UKC

I've started a blog on the winter conditions for the Ecrins in the Haute Alpes - it contains useful links (well I find them useful anyway) and a summary of the ice and snow conditions. The info will be based on my trips out there over the next few months, talking to people out there and a summary of the information available from other conditions websites.

http://ecrins-conditions.blogspot.com/

Its just a light-hearted overview, that I've put together to keep the links I use regularly, that I hope that some others might find of use.

If you want to send me any first hand info from your trips out, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks

Fiona

PS I know my spelling is a bit ropey.
PPS Apologies if your reading this a second time - I've reposted under Expedition & Alpine as was suggested by email!

In reply to 'Hilda':

cheers for that....hope i can get out there at some stage.

In reply to Morgan Woods:

Sweet.

www.ice-fall.com gives a good forecast and avalanche conditions + icefall conditions but not so much for alpine routes.

Great idea.

Hamish

In reply to 'Hilda':

just out of curiosity are you aware of any actual ecrins mountain routes done in winter or is it all ice falls?

In reply to Morgan Woods:

I think it mostly ice falls - well, it is in my case! That and a bit of ski-ing too - but I'll find out for you.

In reply to Morgan Woods:

ah

In reply to 'Hilda':

Had a conditions update from Andrew, saying, "A friend was up at Ceillac this morning. Weather was cold and the ice is forming; with good early build up. Serge thinks it's thin but looking promising for next week." so it looking good for the coming weeks. Fingers crossed.

There's also more snow forecast over the next 10 days

http://ecrins-conditions.blogspot.com/

In reply to 'Hilda':

New guidebook details here:http://www.skitour.fr/librairie/412-ascensions-en-neige-et-mixte-344-itiner...

and a pdf example here: http://www.skitour.fr/divers/topo_constant_preview01.pdf

In reply to urban warrior: That guide looks pretty useful, but the .pdf is only a sampler (not surprising really).

In reply to 'Hilda':

..'a pdf example here'...

In reply to urban warrior:

thanks for that...looks great. is Tome 2 out as well or yet to be published?

In reply to 'Hilda':

Fantastic stuff!

I'll be following for sure!

In reply to urban warrior: Nobody likes a smart arse

The site looks quite useful, esp as some of the entries are pretty current.

In reply to urban warrior: Actually, thank you a lot, the site is very useful!

Especially as I am going out to the Belledonne/Ecrins on Thursday. Might walk/ski in to one of the "sortie" to have a look for myself.

In reply to Simon4:

I'm registered on that site (Dan Heywood) and did an outing from Sept Laux in the Belledonne on the 7th Dec. Aren't you the person who put me in touch with your mate Wayne? Still not been out with him yet, but it turns out we have a friend in common.

If you need a punter partner, get in touch! I'm in UK tis week, but head back home, near Lyon on Sat.

In reply to urban warrior: I'll drop you an email, I'm sure we can sort something out for at least 1 day - especially if you are happy to ski-rando, ice-climb, go out on rackettes or even walk up big hills in the Chartreuse or Vercors according to what suits. For some unfathomable reason Wayne thinks that there should be no climbing on Christmas day, so that may an option.

What did you do from Sept Laux, were you doing a ski-tour and if so, what sort of conditions did you get?

In reply to 'Hilda':

Great Stuff! A bunch of us heading out in early Feb so will keep looking at your blog for info.

Cheers

In reply to creag:


Thanks for that - I've put another update on (if you can get passed the bit about the snow here, that is :0

In reply to 'Hilda':

Are you in the area or just collecting info from the net and posting it in a blog?

In reply to E9 Temp:

We arrived in the area late last night; -20 on the car themometer and has been -10 to 15 for a couple of days. They're expecting a warmer front and snow fall this week followed by a return to lower temps; which should 'feed' the ice build up.

Andy

http://www.alpineaccomodation.com

Did Happy Birthday near Villard Notre Damme above Bourg d'Oisans a couple of days ago, in good nick, very cold but still some water running down the route. Has got much warmer since then but there was a lot of ice so it should still be fine, esp when the temperature drops again. The road up to the village is spectacular and always a difficult drive, snow-tyres and/or chains essential.

Simon

In reply to 'Hilda': Some routes at Alp d'Huez in condition yesterday, Symphonie d'Automne was fat, ice variable but climable. Masses of spindrift from fresh snow, there has probably been more since then. Ice Bill looked reasonable but less routes seent than guide books describe. The warm spell should not have thawed the routes, but wait till cold again to climb them. Avalanche risk comparatively low as the cliffs are not big and have a piste above them, but with fresh snow the risk is still present. Check what the ski-patrol are doing with explosives before climbing.

