UKC

A climbing partner has an enforced week off work in May and has suggested a trip away. He's never been to the alps but after listening to me wax lyrical about alpine climbing all the time has asked if it's doable.

Traditionally in my head this is ski touring season, but the last few times I've been it's been pretty dry and e.g. in June which is used to be prime time for a lot of mixed routes I've been limited to rock. I'm thinking that maybe May might be good for some easy north face routes and such like. I almost always end up going to Chamonix so would probably stick with this as I know the area, but could be persuaded to go elsewhere. A few routes that spring to mind are Mallory-Porter on the Midi, Whymper couloir on the Vert, North face of Tour Ronde, anything on the triangle du Tacul. Might get the odd skier coming down some of those though...

Obviously hut and lift opening times might make logistics more difficult but that's not insurmountable.

My main question would be are skis likely to be necessary? We can both ski but my partner hasn't for quite a while and not with a big pack. I've suggested a day in Scotland to see how he gets on, but from what I gather snow coverage isn't that amazing so far this season so it might end up easer just approaching everything on foot? Obviously May is a long time away so things will change but just wondering what the general trend has been in recent years.

And yes taking someone on their first trip in potentially more difficult conditions isn't necessarily the best option before people start pointing it out, but sadly available dates are fixed. Besides, he's done plenty of Scottish winter and is something of a connoisseur of type 2 fun.

Are there other areas worth considering? Ideally looking more for moderate difficulty mixed routes, stuff equivalent to Scottish II/III, or maybe a bit harder if short and easily accessible e.g. things similar to Chere Couloir.

Plan B if the weather isn't playing ball there I think might be the grand traverse of the Cuillin. Not sure what else might be reasonable, maybe the Pyrenees though I've only been once in July. My partner isn't that enthused by rock climbing, so looking more for mountaineering or winter/mixed style stuff.

May can be a great time, I would recommend getting uout and staying in a hut to allow easier access to higher routes.

A copuple of things to consider here.

1) Winter snowfall.

In the last few years winters in the alps have been pretty dry. This winter, by some margin has seen a reasonably significant amount of snow fall. If snow levels remain consistent and there is further snowfall in the spring then one would imagine that skiing into routes would be an absolute necessity, unless both are moving with snowshoes - urgh!  

2) Lift access - sometime uplift in areas such as Chamonix can be limited in shoulder seasons. You can check opening dates on applicable websites etc. It's probably worth considering an area with substantial up lift given you only have one week.

3) Weather - there's a distinct risk of just having crap weather! It's best to remain open to options. Ferry tickets don't tend to change much in price if you're willing to travel early/late. In my opinion driving to the Alps is the best option as you are not limited on equipment and have the ability to move around. Unfortunately, a week might feel like a very short trip if you lose a couple of days to bad weather!