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.
