I'm gonna be starting a year of travel and climbing come May and was wondering what is the best time to hit the Alps for a couple months what with global warming and all. I've heard that late-spring/fall are better times since rockfall becomes less of a hazard than in the middle of the summer. I'm looking at doing classic routes in the D to ED range with the coup de grace being Eiger NF. Thanks

Eiger NF is for sure safer in spring than in summer because of rockfall.

The weather in Europe is quite strange during the last years though. There had been an extremely warm spring last year followed by a very cold summer after. Never know what will be in 2008.

I could suggest you a test :
as first route choose the Gervasutti Pillar to Mont Blanc du Tacul, if you can do it without problems you can start thinking to Eiger N wall ... otherwise this last one could really be the coup de grace, but for you and your partner ...
don't underestimate Alps !!

gabriele wrote:I could suggest you a test :
as first route choose the Gervasutti Pillar to Mont Blanc du Tacul, if you can do it without problems you can start thinking to Eiger N wall ... otherwise this last one could really be the coup de grace, but for you and your partner ...
don't underestimate Alps !!

I definitely won't be underestimating them. I'm confident I have the experience to attempt it right now but I have a bunch of climbs that I plan on doing before I jump on the Nordwand (the Gervasutti Pillar being one of them) to measure myself, hence the reason I'm planning the trip for a couple months. And if it isn't in condition, I won't do it. This trip is not focused on one objective; it would just be nice if I could at least attempt it this go around. This definitely will not be my last trip to the Alps. And if the Eiger NF doesn't come into condition now until spring than I'll hold off and just do a bunch of other climbs.

I plan on being based out of Chamonix and doing most of my climbing out of there. Would September/October be a good time to plan for? How would that compare to July/August?

emppeng27 wrote:I plan on being based out of Chamonix and doing most of my climbing out of there. Would September/October be a good time to plan for? How would that compare to July/August?

Most huts close down mid September. Conditions can sometimes still be fine, but days are getting shorter in September.
July/August are the classic months, but it will be crowded in the Mont Blanc range.

August has been pretty cold and rainy the last two years, at least in the eastern alps.

If you're interested in ice or mixed routes go spring. Most of that stuff will be out of condition by July/August, which is also the most crowded time of year.