In reply to Fatherof2:
Mines the 13:12 post mentioned...we didn't climb as there were avalanches going off everywhere possibly due to rain through the night and it being really warm.
The Shroud looked thin at the start and upper icefield very bare of neve, just black glacial ice for a solid 400 vertical meters. However it was climbed on 21st Sep by a British pair. Spoke to a couple of French guides who'd got on the Colton Macintyre and bailed at the top of the first icefield.
Overall the face was absolutely plastered in powder 2 days ago and since then it's rained continously in Chamonix, assuming it's snow high up.
Opinion of the guides we met was that the face won't come into condition this season, as the first big dump of snow was too late and the rock had already cooled down. Apparently now it's too cold for good conditions to build and that's it for the season.
