Snow report Chamonix, 01/04/2020

Snow condition

Significantly better than in the northern Aiguilles Rouges. There is enough snow in the Flegere ski area to ski off-piste. There is plenty of snow from 1500m and from 2000m there is enough to ski sensibly. Couloir was well filled with snow from the start at about 2750m. The middle rock could be bypassed easily without abseiling. Up to le Buet at 1300m you can get down well, towards the bottom a few stones and branches come through as it is already very rutted. For early January over 1500m pretty good conditions actually.

Snow quality

Grippy, compact and set powder. Good conditions for steeper stuff. At this altitude and exposure, no ice or melt and wind crust on the north side like 2 days before (see report), even in the long basin in the direction of le Buet, the conditions are still quite good, as it is protected from the sun. Through the woods to Buet it's icier because it's been run out.

Pretty sure. Have not been able to detect any new loads, if so then these are well melted into the snow surface, which is otherwise also strongly marked by wind and skiers, possibly it looks different in the even higher steep terrain. except for an old snow-covered wet snow or ground avalanche into the valley of the Eau de Berard no sightings. I would confirm the rather relaxed 2 from meteofrance. We were back at the train station in Buet by 2 p.m. and thus avoided the warming on the south and west-facing ascents.

Overall impression

Good conditions in the higher north-facing areas around Chamonix. There was a lot going on today in the traverse from Flegere to Pointe Alphonse, but we were the only ones in the couloir. Glacier du Mort also went quite well, only the couloir north of Col du Belvedere looked very poor in snow and not so much fun.