When to tackle an Alpine climb?

Drekkly

Advice please - I am wanting to climb some classic Alpine peaks to celebrate my 40th birthday. Trouble is that is at the end of April - I guess this is too ealry for most of the big climbs - I would imagine it varies from year to year but any advice gratefully received!

rhnb

You're probably better waiting until mid May.
All the ones I've done were in mid to late May (Dolomites, Alps), but you never know at that time of year.
A week after we rode the Sella Ring in the Dolomites (Sella, Gardena, Campolongo and Pordoi passes) they were shut due to snow. We had glorious sunshine and clear blue sky!

Some, like the Grossglockner do actually say on their web site that they open 'in May'. You wouldn't want to get to the top of that and find it shut. They have whopping great doors on the Hochtor tunnel at the top to keep the snow out, and they stay shut until the snow ploughs/blowers have done their stuff.

Having said that most do have pretty slick operations when it comes to clearing the passes. A world away from here where an inch of snow brings us grinding to a halt.

If I were you I'd delay the birthday a few weeks ;-)

jc4lab

.Hows this for a bummer...Managed my first ever mountain climb then has to push it down cos the roads where too steep and slippy and there were no barriers on the hairpins

culverwood

June to September for the high mountain passes and you can still catch some snow even then.

mrushton

I was on the Galibier on 2nd June and the summit was blocked by snow with snow banked up about 12ft either side of the road near the summit. Alpe d'huez 2 hours later and 900m lower was sweltering in the 80's F

It depends on the climb/weather/snowfall. mid-june onwards should see all the roads open, but where do you want to go.