Climate for Walker's Haute Route Mid June 2014

@mountaingirl, that's very good information, thanks.

:-) My pleasure! I hope people enjoy their trip as much as we did ours. Our attitude is that ALL of it was an adventure, no matter which route we ended up having to take. No one in our group was a purist and felt that we would have failed had we not completed all the stages. We saw every day as a new gift to open and discover what it would bring. We had a blast! (and we also had the fears and tears!)

The easiest way from Verbier to Cabane de Prafleury goes by cableway to Col des Gentianes and then down to the small unnamed lake at 2720m and via Col de la Chaux - Lac du Petit Mont Fort - Col de Louvie - Col de Prafleury - Lacs d'Alleves.
The long detour via Col Termin (first leg of the itinerary Cabane du Mont Fort - Cabane de Louvie - Col du Bec d'Aigle - Tete de Sarslau - Vasevey - Hotel de Mauvoisin) doesn't make any sense.
Anyway, the weather conditions 1 week ago were so that only masochists may have tryied to walk along the so called Walkers Haute Route.
The only somewhat enjoyable itinerary under such weather conditions goes from Argentiere via Col des Montets - Vallorcine - Gietroz - Les Marecottes - Salvan - Vernayaz - Doreneaz - gondola - Champex d'Alesse - Tassonnieres - Chibo - Randonne - Ovronnaz Thermal Spa - Nemiaz - Ardon - Aven - Bisse de Tsandra - Ste. Marguerite - Prafirmin - Mayens d'Arbaz - Icogne - Bisse de Lens - Diogne - Darnona - Bisse de Venthone - Bisse de Varone - Rumeling - Tschingere - Brentjong - Lichten - Getwing - Turtmann - Ergisch - Senggalp - Alte Suon - Moosalp - Embd - Kalpetran - Niedergraechen - Gasenried - Tannfluh - Herbriggen - St. Niklaus.

Holy moly! If you are going to be on the Haute Route this week, PLEASE take care. Heed warnings and don't take chances!! ....http://genevalunch.com/2014/07/19/two-die-avalanche-4-alpine-deaths-week/ These were locals who all died....and they would likely know the mountains. If you aren't familiar with mountain conditions, inform yourselves before you take off on a route. It's not the route itself that you need to worry about but any conditions above the trail that you can't control. This is NOT an ordinary summer!

Thank you very much indeed for the warning Mountaingirl57. Very sad. I had already heard about this from this blog: http://realhousewifeadventures.wordpress.com/. Based on your blog, I knew there was a strong likelihood something like this would happen. All in all, I concluded that it made little sense to attempt the Haute Route in the "worst summer in Switzerland's history" so I cancelled the trip. Next year, maybe.

That's too bad, eyeofvancouver. It's ironic that by going very early, we actually missed the snow and avalanches! It just goes to show that you can never predict it. The mountains will decide. It's definitely a must. I have to say that, since getting home, I've been in the dumps. We got home last Tuesday afternoon and from Wednesday on, I missed our routine of getting up early for breakfast, packing our packs, talking to the others in the breakfast room and then hitting the trails. We never really wore watches nor looked at the time (the posted times and Kev's times were off base for us anyway!) It was wonderful to just be in the present. I miss the mountains. There's something about the adventure, the challenges, the routine, the having to be mindful, the connections, the smiles of the locals....it was truly a heart filling experience. I hope you get to experience it too someday.

As I told you above (post 52 etc.), there are tons of well signmarked not dangerous trails between Chamonix and Zermatt: no need to risk the life in avalance areas!
The weather in the Alps is ALWAYS unpredictable and everybody has to adapt the itinerary to the weather forecast.
According to the latter, the weather will get fine from Wednesday/Thursday onwards. But that doesn't mean that one should deposit commmon sense in the Zermatt railway station luggage lockers.

@ mountaingirl, I saw the avalanche news as well, they were climbers so in a higher place, but then I saw the other 2 were walkers, wondering were they on the same haute route? We are leaving on 23 July (This Wednesday!), but now really hesitating. Does anyone know the snow condition now? We can cancel the flight tickets 2 hours before departure... figure crossed.

http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/en/weather/current_weather.html

http://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/web/en.html, click at ORT AENDERN and enter places like Sion, Zermatt, Arolla, Verbier, Zinal......