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I'm heading out to Chamonix in mid-June & although there's been an abnormally small amount of snow this year you never know if you're going to come across snow until you're on the trail.
Clearly I won't be traversing perilous patches of neve while lugging a 30lb bike, but I envisage crossing snow on the flatter plateaus etc.
Can anyone suggest any gear which might make this kind of less risky traverse a bit easier? Nothing as extreme as crampons - if there's a risk of a big slide, I won't walk on in the first place - but maybe just something to give me a little more grip, and maybe a little ice axe or shovel for cutting out a path? Any tips you care to share for coping with snow on the trail?
Or is the whole concept flawed?
I'm assuming (given your ambition to avoid peril and sticking to less risky traverses that don't need crampons) that you want to know is what you need to cross a patch of snow, rather than glaciated terrain or anywhere where a fall could lead to a slide (and then falling off/into something). If so, I think you're over thinking things, or looking for an excuse to buy new gear. An axe would only be useful for cutting steps or self arresting, but on flat traverses neither are really necessary. In any case, it's tricky to use an axe with a bike in the other hand. Given all of this, just do what would you do when crossing flattish patches of snow/ice anywhere else.
Mind you, if you want to strap an axe to your pack to try and fit in with all the home counties kids trying to outdo each others racks whilst top-roping bolted routes around town, a ski mountaineer's one is your best bet – though you might not get much respect without a couple of heavily modified ice/dry tools as backup.
Personally, I don't think it's worth bothering about. Don't know where you're thinking of riding, but there are not a lot of snow patches around, probably behind the Brevent and possibly behind the Col de Balme in places. If you're going to be sticking to the general trails around the valley, there's nothing at all. Temperatures have been in the 20°s recently, even the descent from the Lognon, there isn't anything.
Thanks, yeah it's exactly that high north facing stuff I'm looking at hitting...above the treeline...in mid June. Might be pushing it but if there was ever a year for it this is it...
OK yeah I'll scratch the extra kit.
I was actually thinking about a situation like this today when I had to run in my disco slippers after a puncture en route to work. I reckon SPD shoes, especially race ones, would be alright to kick steps given their stiffness. All depends on the quality of the snow though, but something that might just work.