Chalet 1802 - Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

With the fantastic skiing we’ve had this season, and with 6.15m base still at the top of the Montets let’s take a look at La Nina - the weather phenomenom we’ve been experiencing this winter.

Global temperatures will drop slightly this year as a result of the cooling effect of the La Nina current in the Pacific, UN meteorologists have said.

It has contributed to torrential rains in Australia and to some of the coldest temperatures in memory in snow-bound parts of China.

Mr Jarraud said that the effect was likely to continue into the summer, depressing temperatures globally by a fraction of a degree.

This would mean that temperatures have not risen globally since 1998 when El Nino warmed the world.

A minority of scientists question whether this means global warming has peaked and argue the Earth has proved more resilient to greenhouse gases than predicted.

But Mr Jarraud insisted this was not the case and noted that 2008 temperatures would still be well above average for the century.

“When you look at climate change you should not look at any particular year,” he said. “You should look at trends over a pretty long period and the trend of temperature globally is still very much indicative of warming.

“La Nina is part of what we call ‘variability’. There has always been and there will always be cooler and warmer years, but what is important for climate change is that the trend is up; the climate on average is warming even if there is a temporary cooling because of La Nina.”

Adam Scaife, lead scientist for Modelling Climate Variability at the Hadley Centre in Exeter, UK, said their best estimate for 2008 was about 0.4C above the 1961-1990 average, and higher than this if you compared it with further back in the 20th Century.

“What’s happened now is that La Nina has come along and depressed temperatures slightly but these changes are very small compared to the long-term climate change signal, and in a few years time we are confident that the current record temperature of 1998 will be beaten when the La Nina has ended.”

Each week The Daily Telegraph highlights the top ski resort for the best current snow conditions, chosen by the Ski Club of Great Britain. This week: Argentière, France.

The resort

Argentière lies in the Chamonix valley below Mont Blanc, surrounded by impressive glacial scenery. It is around 90 minutes from Geneva, and the Grand Montets ski area offers great off-piste skiing and runs suitable for advanced or intermediate skiers.

The snow

It definitely does not feel like spring in Argentière at the moment with heavy snow falling this week. There are great powder conditions all around the resort; the weather looks mixed for next week.

The other skiers

The slopes are fairly quiet at the moment, although with the excellent end of season conditions more people are expected to hit the slopes over the next few weeks. The slopes seem to be a mixture of locals and keen overseas skiers and snowboarders.

Glaciers are melting at a faster rate than at any time since records began, reports The Observer. Scientists from the World Glacier Monitoring Service, which tracks 30 glaciers in nine mountain ranges, estimate that from 1850 to 1970, glaciers were shrinking at a net average rate of 30cm a year. Between 1970 and 2000 losses rose to 60-90cm a year. Since then the average has been more than 1m a year - and last year saw the biggest losses yet of 1.3m.

Worldwide glaciers are receding at least as fast as those in this sample with potentially disastrous consequences for local communities. In the short term, there are likely to be more floods; in the long term, rivers will dry up, leading to acute water shortages.

There have been a number of deaths this year on the Vallee Blanche, as well as a few lucky escapes. The PGHM (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute-Montagne) published the following article in response to the recent fatalities on the Vallee Blanche:

The Vallee Blanche is not a ski piste

Thursday 13th of March, 2008. We’ve just done our 14th crevasse rescue and our second fatality this year after a fall of 30 meters. We don’t repeat this often enough but skiing on a glacier requires certain precautions and a knowledge of the terrain.

You are probably thinking “Just 14 crevasse rescues this year.” But that is just the tip of the ice-berg because a good number of people who are not injured are rescued by their mates, properly equipped witnesses and above all high mountain guides who work regularly in the Mont Blanc range. With the exception of four incidents all of our rescues were on the Vallée Blanche.

Reality is somewhat different, our first 12 people rescued were all, without exception, extremely lucky. With falls from a dozen to 25 meters where daylight is visible as a little “ray of hope” when you raise your head (if you have the place…).

Lucky doesn’t mean without injury but rather alive because a large number are victims of diverse injuries (facial, skull, back etc.).

So, without any pretention and without being complete, let us give some common sense advice for anyone who wants to descend this wonderful route, during good weather conditions only!

Firstly, don’t go alone. The fact that you are at least two will double your chances of survival if there is an accident, even if it is just to raise the alarm. Who will know you’ve fallen in a crevasse if you are alone?

Being on a glacier implies that you have a minimum of gear. Screw gate karibiners, prussik loops, pulleys, ascender and the knowledge of how to use them. Yes, all the gear but no idea? You need to know how to rig a hoist. A number of books and courses can teach you the basics. Inform yourself.

