Winter Alpinism: Snow, Ice and Mixed Climbing.
Winter Is the New Summer!
Alpine climbing in winter is becoming a lot more accessible than it used to be. With the warmer winters you could argue that "...winter is the new summer.."!
It certainly makes sense for people who are interested in snow or ice routes on the high peaks of the Alps to come when the ice is frozen and the weather is often settled for long periods of time.
What and When
During the months of February, March and April the days are getting longer and it's warm in the sun, so a perfect time to climb. There is a wide range of objectives from shorter climbs such as the Cosmiques Arete, Chere Couloir and the Petite Aiguille Verte, to longer couloirs on Mont Blanc du Tacul, the Aiguille du Midi or in the Argentiere Basin, and even some of the North Faces, large and small.
Climbing on the Aiguille du Midi in February
Approaching Climbs
Some routes can even be approached on foot if the snow is not too deep and they aren't too remote, but often we use snowshoes or skis to get to climbs. Many climbs can be descended by abseil so we can leave the approach gear at the bottom for the trip back at the end of the day.
Who is this suitable for?
This is suitable for people who enjoy ice, snow or mixed climbing. You need to have had some experience of climbing winter routes in Britain or elsewhere. The more experience you have, the more routes there are that will be suitable for you to climb. It is an advantage if you have some previous experience of high Alpine climbing but this is not essential.
It helps if you can ski,but this is not essential either. Snowshoeing requires no previous experience to do it perfectly!
If you are not sure give us a ring.
Accommodation
We can do many climbs from the valley, using cable cars, or from a bivouac close to a lift station. We can also use mountain huts. In the winter and spring some huts are open, but most have a "winter room" which provide basic shelter.
Gear wise - you probably need a bit warmer kit than you'd carry in summer (warm boots and a down jacket) but otherwise nothing too different.
Weather and snow conditions play an important part as we need stable weather and low avalanche risk, which, although this can be common in winter, you need to be prepared for other options if the weather isn't right for the high mountains - so skiing, snowshoeing, avalanche training, crevasse rescue and even rock climbing are all possibles.
So, if you fancy a winter adventure in the high mountain then this could be for you!
