What Can Climbers Do To Preserve The High Alpine Environment?
Mountaineering itself is a celebration of nature, but when practiced by tens of thousands climbers every summer it will inevitable cause progressive damage to the local environment. Summer alpinism is slightly controlled by the system of huts, cable cars and helicopter rescue that provides the means for the modern way of mountaineering, but it does not ensure that the environmental impact of the visitors is minimal. It is very much in the self-interest of alpinists to save our shrinking glaciers and ensure that regulation of mountaineering stays minimal in the Alps.
How To Dress For Summer Alpine Mountaineering
Having the right clothes significantly increases your comfort and also your chances for success when alpine climbing. Weather conditions and temperatures changes extremely quickly in the Alps summertime. You need to be able to stay dry and maintain the right degree of warmth from morning till the afternoon, without bringing your whole wardrobe in your backpack.
The dress code of summer mountaineering with examples of items and brands…
Great Conditions For Motivated Skiers (week 19 & 20)
Until the 16th of may snow kept falling above 2000m every afternoon in Chamonix and we enjoyed the powder skiing off Aiguille du Midi. Often the powder was waist deep and most days only a few people were up there.
Once it stopped snowing the Mont Blanc massif got hammered with strong winds followed by more normal end-of-May temperatures. We skied some great lines in the Cirque Maudit and then ended the ski season with a successful ski descent of Dômes de Miage north face. A great ski for the motivated and advanced ski mountaineer.
Off-piste Powder Skiing In May (week 18)
It has been raining heavily in most parts of central Europe for the last 10 days, hence it has not been much else for us to do than to enjoy ourselves above the rain-snow limit. Powder skiing is now as good as it has been any week this winter in Chamonix!
The high mountains have accumulated large amounts of snow that stick to the steep faces, making the mountains look even whiter than in winter. Watch the scenery of the north faces in the Argenitere basin on the 8th of May. Seldom does the Triolet look that white…
End Of Season Ski Touring In Chamonix
After the Easter holidays Chamonix gets quiet. The town is now all green and flowery, snow is settling on the high mountain faces, and barbecues are held everywhere (even on Mer de Glace!). We have been busy ski touring and ski mountaineering around Chamonix, escaping the pollen invasion by staying in the mountains, but occasionally coming down to attend a barbecue or two… This is holiday times for us in Chamonix, and we will keep on skiing as long as the snow is there (probably another 3 weeks).
How To Learn Alpine Climbing
What is alpine climbing all about and how do you attack and proceed in this activity?
Climbing peaks and routes in the high mountains demands careful preparation and a certain amount of experience. Only by stepping up slowly, choosing the right objectives and acquiring the adequate skills before, this adventurous sport becomes safe and highly enjoyable.
Below is an introduction and explanation to what we call alpine climbing and how we usually approach it, an informative complement to our Alpine Climbing Courses page.
Ski Touring Above The Arctic Circle
Every year in April Mountain Spirit Guides spend a few weeks ski touring in the Lyngen Alps in northern Norway. We love the calm solitude and unexploated nature where you climb peaks surrounded by the sea on all sides. There are no lifts, we reach all the summits we want to ski by skinning or climbing on foot. The spring in northern Norway usually offers excellent snow conditions, nice weather, and frequent chance to admire the mystic beauty of Northern Lights at night. It is a very unique location for ski mountaineering.
Easter Powder Skiing – Steep & Deep! (week 13)
Waking up on the 1st of April the spring-green Chamonix town had turned into a proper winter-white ski town, and it kept dumping all day long. 50cm on 3000m, rain-snow limit on 800m. The best April fool’s joke ever! We dived into the fresh snow, head over heals in the white-out.
From that point onwards there is only deep powder skiing and an abundance of fresh snow to be reported. However the weather has been very changable and avalanche danger obviously very high at times.
Spring Conditions In Chamonix (week 11 & 12)
Spring definitively established itself in Chamonix during week 11. The snow on mountain south faces got heavy and started its transformation into corn/slushy snow. North facing slopes up high remained powdery though, and the ski touring in Chamonix has offered many excellent descents. The end of March is now bringing some heavy snowfalls and the return of powder skiing conditions off the lifts.
How Hard Is It To Climb Mt Blanc?
We often get the following question before people book a guided Mont Blanc ascent with us:
- How hard is it?
- How much preparation and acclimatization do I need?
- How do I train for climbing Mt Blanc?
This is what you can expect from a week of mountaineering in Chamonix including the ascent of Mt Blanc…
Ski Tours in Les Aiguilles Rouges
Featuring some popular ski tours in Les Aiguilles Rouges in Chamonix – More precise from the Index chair lift in Flegère, over various mountain passes, and skiing down Vallon de Bérarde to the train station in Le Buet. Described here are a few classics, but there are many more routes and variations to ski in this mountain range.
We like these ski tours because you hike up on south faces and ski north faces. This often means enjoying the sun on the way up and skiing cold powder on the way down until late spring.
Biggest Storm of The Winter! (week 7 & 8)
As usual there has been a great deal of good off-piste skiing in Chamonix the last 2 weeks. After a long time of cold temperatures and light snow we got warm and unstable weather during week 8. Just when the winter fleeces were about to be stached away we got hit by the biggest storm of the year on the 26th of Feb – it just would not stop snowing! Warm and variable weather with regular snow falls and strong winds seams to follow in the footsteps of the big dump… keeping powder skiing on its peak and avalanche danger high.
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