Mountain conditions update

A great deal of movement in the next few days: quite sunny and warm, with cloud build up on the slopes due to stagnant moist air at the lower levels.  Up to today, still some overnight freezing at the higher levels but it quickly warms up.  From tomorrow there will be a weak depression moving across the Alps, with an increase in instability and occasional heavy showers.  Mont Blanc: Tour Ronde has good conditions for the normal route, all with hard and compacted snow, various ropeways on the North and the Gervasutti channel.  Some abseil bolts have been fitted to the normal route.  Rock climbs at the Satelliti are by now all clear, Dente del Gigante all dry, good track at the Gengiva and the ridge of Rochefort.  Gran Paradiso: always very crowded, the glacier is in good condition and, for the moment, the end is easy enough to cross; the route on the rocks for the Madonnina is, as always, made delicate by the steady stream of climbers - expect waiting times.  The entire ridge from Montadayné col was crossed a couple of days ago, with excellent snow conditions and clear rocks, some rope parties also left from Rifugio Chabod to cross the North ridge; the Laveciau glacier is fairly much closed, delicate crevasses and razor sharp ridge.  Monte Rosa: ropeway on all the classic routes - Parrot, Zumstein, Castore, Polluce, Capanna Margherita, and also the Breithorn peaks have been traversed, all with weight-bearing snow.

Some feedback on the situation during this period of generally sunny weather with a considerable amount of activity at the higher levels.  Monte Rosa: excellent general conditions at the glaciers, with some accumulations of snow; the Breithorn and Castore have been climbed, and also the Lyskamm crossing has been marked out, all with snow in good conditions. The Matterhorn has still not been climbed due to the heavy snow; good conditions at Punta Cian, Gran Paradiso, various roped ways on the itineraries of the normal path, nothing out of the ordinary.  Mont Blanc: the Tour Ronde, south-east ridge,  has been climbed, descent on the normal route, good trail to the Gengiva, Dente del Gigante clear, good trail to the Cresta di Rochefort.  Monzino sector: the Eccles have been marked, the Innominata al Bianco was climbed yesterday, all marked out but still not clear, descent on the Gouter; Punta Innominata still not entirely clear but drying quickly, the Cresta di Brouillard has still not been climbed.  Borelli sector: Aiguille Noire still not very clear from halfway up, and not climbed yet.  Dalmazzi sector: all the rock climbs are clean and in the right conditions.