UKC

I asked on another thread if these were still open, but there was no answer.
I googled a bit and found:
'In addition, the old gondola, the old stairs and the old ladders have been demolished or are closed by municipal decree. In the long run, nothing will remain of these developments, since their removal had been one of the conditions set by the Sites Commission when the project for the renewal of the Montenvers was presented to it.'

So what has happened to the ladders down to the glacier?

Be a shame if the glacier ladders have gone. An object lesson in focus, and don't let go....

You can still go up to the couvercle hut for a steeper version of the same thing. 

Quite clearly, they have been removed.

I don't think that's clear at all from the official quote.

"have been demolished or are closed by municipal decree"

Demolished is only one of two options. Based on that, they could also just be "closed", which might still leave them accessible to a climber who's not too fussed about their official status.

In fact, the part about "In the long run, nothing will remain of these developments" actively suggests that at the time of the quote, something does remain.

I don't know anything about them. Maybe you do and they are in fact entirely removed, but it doesn't seem like a silly question to me based on the quote shared.

Gone or not, what is the method for getting to the glacier for access up the glacier this summer?

Are you expected to take the new lift, or some other dodgy track down near there?

I've avoided the area for the last few years since all that construction began, but am keen to get back.

despite being up there quite a bit this winter I can't answer your question.  Of course the "ladders" that climbers use to get down to the glacier in summer from Montenvers are completely snowed up now so are never used in winter anyway.  What will happen in the summer I dont know.  There are quite a few rock climbs up the slabs near the ladders.  I can't believe those will be off limits.  There will also be the problem of alpinists turning up outside the lift opening hours and wanting to get up or down.  Why dont you ask Chamoniarde?

Immortal thread, because of this one insight:

"stepping on to the ice from the train station was only ever going to be a possibility in a tiny moment of human civilisation either way."

Maybe also because rack and pinion trains to random bits of mountains haven´t actually been around that long during the few thousand years of human civilisation?

As I understand it the ladders are closed because of landslip and insecure morraine, in particular boulders hanging above the ladders. The intention is to remove them. An alternative path was created down to the glacier two summers ago, this may have altered since then. I do remember being able to get the lift back up from the glacier for free which was a bonus...

If they are going I'm glad to have had the chance to use them. A great day out and rather opposite to my work environment (construction) where use of ladders has all but stopped.I showed the pics to a few work colleagues who struggled to believe the ladders actually existed as a route.

I remember there was a thick fixed rope next to one of the ladder sections where you could lower/dangle as the mood took you. 

Yes, the ropes made a fun alternative.

    I remember coming back to the ladders and discovering an entire coach load of Japanese tourists following their umbrella wielding leader coming down the ladders and ropes causing all sorts of chaos. I was amazed to see them there but also impressed at how they all seemed to take the journey into their stride.