There may be trouble ahead...weatherwise. The options..

We are one week away from our departure to the Italian alpine region and the weather may prove an issue. Today and for a few weeks, there is and has been some very unsettled weather in the monte bianco area. ...http://www.chamonix.com/weather,11,en.html. Thunder and lightening and the like.

Our guide, Nicolo, advises that the Italian route may not be an option...there is heavy snow and actually quite cold up there. We may have to do "le Mont Blanc"...eh oui! C'est comme ca!

The other option potentially open to us is Bernina in the central Italian alps. We attempted this a few years back (Rory will provide the exact dates! :)) but were caught on a ridge with very soft snow. We approached from the Swiss side of the alps via Pontresina. The soft, deep snow on the ridge meant that every step we took sunk us to our knee or higher. On a rising slope, this took us way too long and we didn't progress sufficiently and so aborted.

The trip back to the refuge would prove precarious in parts as the abseiling was over hidden ledges....leaps of faith and gesticulations (they were Italian) from our guides got us through it.

Here's still hoping that "Il monte bianco" or "Le Mont Blanc" lets us in.