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Chamonix, EUCOP5 22.-29. 6. 2018

Le Majestic conference centre in Chamonix.

Where the fifth european conference on permafrost took place.

Ice-breaker barbecue.

Group photo of few hundred participants from ladder.

Another "barbecue" evening, but this time with Tartiflette.

Quiz after the delicious meal.

This chicken shape is surely not a country.

Mingling under a beautiful evening scenery.

Not a usual train station in Chamonix.

It is a rack railway taking us to Mer de Glace for a conference excursion.

There is always a bit of Potsdam on such conferences.

Viewing platform over the Sea of Ice (Mer de Glace).

The sea "dried out" during the few of the last decades.

Lateral moraines and glacier trim line far above the today's glacier level.

The West face of the Drus Mountain is a very desired route for climbers.

Descent down, "to the beach", with cable cars.

The "coast of the Sea" was here 33 years ago.

And still it is far to the glacier.

Several metres of the staircase has to be built each year to reach the glacier.

Glacier cave that was probably accessible to tourist few years ago.

Today's ice cave.

But most of it is carved out with steam.

Exposition space.

Living-room corner.

How it looked like a century ago.

The mountain hut.

Aiguilles Rouges on a way back to the valley.

Afternoon part of the excursion to the Le Brévent.

Many paragliders, as usual.

Chamonix du Mont Blanc et Mont Blanc.

The highest peak in Alps as seen by the participants.

The top of Brévent when cable car is working.

Hanging front of the Taconnaz glacier.

Aiguille du midi, where this excursion should have taken place, but the cable car was broken.

Conference organiser and field trip leader Philip Deline.

Diligent postdoc.

Closing ceremony and number of participants by the countries. Russia first, Germany second. America only fifth.

Streets of Chamonix.

Extra dry beer in the round building.

Horace-Benedict de Saussure and Jacques Balmat (pointing at Mont Blanc), who completed the first ascent to Mont Blanc.

Dinner with a lot of local cheese.

Arve River that flows through Chamonix.

Rue des Moulins where slightly less posh and expensive bars can be found.

Statue of Michel Paccard who is also looking the the Mont Blanc.

Place Balmat in very fancy town center.

Excursion to Dérochoir rock glacier on the last day.

Meadows at Bellevue.

Another rack railway.

That goes to Le Nid d'Aigle, which is at about 2400 m elevation.

But we stopped at Mont Lachat Pass (2077 m) to start the hike.

The railway part to the last station was under maintenance.

Passing many rhododendrons.

And snow patches.

Other group with mountain guides is following.

Avalanche protection "dam" close to the town.

Silene acaulis.

Rhododendron hirsutum.

Reaching the Dérochoir rock glacier at 2500 m elevation.

Hiking with conference backpacks.

Linaria alpina is one of the few plants that can survive in such bad growing conditions caused by moving ground.

Panorama of the talus-derived rock glacier.

Marco (Slovenia football team fan) is presenting rock glacier velocities, which reach up to 1 m per year.

The rock glacier terminates with a steep rockface and is therefore steadily delivering material lower in the valley.

Intensive discussions.

The debris flowed over the path.

It looks like avalanches bent these pillars protecting (?) the therailway.

Small cirque at Mont Lachat Pass.

The rock glacier.

Alpine meadows around Mont Lachat.

Descending back to Bellevue on foot.

Disappearing glacier of Bionnassay.

Returning back to Les Houches and getting ready for post-conference excursion.