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Heatwave - bad time to be in the Alps?

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 humptydumpty 20 Jul 2015

Saw the thread about Mont Blanc hut closures (http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=620639)... is this a bad Summer to be in the Alps in general? I guess high temps could mean more rockfall and avalanches. Is it likely to improve in the next few weeks?
Post edited at 09:18
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In reply to humptydumpty:

It really depends on what you're after. I've been climbing normally, just wearing a t-shirt or going without it where I'd normally wear more than one layer. Any ice route or glacier route is obviously more at risk. But for rock routes that need to be totally free from snow anyway it may be as good as any other year.
 James Rushforth Global Crag Moderator 20 Jul 2015
In reply to humptydumpty:

Come to the Dolomites and climb on the north faces, I've never seen such good weather...
OP humptydumpty 20 Jul 2015
In reply to Nicola Ciancaglini:

> Any ice route or glacier route is obviously more at risk. But for rock routes that need to be totally free from snow anyway it may be as good as any other year.

I was thinking of doing some AD/PD mountaineering around Zermatt/Monte Rosa.
 jon 20 Jul 2015
In reply to humptydumpty:

Beware, very hot summers are just the time when huge rock falls occur due to glacial shrinkage/disappearance of permafrost 'cementing'.
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 Derry 20 Jul 2015
In reply to humptydumpty:

Just emailed my mate living in Chamonix and yes, he has said lots of routes have been closed. A death on Mont Blanc from rockfall so I would imagine things have ceased for a while, if not the rest of summer. When I was there 3 weeks ago it was 2° at 4000m. Not ideal.
OP humptydumpty 20 Jul 2015
In reply to Derry:

Definitely doesn't sound ideal. Have there been years like this before? I wonder if cold weather in the next few weeks will improve matters much.
pchaggar 20 Jul 2015
In reply to humptydumpty:

I'm just back from 2 weeks in the Alps and it is hotter than I ever remember, especially at night where the freeze level doesn't seem to have been below the summits for weeks. Nevertheless, we did still get plenty of stuff climbed including:

Traverse of Crochues, Chamonix
Aiguille de Cabane (behind the the Argentiere Hut, Chamonix)
South Ridge of Lagginhorn, Saas Grund
Rotgrat on the Alphubel, Taschalp
Bishorn normal route, Zinal (attempted North ridge of Weisshorn but had to turn around as partner unwell)
West ridge of Dent de Tsalion, Arolla
Aiguille de la Tsa, Arolla

We wanted to do things like the Forbes Arete, Whimper Coulouir and NE face Lenzsptize but decided against these due to the snow conditions. As you can see, we still got plenty done as we tailored our route choices to more rocky routes.

So, although the weather is very warm, there's still plenty to do if you pick the right routes.
 Doug 20 Jul 2015
In reply to humptydumpty:

Won't be in the Alps for another couple of weeks but suspect 2003 was similar
 Gav Parker 20 Jul 2015
In reply to pchaggar:

How was the Rotgrat?
 Gone 20 Jul 2015
In reply to James Rushforth:

> Come to the Dolomites and climb on the north faces, I've never seen such good weather...

Really? We were up on VF Marino Bianchi yesterday and saw an avalanche a way below us by a glacier in the middle of nowhere. Now I don't know the area well, so maybe it is perpetually unstable round there, but that combined with a thunderstorm warning for midday-2pm every day for the next week or so has made us a bit nervous of going high.
 bonebag 20 Jul 2015
In reply to humptydumpty:

Just got back from two weeks in the Dolomites. Just one stormy day in the first week and and two stormy evenings after about 7pm last week. Out ten days of the two weeks and would have been out more if not for wanting rest days.

Like James Rushforth says not been so good for a while. The heat was a bit draining though until high in the mountains.
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pchaggar 21 Jul 2015
In reply to Gav Parker:

In mt opinion, the Rotgrat is not a great route as it is so loose for the majority of it and I spent most of the time worrying the entire ridge was about to disintegrate around me. The final tower is more solid but you still have to be very careful as there are some very large, loose blocks. You have to cover a lot of loose ground (>1000m) to get a few pitches of decent rock and its just not worth it. There are many other great AD ridges that are no where near as loose and place you in much more spectacular positions (eg. N ridge Weissmebiss, S ridge Dent Blanche...).
 jcw 21 Jul 2015
In reply to pchaggar:

As I've said before, I call it the Grotgrat. Jon suggested Rotgrot. Whichever, not to be recommended.
 bogpetre 08 Aug 2015
In reply to humptydumpty:

Any idea how these conditions foreshadow what things will be like this fall? I'm heading out in mid September and would like to get on some alpine ice routes if possible. If things freeze back into place, should I hold out hope for the ice routes to otherwise be climbable, or are they basically done for the season? I was especially interested in something like the Chere couloir.
 Phil1919 09 Aug 2015
In reply to bogpetre:

or are they basically done for the season?


I think they will soon be done for ever won't they?
 wbo 09 Aug 2015
In reply to pchagger: w ridge of Tsalion linked into the Aiguille de la Tsa looks good - is that what you did? How did you descrnd, and how was that?

pchaggar 14 Aug 2015
In reply to wbo:

Yes, I linked the West ridge with the Tsa and it was a fantastic day. We walked up to the Tsa Hut then did the routes the next day, setting off at 5 am.

We climbed on a 30m single rope and had 30m 6mm cord for the abseils off the Tsa - I think we managed this in 2 abseils, after down climbing the top 6m.

From the base of the Tsa we returned via the Bertol hut. It is a long way down but we managed to get to the valley 10hrs after leaving the hut. There is a quicker descent going directly down from the Col de la Tsa but this was really steep and soft when we were there so walked round to the Bertol.

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