People often ask about the weather in Ala-Archa, when the best season is, and when it's safe to ice climb. I've decided to put this information into a micro-article.

January

Stable weather, many sunny days, often calm. The temperature at Ratschek hut is -10 to -20°C with rare deviations from this range. However, there's only 2 hours of sunlight per day, not enough to warm up.

February

Almost like January, but towards the end of the month, stability is lost – March is approaching.

March

Very unstable weather. Stormy winds can last for 2 consecutive days, and fog can hang for 2 weeks. Heavy snowfalls are rare but possible. On good days, even in early March, it's sometimes possible to walk in a T-shirt when the sun is out. Daytime temperatures range from -10 to +5°C.

April

The same March winds, but it gets warmer.

May

In the first half, stable sunny weather. In the second half, the "monsoon season" begins: many snowfalls.

June

The "monsoon season" continues until around the 20th of the month. In the first half of June, snowfalls and even blizzards are still possible at Ratschek hut. Closer to the end of June, summer begins.

July, August

Snowfall is excluded. Daytime temperatures reach up to +25°C, and nighttime temperatures rarely drop below +5. Rain is possible but still rare (although summer 2024 was extremely wet), and there's almost no cloud cover. The hut and its surroundings are crowded.

September and first half of October

Golden autumn. At the beginning of the period, the first snow falls on rock routes, and by the end of October, it's already reliably lying on Ratschek. The weather is quite stable, without strong winds or prolonged precipitation. Daytime temperatures gradually drop from +10 to +25°C to -10 to +5°C.

Second half of October and November

Unstable weather. In early November, a lot of snow typically falls, followed by frosts that can last a day or two down to -30°C. There are many winds and prolonged snowfalls. But sometimes you can catch a sunny day with +5°C.

December

A transition from the unstable November to the frosty and stable January.

Safety Information

Ice routes can be safely climbed from mid-October to early May. At other times, if you go, it's strictly from sunset to sunrise; otherwise, there's a high risk of rockfall. In June-August, most ice routes turn into snow and are sometimes passable even on foot.

Crampons are useful for ascents from the bottom to Ratschek hut from mid-October to mid-April.

The most snow falls in November and spring (depending on altitude). At altitudes above 4000m, the most snow and avalanche danger is presumably from May to July.

Average values from the weather station: http://82.146.59.228/d/cdxdja1lev8qoe/meteostancija3a-srednie-znachenija?orgId=2 ↗ (those who can use Grafana can view a very detailed archive)