Take at least an ice screw and wear a climbing harness. You can at least secure yourself to the wall of the crevasse. Normally when a snow bridge gives way it forms a secondary bridge lower down where the crevasse is narrower. There is the rub, you are now on another snow bridge which can give way at any moment, especially if you remove your skis or board.

Your harness should have a length of cord with a screw gate karabiner attached somewhere high on your person, the collar of your jacket for example. Like that we can easily pull you out in case of external rescue.

Never take both skis off (or your board) when on a glacier. Recently a snow boarder who lacked enough speed to get over a small uphill died after taking off his board to walk while he was unroped. We highlight this because you can walk on foot on glaciated terrain, you need the security of a rope with a couple of other people.

The siren voices of untracked powder call skiers to their doom. The person who died today was just 15 meters from the main track, sometimes just a few meters is sufficient.

Finally, if you are able, form a group and hire a guide who, thanks to his knowledge, will help you pass your day in safety.

The mountains are a fantastic playground but put as many chances on your side as possible to enjoy it for as long as possible.

Vallorcine Looks to Encourage Tourism
The improvements to the Poya ski area has encouraged more people to ski in Vallorcine, and the increased popularity of snowshoeing and ski joering - skiing behind a horse - has drawn in the tourists. However, there are some concerns that Vallorcine is becoming too expensive and is losing its family friendly atmosphere and reputation. The future looks positive though with the recent success of the downhill mountain bike trail and the tourist office hopes to attract more bikers, hikers and families this summer.

Coloured Snow Comes to Chamonix
Chamonix is set to invest in a system to colour the snow as it falls - HiGloSno - to aid skiers and pisteurs alike. The organic and biodegradable system uses launchers to dispatch colour capsules into the air which colour the snowflakes as they fall.

The advantages are that skiers will be able to ski better in poor visibility, and pisteurs will be better able to detect and study the different layers of snow to predict avalanches.

It all sounds a bit odd to me…

Improvements to the A40
The Autoroutes et Tunnel du Mont Blanc has announced major roadwork projects to improve access to and from the A40.

Three new junctions are to be built on the A40. One at Passy to create a junction that will allow traffic going to and from Chamonix will be able to enter and exit at Passy, a junction at Sallanches and one at Bonneville. The new junctions will reduce traffic on the RN205 as traffic headed for the industrial estate and commercial centres in Passy and Sallanches will no longer have to leave the motorway Le Fayet.

The ATMB also published figures for traffic in 2007. Around 22,000 vehicles used the motorway every day, with 4850 vehicles using the Mont Blanc Tunnel - 3210 cars, 1620 lorries and 42 coaches. Mercifully this showed a 3.25% drop in the number of HGVs using the tunnel since 2006.

The skiing is far from over in Chamonix with over 5 weeks of the season to go. Le Tour, Brevent, Les Houches and Courmayeur are shutting on the 27th of April whilst Flegere will be partially open until 4th May - with the Trappe and Index chairlifts running - and Les Grands Montets won’t close until the 11th May.

And from the 12th April the Compagnie du Mont Blanc is offering discounts on lift passes. If you buy a Mont Blanc Unlimited day pass for €47 you get the 2nd day for €1.

The end of season party, The Chamonix Freeride Days, takes place at Les Grands Montets on 4th May. Now in its 10th year this year’s theme is The Big Parade. So dress up and come along to join in or just gawp at the antics of others.

After the deaths of a British snowboarder at the beginning of the month and a French skier on the 13th March there has been a further fatality on the Vallee Blanche. On Weds a 29 year old Russian snowboarder fell 15m to his death into a crevasse just below the Requin Refuge. According to witnesses the boarder was slightly off the track being followed by the rest of his guided group when he fell through snow covering the crevasse.

There have now been a total of 4 crevasse deaths on the Vallee Blanch this season.

A Spanish skier who had been missing on the Vallee Blanche since Thursday has been found. The 38 year old man was last seen at 3400m on Thurs afternoon at the Col du Rognon, but after the recent snowfalls hopes of finding him had faded. Having fallen into a crevasse - which took him 3 hrs to climb out of - he spent the night in a snow cave, but with continuing bad weather the following day he remained sheltered in a new snow cave and was finally able to attract the attention of some passing skiers who alerted the rescue services. He made it back to Chamonix with mild hypothermia and frostbite.

Unfortunately Chamonix were unable to reclaim the trophy, even with the help of the Plakes, and Zermatt once again finished first. Still, there’s always next year…

1st: Zermatt
2nd: Chamonix
3rd: Val d’Isère
4th: Méribel
5th: Verbier
6th: Courchevel