UKC

We are heading out Ailefroide next week and hoping to do some easy mountaineering,eg Roche Faurio, Pointe Cezanne, Ailefroide Oriental. 
I realise the weather is not looking too good at the start of the week but just wondered what conditions are like out there at the moment.  Is there much snow, are there reasonable tracks or will we be breaking trail etc.  Any info welcome. 

There's been a couple of articles in the Dauphiné (local paper) recently, eg

https://www.ledauphine.com/societe/2022/06/11/les-versants-des-alpes-jamais...

Snow cover is much less than usual for the season & its very warm at the moment (was 30°+ in Gap yesterday)

there was another in the print version yesterday which I can't find on line about a rescue after someone was injured by falling rocks. 

Hi,

We had one of the worst winters for snow fall on record, so the conditions are very dry already. A lot of the guides I know, have been trying to bring clients who want snow lines in early (as in starting a few weeks ago), as they feel they conditions are going to get crap very quick this year. It feels like we are a month in advance if not more in terms of conditions.

I can't help with specifics of the routes you mentioned, but stick you head in the guides office in Ailefroide and I am sure they will have up to date info. 

For weather forecasting anything more than a few days in advance, is very poor in reliability. The best site is meteoblue, if you use desk top, at the top left at the end of the location bar you can click the bullseye symbol and it take you to a map so you can click on the peak you want, to give the most accurate forecast. Under the days is a coloured bar about predictability and its rare to get a green bar past 3 days.

Hope you have a great trip, if the conditions are poor, and you like rock climbing maybe try some climbing in the Cerces its north of Briancon.

cheers

Doug, Thanks for that. I remember 1976 in UK and it was very hot!

Rob, Thanks for the reply.  End Janearly Feb we had a week in Vallouise followed by a week in Ceillac ski touring and ice climbing so the lack of snow now is not a surprise.  We did do a couple of via Ferrata ( thanks for your app) and it felt strange finishing in t-shirts in Jan!

Sounds as though conditions are going to be thin, but hopefully we can at least get some snow for the newbies in the group. If not I guess we will just be doing granite slabs.  

I hadnt used meteoblue before but looks very useful and they are forecasting better weather than meteo france so hopefully they are right  

Anyway, whatever the weather it wil be nice to be back at Ailefroide.