UKC

Anyone been in the Arolla area recently? Interested in current conditions on the easier snow routes and glacier passes. Cheers

In reply to Only a hill:

Bump

In reply to Only a hill:

All pretty good recently. Where are you heading exactly? Still lots of snow on north facing passes but Pigne/MB de Cheilon etc all in good condition.

In reply to graham F:

Thanks for the update. Going to be in the Col Collon area, crossing from Valpelline to Arolla. I would like to climb Mont Brule on the way if conditions allow.

In reply to Only a hill:

It should be fine on Mont Brulé. Still lots of snow on the upper Arolla glacier which could be slow going in the afternoon!

In reply to Only a hill:

I was there last week. Lots of soft snow above 2800. Some of our warm-up routes like Pointe de Vouassan were a pig.

MB de Cheilon was not being tackled by many parties (I think I was in the Dix on its second night after opening). Again there was lots of knee-deep snow. The happiest group seemed to be the guide who took his client up the rocky ridge to the left of winter-route. The Dix guardian reported some problems reaching the true summit of MB de C due to the conditions.

In reply to Only a hill:

An update. I camped on the Col Collon the day before yesterday. Conditions were great that day, with no loose snow to speak of, but things got dramatically worse overnight with an appreciable dump of wet snow down to 2800m and thick clag. I descended the Arolla glacier in mist and gave up my plan of climbing Mont Brule. The sunny conditions today have probably burned off the fresh snow though.