down to the valley as the Montenvers train is closed.
Jorasses looked good from afar.

In reply to gav p:

Grand Pilier D'Angle ice routes are all in good nick. The Checchinel-Nomine w/ Boivin-Vallencant variation is in excellent conditions, and traced.

Tour Ronde NF in good conditions

The current forecast is for moderate instability for Wednesday night, with some snow down to 2500m, but the next weekend should be stable. Temperatures are going to seriously drop, with night freezing well below 1000m.

In reply to sgl:

Good work on the Droites and cheers for the info - v.useful. Will be out in a week and a bit so hopefully things will still be looking good!

In reply to sgl:

The Argentiere hut winter room is supposed to be closed for refurbishment. Did you manage to get in there? Beds and blankets? Thinking of heading up on Friday. Cheers.

In reply to sgl:

Gabbarou-Alb in great condition the other day, loads of neve and short section of water ice. Modica-Noury looks in great condition also. Supercouloir looks mainly hard water ice at the moment, direct start looks thin.
Did Cecchinel-Nomine on Monday, Boivin variation. Excellent conditions, loads of neve with a little harder ice.

In reply to gav p: The Argentiere winter room was open last friday. We only found out it was supposed to be closed when some French guys told us at the couvercle. One bunk room (with blankets) is open, no gas.

In reply to gav p:

Conditions out here are pretty much universally brilliant; pick a route, any route. In the last nine days we've had two days sunny rock climbing above 3500m, a day of mixed on the Triangle du Tacul, and 4 days on the Desmaison-Gousseault (N Face of Grandes Jorasses). The sun's still shining, and a cool breeze blows...

Only slight drawback is that the Midi lift is all that's operational for uplift, so a bit of a walk to some places.

Cheers, Guy Rob & Pete Benson

In reply to gav p: I agree, just had an amazing 6 days out there. Cosmiques arete down sans crampons, contamine-mazaud, and the mordica-noury in amazing styrofoam conditions. Only a cold stopped us doing more. Very hot in the valley for cragging!

In reply to gav p:
Repeating others really, there is ice, but not everywhere.
We hiked up to Les Drus. The Lausseur (appologies for spelling) was dead dry, and the Drus Couloir thin, tenuous and spitting rubble down it. So off to Lechaux. On Petites Jorasses, some of the lines are there, some (eg Omega) are not. On Grandes Jorasses, we climbed the Colton-Mac whith the gully systems all there and in good neve/ice, but the crux ice section disintegrating slightly. Got a bit lost on the top mixed section so not too sure what the proper finish is like (or indeed where it is). Some tenuous rock-climbing required regardless. The descent on the Sth side has had a lot of hot sun, at the glacier section is mostly slushy ice. Getting across the Whymper Couloir needed a bit of a hike up and over some slots to avoid steep ice traversing.
The Tacul looked in good nick, Pete and Andy climbed Supercouloir with the direct start in, but thin, I believe.
Should all be a bit easier now Montenvers train is running again anyway.

In reply to gav p:

Getting in shape to go out? Let me know how it went. I'll still be in LA, climbing in the desert regions. Don't think I'll get out onto Eastern Sierra alpine lines... boo