Headed up the midi with Damien today equipped with no firm plan, tehcnical ice axes and optimisim. Our first port of call was the goulottes on the midi NW face, but there was no ice just as we expected.
Undeterred we headed down a pretty powdery arete and pot holed over to the abri simond hut where we decided on a stroll up the cosmiques arete, but we were stopped in our tracks by deep, unconsolidated and scary snow. Neither of us was keen on dying on an A.D. route (imagine the slagging!) so we turned round early on and walked back.
All in all, a long and tiring walk and there doesn't appear to be anything in condition, although someone with skis might beg to differ if they have been further down the vallee blanche.
Despite all this the sun was shining and we had the entire place to ourselves so I got some beautiful photos which I've just accidentally deleted. Oops.
It is stunning up the midi right now but there's nothing to climb that I could see, and this coupled with a lack of waterfall ice means you are either skiing, dry tooling or drinking. Have fun
