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Cham in April

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 garrett85 07 Mar 2014
I'm looking for route recommendations for Easter weekend, around the 20th of April. Never been out there in winter/spring before. We'd happily climb anything up to about ED in summer, but not great on ice, only climbed to around WI3/4-. Was thinking about courtes N face, or maybe some routes on the tacul.
Any advice? We should be on skis, but not looking to do any steep or technical descents.

Thanks,
Gar
 David Rose 09 Mar 2014
In reply to garrett85:

Courtes should be good, as well as other stuff around the Argentiere basin - Dolent, Pre de Bar, Verte, Droites if you're feeling brave. It's often a very good time to climb in Cham. Also routes from the Plan will probably be in nick - eg Fil a Plomb.
 David Rose 09 Mar 2014
In reply to garrett85:

Should have added: Courtes is a great outing. Fab summit, straightforward climb. Dolent is superb. Ab descent from the end of the goulotte. Petit Viking ditto. Lafaille and Gabarooiu - Albinoni good on Tacul. Done all of them at this time of year.
OP garrett85 10 Mar 2014
In reply to davidoldfart:

Thanks a mill David, petit viking and the dolent look great alright. Might just head up to the argentiere hut for a few days.
Any advice on approaches or descents? I'm assuming (hoping) we should be able to skin up and ski home without too much difficulty. Is it usually possible to ski back to cham or argentiere without doing anything too dodgy?
 David Rose 10 Mar 2014
In reply to garrett85:

You should be able to ski back to Argentiere easily. You bear left as you descend the glacier from the hut to join the usual ski runs to the mid-station, Lognan, from which a red piste descends to the bottom. You may be not be able to ski to Cham in April (probably not, in fact) but you should be able to ski as far as Montenvers from the Tacul down the Mer de Glace. YOu take the short cable car from the glacier up to the statin.

The approaches to all these routes are fine on skis with skins when necessary. None of the descents are steep, once you've got back down over the rimaye. For the Courtes, you descend the NE slope - easy so long as you are careful.
In reply to garrett85:

Similar Question, but from someone a whole lot less experienced in the Alps...

Was thinking of doing Cosmiques Arette and the Pointe Lachenal Traverse, but really have no idea of what to expect in terms of depth of snow etc? Will walking on the glacier be possible for approaches, or are Skis necessary?

Also, I'm a little confused by the lift passes to get up to the Aiguille...looking at the rates, there seems to be an 'alpinist special' for slightly less than a standard return, or an annual pass for fractionally more, so why would you buy a standard return?
 blurty 10 Mar 2014
In reply to Cookie (North East Wales MC):

Alpine special on the Midi 'freak' is an early start

If it's frozen you should be fine on glaciers on foot without snow shoes.

No idea what the Cosmiques would be like at the moment, probably quite sporting if not frozen I would think
 David Rose 11 Mar 2014
In reply to garrett85:

I disagree strongly that you will be fine on glaciers in April without snow shoes. You will wading up to your thighs or deeper and it will be absolutely exhausting. Skis or snowshoes are a must.
OP garrett85 11 Mar 2014
In reply to davidoldfart:

I'd agree with David, my experience of April conditions elsewhere in the alps is that it can be absolute misery even with snowshoes, and totally impractical without.
Speaking of which, has anyone got any advice about carrying skis on climbs? We were thinking of doing the couturier couloir, but I understand the descent is by the whymper on the other side, so we'd either have to carry them the whole way, or have a very long walk back on foot.
 David Rose 11 Mar 2014
In reply to garrett85:

I've done the Coutourier in March. We carried light snowshoes. You really do need them, because the walk from the bottom of the Whymper to Montenvers is a long way. Or touring skis. Heavier but quite doable; much faster in use, of course. The Whymper descent is straightforward at this time of year. Face in and plod down, with three abseils at the bottom: anchors on the true left bank (ie facing out). You can stay in the winter room of the Couvercle on the way down. The route is possible from the first frique at the Grands Montets - probably easier than staying at the Argentiere hut.

The Bettembourg finish would make it more interesting, though we didn't do it.
 John Cuthbert 15 Mar 2014
In reply to garrett85:

High winds over the last month has scoured many of the north faces of snow. Courtes, Droites, verte, and Grande jorasses all looking v. grey.

Couturier on Verte climbable, as is Petit Viking, and Charlet Route on the Dolent. As are most of the E.Face Mont Blanc du tacul gullies and N. face of Midi routes.

We've had lots of snow, but touring approaches are currently excellent. That could all change by April of course...

John Cuthbert

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