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Les Daiblerets and Chamonix at the end of May

post #1 of 12
4/5/12 at 12:51pm
Thread Starter 

I have an opportunity at the end of May to travel for work to Les Diablerets for a few days and after that I can get a couple of extra days there or in Chamonix.  Is there any snow and/or lift accessed skiing left at this time of the year?  Is there anything good accessible with AT gear?  Does it make sense to lug the gear all the way from the US?  

 

I am generally a pretty strong skier, but no superhero (i.e. Cunnigham coulior would not be the first thing I would run to).  Some AT experience, but I tend to stay at the resort as much as I can. 

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post #2 of 12
4/7/12 at 5:24pm

I loved your TR last season when you went to Europe.  Can only imagine how much fun you'll have on this adventure!

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post #3 of 12
4/11/12 at 2:57am

Les Diablerets has a glacier, so you can probably get some skiing in late May. Winter is still sticking around those parts, so it might keep snowing for a while. So, you might find some decent skiing at the top of the mountain still in late May.

 

If I were in your shoes, I'd bring the soft goods and just rent some skis if the snow is still decent.

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post #4 of 12
4/17/12 at 6:27am

Just picked this up, conditions are currently........ermmm emense! Never seen anything quite like it here in the last 13 years. This season is one that make's Chamonix the ledgend that it is, amost everything (within which there is most out of my cabability) has been and still is in perfect condition. Of course that changes day to day aspect to aspect. The high mountain promises to be in condition until Early June, often the case but this year many tight spots will be filled and more accessable. Guides and locals a must, but this IS the year to dip into that rainy day budget and have the once in a lifetime-full on Chamonix Experience. 

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post #5 of 12
4/19/12 at 11:27am

Send Idris a PM.  He's a really nice guy. but he might scare the %*$# out of you?

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post #6 of 12
4/19/12 at 12:25pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks guys!  I will look into this, (and SZK thanks for off-line follow-up).  Looks like it is something that may be worth lugging skis and skins from the US (I'd want to have my own gear if I get into this).  I think I have fairly decent skills for a recreational skier, but since I am not a pro and have young children, I would not want to ski strict no-fall zones...   Idris's trip reports do often scare the sh&t out of me, and I ski at Squaw, so my tolerance for scary stuff is probably quite a bit higher than of an average US skier.  But the falls at Squaw are not nearly as long as they look in Chamonix. 

 

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post #7 of 12
4/20/12 at 1:20am

It's absolutely epic, still dumping, has been for the last week and due to continue, unreal 2012 is the ONE!

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post #8 of 12
4/20/12 at 10:38am
Thread Starter 

Cool, hope it stays that way for one more month!

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post #9 of 12
5/17/12 at 10:15am
Thread Starter 
How does it look now?
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post #10 of 12
5/17/12 at 7:00pm

I am not on location, but above Chamonix it looks like this: http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/fr/webcams

 

Currently, in pictures 5 & 6 in that series there is much less snow at Les Grands Montets since I was there 12 days ago (see http://www.epicski.com/t/112349/1-day-solo-at-chamonix-les-grands-montets-may-5-2012).

 

It does look like there might be some skiing off Aiguille du Midi (second to last picture), though the bottom of la Mer de Glace seems very bad, like you would have to walk out a long way (picture 15, labeled Grotte de Glace). I am not a local and have not done the Mer de Glace, so maybe my impression is wrong. Perhaps some of the steeper lines from the top would be good, though you would presumably need to hike a good distance from the end of the snow back down to the valley.

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post #11 of 12
5/18/12 at 12:19am
Thread Starter 

Just looked at the cams.  Am I right that Aiguille du Midi looks stormy or this is just a webcam issue?  

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post #12 of 12
5/18/12 at 4:05am

Not a webcam issue. Top of tram is often in the clouds, though it is not necessarily stormy. If the winds are too high the tram will close. You can see the current status in English at http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/en

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