Risk of avalanches in the Alps this summer
Following the drama on Mont Blanc last weekend brought about by continued bad weather conditions, rescue services are warning climbers and alpinists to steer clear of high mountain itineraries until conditions stabilise.
Whilst much of Europe seems to have been stuck in a depression for weeks on end now, summer 2007 is surely going to go down in history as one of the coldest on record. Currently above 3000m, you would be forgiven for thinking that Christmas was just around the corner! Last week in the Mont Blanc region alone, nearly 70cms of new snow fell around 4000m and another 30-40cms has come down since Sunday. As a result, all this new snow is creating a very unstable snow pack at altitude and many of the rescue call outs in recent days have been resulting from avalanches rather than rockfalls.
Areas that have been particularly prone to slides recently are the more popular high-alpine routes on Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc du Tacul is particularly prone to slab avalanches just now, as has been the case for some time. Last month on www.chamonet.com, we reported on an accident that occurred on 17th June, claiming two lives including that of the Swiss guide. His body has still not been recovered and is currently buried under 8m of snow.
It's not just holiday makers that are finding the grim weather conditions frustrating; local rescue services have also had a tough time of it in recent weeks. Apart from an increased number of call outs from alpinists in trouble, when the weather does clear, rescuers have to wait until snow conditions stabilise sufficiently in order to carry out detailed searches. Swiftly changing weather patterns have also caught many people out, with bad weather fronts closing in on what had otherwise been forecast to be a fine day.
Conditions look to be improving somewhat towards the end of the week and over the weekend, with a welcome return of the sunshine and more appropriate temperatures for this time of year. However, we may also experience Föhn wind in parts of the Alps early next week, which will further destabilise high alpine conditions.
As always in the mountains, the key is to being prepared for all eventualities whatever the forecast. Always check the very latest weather conditions with the local Mountain Guides Office or the Tourist Office before setting out and be sure that your chosen itinerary is well within the limits of everyone in your group. Once en route, do not hesitate to turn back if things take a turn for the worse. No summit is worth risking your life for…….you can always try again another day.
