UKC

Going to Saas Fee the last week of May and wondered what to expect on the above route. Looks like it could be tricky if its iced etc. Did Tryfan, Bristly ridge in prep last week and remembered thinking it would have been tough in winter conditions with no rope etc.

Any advice would be welcome.

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In reply to Hendofan: will have to see what the weather does over the next couple of weeks. There was 50 cms of fresh snow over the weekend on top of a huge base.

In reply to Blinder:
Wow that would make the ridge pretty bad.. Im doing the Lagginhorn so maybe just have to stick to that.

In reply to Hendofan: Ask me in a couple of weeks and maybe I can give you an update. I can see the N face of the Weissmies and summit of the Lagginhorn from my house.

In reply to Blinder:
I will do pal thanks. Fingers crossed for a wee bit of a thaw before the end of may.

In reply to Hendofan:

This was yesterday: http://www.camptocamp.org/outings/425552/fr/weissmies-en-traversee-de-l-alm...

In reply to Blinder:

What is the descent like down the normal route in summer like?

In reply to jon:
Nice link man thanks!
Feel a bit better about it now. I would love to do the traverse but the decent down has too many crevasses to fall in by all accounts.

In reply to Hendofan: the link was a ski trip!

In reply to Blinder:
Oh whoops. Well it seems the conditions are more stable and if the temp increases a wee bit in the next few weeks hopefully there will be less ice.

In reply to Blinder:
Are you out there yet Blinder? Whats it looking like??

In reply to Hendofan: Hi was out there last week, the weather was not to good. Only saw the summit of the Weisesmiss once and did not have the binoculars. Lots of snow especially up high. Hopefully a week of sun will burn a lot of the snow off.

In reply to Hendofan:
See my post about Piz Badile conditions. There is lots of snow this year and the weather this spring has been very unsettled, with recent fresh snow down to 2000-2500m. We are heading for another 10 days of unsettled weather, so more snow in prospect. Snowline around 2000m on north-facing slopes, about 500 m higher on south-facing ones. "Excluding north facing slopes above 2500 m, the snow cover is thoroughly wet all the way up to high altitudes" (dixit the Swiss avalanche service). If you do get a weather window, you can expect the approach to be hard going without skis or snow shoes.

In reply to Hendofan:
BTW: the high-altitude ski touring conditions are excellent, if you can manage to get a clear day...

In reply to testagrigia: Yeah the approach is not so much of a worry as the ridges if there is lots of fresh snow.

The forecast for next week when im there looks pretty bad so may have to try snatch a day for Lagginhorn and leave weissmies.

In regards skiing I would certainly kill myself trying that haha.

In reply to Hendofan: So how did it go?

In reply to Hendofan: Me too, dying to know how it went!