haute route in a bad snow season
A small group of us are planning on doing the classic Chamonix-Zermatt tour in the last week of March - but are keen to understand better the implications of this season’s very poor snow record on the route.

Given that none of us have toured high mountains on glaciers before, we would be most grateful for any insights on the matter. For example, there have been a number of reports of many crevasses remaining open with not enough new snow to create the requisite snow bridges. Also, will previous poor quality snow layers create an unusually high level of avalanche risk?

Whilst we have all been training hard and and would be deeply disappointed to miss the trip this season, it would be better to understand now the safety implications of this year’s rather unusual snow conditions. We will obviously be discusing the matter with our guide - but some wider advice would also be realy helpful.

Many thanks!

I was told the Vallee Blanche was quite open a couple of week’s ago. With about 50cm of snow a lot of crevasses will only be weakly bridged. This news might give pause for thought:

A high mountain guide fell to his death on Wednesday in the Mont-Blanc range. The man, aged 30 and part of the Chamonix guides company fell into a crevasses at 3400 meters altitude on the Vallée blanche.

-- The guide is Maxime Belleville, who worked for Black Crows developing telemark skis: http://jmc-crew.com/MaxBelleville/

The OHM in Chamonix gives some detailed information about conditions

http://www.ohm-chamonix.com/info-montagne-ohm-conditions-montagne-1100000.html

Care is needed on glaciers as snow bridges are fragile and crevasses are just covered on the lower sections of glaciers

The end of March is still a way off though. If the snow keeps coming at the current rate then things could evolve in a slow but positive way. Keep an eye on the OHM website and, bar some big snowfalls, the avalanche risk should be less important by then too… although can be significant at altitude, even late in the season, especially given some of the long days and late finishes on teh HR.

Max’s funeral was in Argentiere this afternoon all very sad, but a huge turnout. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

chas - 23 February 2011 10:42 AM

We will obviously be discusing the matter with our guide - but some wider advice would also be realy helpful.

I’d certainly discuss it with your guide… I am not an expert ski tourer by any means, and I haven’t done the HR, but in true internet discussion style I’ll give you my uninformed view anyway If it were me I’d want to do something epic like the HR in the best possible conditions (within reason), firstly because it would hopefully be safer and maybe easier but also because I’d want to get the most out of it - it would be shame to slog up a col and not get the maximum number of turn out of it on the other side for example.

From looking at the recent weather reports and from 2 trips in Feb (La Clusaz, FR and then the Ski Amade area near Salzburg, AT) I’d say that it looks like Austria has had a more normal season in terms of snowfall, so maybe you could discuss with your guide the option of doing something out there? [as an aside I’m currently negotiating with the boss to head out to the Silvretta in April]. The Otztal or Silvretta are not as big a “tick” as the HR, but I gather they are excellent areas for touring. Personally I confess I am tempted by the huts with hot showers and full bar service. [note the lack of smiley, I’m completely serious!]

If you are part of a larger group or your travel plans are fixed then I would not be too worried, if you are going with a guide who knows the area and knows his or her stuff I’m sure you will have a safe and enjoyable trip - this is one of th big benefits of going with a guide afterall.

Has anyone got an update on the HR conditions since Feb please? Heading out first week in April.
Cheers
Jim

These guys did it in the direction: Zermatt -> Chamonix on the 9th March 2011

http://www.camptocamp.org/outings/264036/fr/haute-route-chamonix-zermatt-haute-route-zermatt-chamonix-sens-e-w

they don’t seem to have encountered any major difficulties apart from following some dead-ends.

According the the Chamonix OHM Mont Blanc ski routes are practicable but those that are heavily crevassed need a good technique to negotiate often narrow passages between crevasses. Rimayes can be quite open requiring knowledge of where to cross.

davidof - 14 March 2011 04:00 PM

Rimayes can be quite open requiring knowledge of where to cross.

Rimaye is French for Bergschrund, n’est pas?

ah yes indeed, what do we call it in English? Schrund?

Cheers, canny website the OHM, not used it before.
Thanks
Also looking for transport from Tasch to Argentiere when we finish,
Any ideas?

Train, via Martigny?

Sorry, should have mentioned we are on a budget, looking for cheap transport folk have used?
Cheers

Latest Info I have on the Haute Route

According to the refuge gardiens the conditions are not the best with crevasses open at the moment.

Some info on timings:-

Descent of the Chardonnet is still okay.
Descent of the Grande Lui should be completed before 13h00 (depending on sun)
Descent to Bourg st Pierre, There is an hour of walk after the dam to rejoin the village, the climb to Valsorey can be done on skis on the left bank, in trainers on the right bank for 1 hour.
Climb to the Plateau du couloir should be completed in the morning
Climb to Mont Bruler to be done before the start of the afternoon and the descent of the glacier to Zermatt is ok if there is good visibility, the open crevasses are fairly obvious from above.

Many thanks Davidof, we are doing the Verbier route, the last day seems to be the clincher re crevasses and visability.
Mont Fort to Dix looks a long day too.
Cheers
Jim

davidof - 28 March 2011 03:36 PM

Latest Info I have on the Haute Route

Davidof,

Any more news on the Haute Route?
We are supposed to start the tour on Saturday 9 April and any news would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Not much apart from the fact that on the 2nd of April in the year of our lord 2011 (as they say) a team of Alain and Jean François Premat with Sébastien Baud (all members of the Morzine section of the French Alpine Club (CAF) broke last year’s record for the Chamonix Zermatt Haute Route established by Yann Gachet and Laurent Fabre in a time of 20h28. The time to beat is now 18h 50 minutes et 29 secondes from the church in Chamonix to the church in Zermatt, on foot and on touring skis.

Ufff, so the time to beat is 18h now ... khmm, just about the same as we have planned - for each day trip

Thanks!

Boris