UKC

Off to Cham for a week on Saturday and been reading La Chamoniarde and the meteo with increasing concern. 

Is any kind person out there at the moment? Are people climbing? Camptocamp seems overwhelmingly ski trips.

We had hoped to do the easy classics - Aiguilles d'Entreves / Marbrees, Point Lachenal etc with  some nice 'n' easy multipitch on the Aiguilles Rouges. Is anything doable without skis? Can you even get to routes on the Aiguilles Rouges? Is, say, the Perrons traverse snowed out? 

Any local beta would be very very gratefully received. Even if it's just - visit the museum and eat fondue. 

Thank you!

A mate was on Cosmiques today and is doing Lachenal tomorrow without skis.

Go in to the logbooks, along to 'conditions' then you can hit 'alpine conditions' and it'll bring up what's been recently logged on here at least. Looks like some bits are being done

you can walk on the glaciers fine without skis.

All of those things are snowier than usual and are in good condition currently.

Friends did Perron Traverse yesterday and said it was slighlty harder and needed proper axe and crampons. 
 

Have a great trip.

Thank you so much, everyone, that’s hugely helpful and reassuring. All sounds very exciting! 

(Embarrassed that I forgot about the UKC logbook function - thanks for the reminder.)

Hope everyone out there is having a great time

I’m trying to keep an eye on what’s getting done as well. Someone has logged Hotel California recently but I’d be interested to know if anyone has climbed anything else on crags like Brevent, Index, Crochue etc? I also saw someone had logged a route on the Eperon Des Cosmiques so I wonder what will be in condition around the Envers Refuge?

Yes I noticed HC. Did they walk up (and down!)? I think Flegere lift opens tomorrow so let’s see.

On the other side the easy mixed classics now look positively busy! 

The weather now might be the limiting factor for both rock and mixed routes😬

It's unusually snowy for the time of year, but plenty is still getting done, including the Entreves, Marbees, Pointe Lachenal, all of which are currently in easier condition than normal but also more serious in places - rocky mixed sections have been replaced by snow aretes.

Plenty is do-able without skis. Skis have not been necessary this past week to move around the Hmountains. Hot days and good overnight freezes have made underfoot conditions generally very good.

Rouges lifts have been closed, so not much going on up there, but Flegere opens this weekend (Brevent next weekend). Perrons snowier than usual but is getting climbed.

Big issue you might face this coming week is unsettled weather and unusually cold temps. Looks like a fair bit of snow is on its way and with cooler temps forecast this might be slow to settle / melt.

Hope you have a good trip!

All super helpful, thank you. 

BTW La Chamoniade warned us there are many cornices on the Aiguille Rouge routes. 

Weather is, indeed, a bit of a mess🤷‍♀️

I was on Marbrees on Thursday and a friend was on Cosmiques on Wedensday, they were in perfect condition. 

No issues getting across the glacier

We did the Marbrées today - still fab conditions.
Super busy and a bit chaotic with someone taking his mum up her first proper Alpine route. Well, she said she was grateful for about 10 climbers offering random advice and encouragement!