UKH

Just wondered if anyone is either over there now or just got back & knows what the current conditions are like.

Both rock routes & Alpine.

We are due to go out there a week Monday & currently it still looks like there is much more snow than previous years.

Cheers 

From what I've heard from people over there, snow is still deep. I believe it is improving but not sure how long it will take for mountain routes to open up. 

The alpine club does a great translation of the Chamoniarde report at this address:

http://www.alpine-club.org.uk/news/chamonix-conditions

I'm pretty sure rock routes will be okay but weather is also looking quite showery in the coming weeks. 

Thanks

That is what it looks like to me.... Hoping for a bit of a melt over the next week or so.

Cheers 

To be fair the new chamoniarde report is looking pretty good, trois monts and gout we have been opened up and apparently looking good so things might be getting better 

There has been a lot of late snow. Many Rock routes will have snow on them and have snow on their approaches. Good conditions for lots of Alpine routes, snow shoes are currently recommended for many of the approaches/descents but this might change before you arrive.

https://www.chamoniarde.com/en/mountain-topics/mountain-conditions#

Be careful out there

https://gripped.com/news/climbers-die-on-popular-alpine-route/

I just got back yesterday following a week out there. Only spent 2 days up high and repeated the popular routes i've done before.

There is a huge amount of snow at the moment. The Midi ridge is fat and there are good tracks to the Triangle, Point Lachenal, Cosmiques, Tacul etc.  Didn't see anyone heading down the valley to the rock/ice routes on the back of Point Lachenal/capucin etc on foot (lots out skiing though).  We found that despite there being alot of snow, its generally well consolidated and safe.

Didn't see any tracks on the Frendo, or all the way to the Plan du Midi, but the Mallory Porter has been done.

There were teams on the rock routes of the south face of the Midi and also on the Eperon, but there were still small snow patches that looked easy to cross.

Routes on the Triangle were doable - plenty on the Chere Couloir for example.

For reference as to how much snow - the whole of the initial gully to the first ab point on the Cosmiques was just snow - no rock at all. The "crux" pitch of the diagonal crack was almost completely covered in snow, so a simple step up - but make no mistake a lot of the snow parts are very exposed and limited in protection at this time.

We did notice that the snow on the Aiguille Rouge did diminish over the week, but the routes there are still pretty inaccessible.

The conditions were pretty much as described by the Chamoniarde so use that as your goto.

Finally, the Panoramic lift from the Midi to Helbronner was open and i'd imagine some of the routes close to Helbronner will be in similar condition, but a longer walk from the station - possibly not doable in a day....

In the last 10 days we've climbed Lachenel traverse, Migot Spur on Aiguille Chardonnet and just down from Whymper Couloir on Aiguille Verte. All in good condition, the soft snow is hard going when descending, we used snow shoes but plenty doing it without and they're arguably more of a pain than a benefit though we were thankful of them on descent from Whymper Couloir. Whymper Couloir was quite icy and the Martin Moran guide book suggestion of descending by 0930 hrs would be late at the moment, I'd suggest 8am at latest, and be quick.

Thanks all, some useful info.

I am keeping a good eye chamoniarde which, like you say look a lot better in the latest update.

Hope for a few more of the rock routes to open up over the next few days.

Cheers 

Hey everyone! I have just returned from Chamonix, I climbed Mont Blanc via normal route so I can share something about the current conditions. In a nutshell, there is a lot of snow! We arrived last weekend and the whole region received a heavy snowfall. Even Grand Couloir was entirely under snow, almost like in winter, which on the other hand was great because there were not that many rockfalls like when it is without snow. Glaciers around MB received a lot of snow too so crevasses became the least problem. I saw climbers taking shortcuts by simply sliding some parts around Tête-Rousse which you wouldn't normally see. I also think it is way much colder. When we were leaving Gouter early in the morning, we had to take our down jackets. When we were leaving the region on Thursday, it was already raining in lower altitude so I do not think snow will hold on for too long. 

Steve D of this parish is out there now, his social media feed tells me he's done the following as a pair:-

11th June - Crochues traverse. Someone asked about conditions -  "lots of snow, lac blanc is completely covered Crochues today was in really good condition and quiet"

12th "up to 3800m in the cable car then down on to the glacier du Geant, over to do the Lachenal traverse, then back across the glacier to the Laurence arete and a coke and pie in the hut before the slog back up the midi arete, making it to the last lift down with second to spare"

13th valley cragging rest day

14th "Today we attempted the Clocher-Clochton traverse but had to bail because the rain came on just as we were about to start the third climb."

16th "did the Entreve, a ridge on the Italian side of the mountain. Very spectacular, (fingers in Italy, thumbs in France).  Very busy as there were folk being tested for some Italian alpine club qualification. We managed to get past them by down climbing a section they were abseiling and got back to the Torino hut in time for a hot chocolate and tart"

I was climbing on the red pillar of blatiere this WE. Needed crampons for the approach. Rock dry and warm. Circa 5 teams out