Autumn has clearly arrived, as you can see from this photo of Tom and Gavin as they ascended to the Gouter hut on Wednesday. There is a good covering of snow in the Gouter couloir, which is excellent for holding the loose rocks in place, and for hugely reducing the risk of any stonefall. Looking forward to next week, the weather forecasts are looking good for some of the last Mont Blanc ascents of the season. The huts and cable cars around the Chamonix valley are mainly closed from next Sunday, so this is why we schedule our courses to end then. Check out the Mont Blanc course itinerary at; http://www.icicle-mountaineering.ltd.uk/mont%2Bblanc%2Bguide%2Bcourse.html