The ropes and other safety equipment on the Aiguille du Midi ridge have been removed. The ridge gives access to the Vallee Blanche off piste as well as many other routes in the Mont-Blanc range such as the 3 Mont Blancs route to the summit of Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest summit.
Photo: Tom Rune
Snow conditions have degraded rapidly over the last couple of weeks. The bottom of the Vallee Blanche is a mixture of rock, ice and old snow. The exceptionally warm weather has weakened snow bridges and routes in the area now require a good technical experience of high mountain conditions. The removal of the ropes won’t prevent serious alpinists from the descending the ridge but will discourage novices. The Requin mountain refuge is also closed until the summer.
source: http://www.kairn.com/montagne/news.html#n53541