Thousands of cubic meters of ice threaten to collapse: the north face of the Aiguille du Midi is not recommended for mountaineers.
After a fall of seracs, 15,000 to 20,000 m³ of ice is now unstable and threatens to collapse in the Mallory Corridor. A newsletter of La Chamoniarde strongly advises against frequenting the foot of the north face of the Aiguille du Midi.
On Monday 14 June at around 3 p.m. there was a fall of seracs that gave the alert. From the Plan de l'Aiguille refuge, one of the keepers Eddy Veillet has observed a large avalanche over a part of the glacier overlooking the Mallory corridor. In this season, this sector is a very classic slope and frequented by mountaineers.
These photos show a horizontal fracture in the glacier which indicated the fact that it was cutted in two. "One could imagine a rupture of the glacier front" said the geomorphologist Ludovic Ravanel of Edytem Laboratory. Based on these visual findings, the authorities decided to carry out a helicopter flight that same day, which helped rule out the worst. "The horizontal fracture is simply a break in the snowpack of 5 to 6 meters high, or even a little more," pointed out Ludovic Ravanel. The entire lower part of the glacier is cleared of snow but the front of the glacier is not individualized. "
"It could fall in two hours or in two weeks"
This observation is reassuring, yet the risk is there. Without speaking of a critical situation, we find ourselves in the rather classic mechanics of a suspended glacier where a first fall of seracs triggered a beautiful avalanche. Below, specialists have identified a volume of 15,000 to 20,000 cubic meters of relatively unstable ice. However, Ludovic Ravanel warns us: "It could fall in two hours or in two weeks". This threat could cross the access trail to the Mallory corridor and the Grand Mulets refuge.
Source: @Le Dauphiné
