Following advice from the Servizio Geologico della Regione Autonoma Valle d’Aosta, Courmayeur authorities have forbidden everyone from visiting the upper section of the path to the Boccalatte Hut and the terrain above leading to the Rocher de Reposoir.
This effectively is a ban on climbing the Normal Route on the Grandes Jorasses.
The Geological Service has monitoring equipment on the upper South West Face of the Grandes Jorasses, and recent data combined with the current high temperatures at altitude has led the Service to predict a huge serac collapse above the Normal Route.
A total collapse of the serac barrier, which the Service seem confident could occur within the next two weeks, would release up to 40,000 cubic metres of ice.
Although this presents no danger to visitors and inhabitants in the bottom of the Val Ferret (the 1998 collapse, which was astronomical, led to fears that the hamlet of Planpincieux might be obliterated), on the 20th August Fabrizia Derriard, Mayoress of Courmayeur, was forced to announce a formal ban to the threatened areas, a required procedure by law.
That same day a German alpinist was killed when a rappel anchor failed on the descent of the Rocher de Reposoir.
The Courmayeur authorities are not imposing the ban (by-law 2207) - there is currently no-one in situ monitoring access or stopping people from using the hut path - but an immediate consequence, should anyone ignore the ban and then be injured, is that insurance cover would most likely be null and void.
From the beginning of this year, Courmayeur administrators have been debating closing the Boccalatte Hut because the building is old and no longer complies with current regulations.
However, the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) has prioritized renovating the Gonella Hut to the west of Mt Blanc.
There is a rumour that the Dutch Alpine Club tried to negotiate management rights for the Boccalatte in exchange for putting up the renovation money, but not surprisingly this was turned down by the CAI.
In the accompanying photograph the red dot marks the serac on the South West Face of the Grandes Jorasses.
Thanks to Luca Signorelli for help with this report
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