Hi all,

me and my friends are thinking about trying the HR (probably the classic variation) next week. How are the conditions? I am aware that it is a late in the season, but I also read that it isn’t uncommon (A LOT of bootpacking in the green).
Any thoughts? :)
thx

Reports on the official Switzerland snow website back in April were that it wasn’t a very big snowpack in that part of Switzerland compared with historical average. So could be more walking than usual, and perhaps the crevasses not as well-bridged as some years (? greater risk of punching thru ?)

Hate to bring up another detail in the context of this grand plan, but have you checked the weather forecast for next week?

If it were me, I’d be thinking more about hiking + climbing in the Calanques, bicycling down by the Mediterranean coast—maybe hoping for a 2-3 day favorable window to catch a section of the HR - (or a section of one of the 30 to 40 other worthwhile multi-day ski routes in the Alps that might get better weather?).

Since there’s not much skiing on the HR—mostly a “view” tour—I don’t see much point in doing it following a GPS in the fog—and not seeing most of the views.

If you can get some airline tickets to California, the Sierra mountains there have some nice multi-day ski traverses (and base camps and single-day tours + rock climbing / bouldering)—and the weather models for Sierras are showing stable weather for next week.

Ken

Hi

I was on the Haute Route via Verbier variation with a group last week. The Vignettes was closing last Thursday, and so you should also check on the Chanrion too.

Conditions were VERY warm and soggy below 2500m. Col de Tour was just about passable, but I would guess it has deteriorated a great deal since then. Snow ran out at the Relais in the Val d’Arpette and the taxi can get up to there. We stopped at the Vignettes but a group coming from Zermatt told me the snow ran out at the flats before Zmutt.

Good luck!

ANDY P

Currently the forecast is bad weather to Saturday. Keep an eye on MetaSkirando: http://metaskirando.free.fr/ for some beta on conditions. The SNGM (French Guides Website) may have some information on the Mont-Blanc area. There has been a lot of snow at altitude. Some people do seem to have found great snow and sun between the generally humid weather but we seem to be suffering a very unstable start to May weather wise.

After all the precipitation we’ve been having and the temperature I suspect the snow depths above 2500m should be on the up! We had planned to go touring last week and cancelled because of the weather. This weeks looks bad too, now were’re waiting to see what happens next week. If we do manage to get out we’ll be going higher than the HR.

Thanks all, especially for the link (hopefully google will translate some reports).

ad California: hm, maybe one year I will have enough money and the US will drop their ridiculous rules for travel visas ...

ad weather: the forecast will maybe change so no last word is spoken :P
If not better luck next year.

The HR is one of several options we consider. Last year there was quite enough snow but not his one ...

You may be better looking at something further south like Briancon -> Nice as the border region with Italy has had a lot of snow and the weather looks slightly better down that way.... still I seem to recall a group Ken was with got snowed in on that route (I think Ken told me he went to ski elsewhere before getting stuck).