We skiied up the first piste, then along the ratrack path.

Simon

P.S. it is more difficult to lead ice-pitches when you can't see anything!

In reply to Anonymous: Thanks for the update - will add it yo the blog later on as I'm having a nice glass of wine and watching the carols from Kings - and finally getting into the Christmas spirit . Happy Christmas everyone

In reply to Morgan Woods: Some of the high stuff gets done by the intrepid. Lots of the routes that are quite dodgy in the summer now get accents in winter. Glacier Noir and such are beautiful places to be when no one else is there. Havent done much out there in winter myself, but was chatting to a local guy in Pelvoux last week. Walked up from the Ailefroide campsite in the direction of the Sele hut last week. Shit loads of snow around, but there is a fat icefall on the left, just after the path up to the Clapouse. Looks very nice. Snow shoes a must, to get there though.

In reply to 'Hilda': Climbed Ice Bille this morning, it was a crisp -10 when gearing up. No spindrift this time and a beautiful day, also the approach had been rat-tracked to iron so there is now no need to ski into the routes. The ice was mostly good but a bit unconsolidated and powdery over to the left, which provided an exicting time on a steep, not well-consolidated step, especially when I failed to notice a fixed belay.

P.S. I got up at 5 this morning and flew back to London this afternoon, so feeling a bit worn-out now.

Recent outings in Ceillac:
http://www.camptocamp.org/outings/196282
http://www.camptocamp.org/outings/196279
http://www.camptocamp.org/outings/196025
(you can use the Google translation tool to get an idea of the comments)

Also Cogne:
http://www.camptocamp.org/outings/196377

In reply to 'Hilda':

An updated summary of conditions reported on camptocamp.org for ice-climbs in the Haute Alpes (La Grave, Argentière, Fournel, Ceillac, Champsaur etc.) from the past month can be obtained at this url:
http://www.camptocamp.org/outings/conditions/areas/14361/act/5/date/1M

In reply to FabienenCordoba: Just heard that it is now very wet and mild in the Ecrins region, due to get colder at the weekend.

In reply to 'Hilda':
Tropical here between Lyon and Geneva.See my other reply on La Grave thread.

In reply to 'Hilda':

Another update (thanks for the emails) ..........

Apart from the 'usual suspects' routes, not much is being done. And IceFest 2010 is this weekend (from 7th - 10th)

http://ecrins-conditions.blogspot.com/

In reply to 'Hilda': For those who don't know, the last few days have seen a monster dump of snow in the Ecrins, both East and West. Major routes and cols like the Col du Lautaret and the route round via Gap were closed for a while, with flights from airports being cancelled at Lyon St Exupery and Grenoble (grrr - Easyjet!).

Before that there were not many routes in, at La Grave Croup de Poufiace was but not many others while Pylone was steeper and harder (and more fragile/brittle) than usual. Ceilac was in before the monster dump, we climbed Larmes du Chaos while the other routes were clearly present. Probably absolutely swamped with snow now, if you can get up the Ceilac road that is.

In reply to Simon4:

Thanks for that Simon - there was so much snow over the weekend that IceFest 2010, didn't even get into either Fournel or Fresinerres as the avalanche potential was so high!

Most (independant) climbing was done in Ceillac and Cervières instead, plus on the artificial icefall of Queyras & Argentière.

A couple of years ago, the site the end of the IceFest party to be held in Fresinereres was completely buried under an avalance debris overnight, burying all the tents etc - fortunately no-one was there at the time!

I'll be updating the blog later today (hopefully), so if anyone has anything relevant they want to send my way, please let me know.

Ta

Fi

In reply to 'Hilda':


Not surprised Fi!

Road access to either was very limited before the dump and they are both narrow valleys with snow-slopes of considerable size above the routes - not an ideal place to be after such a deluge.

I would have liked to have another day's ice-climbing, but we were uncertain if we could get back to the West for our flight (ha, ha). So we had a day's "character building" skiing in Serre Chevalier instead.


There was a party in the Gite we stayed in at Argentierre La Bessee talking about going into Fournel. I do hope they didn't!

In reply to Simon4:

Another update just added.........

In reply to 'Hilda':

The ice conditions are fantastic (off tomorrow, but Tony is already out there)

http://ecrins-conditions.blogspot.com/

In reply to 'Hilda':

Ice conditions are fantastic, just choose the right location. My skiing's not doing too badly either! http://ecrins-conditions.blogspot.com/