Avalanche death in the 3 Valleys - Ben Clatworthy, Val Thorens
Monday January 4, 2010 - Email this article to a friend

It's a dangerous time in the Alps for off-piste skiing; another avalanche and another death, this time a French skier from the Alpes-Maritimes area of France becomes the victim of a snowslide.

He is the eigth person to die in France this season.

The French skier, who was rescued from the avalanche in the Orelle area of Val Thorens on New Year's Eve, has died of his injuries following days of care in Grenoble hospital.

The skier had been staying at Club Med hotel in Val Thorens, which is one of Europes highest ski resorts and gives access to vast areas of off piste skiing.

Val Thorens this weekThe man had been skiing as part of group when the accident happened. It is reported that the group set off the avalanche as they skied an off-piste section above the Orelle pistes. A ski instructor was leading the group and all were equipped with avalanche transceivers.

Thierry Guigonnet, an ESF ski instructor in Les Menuires told me, "Now is an extremely dangerous time for off piste skiing following the recent weather. Just because others have skied the route doesn't mean that an avalanche won't happen."

The avalanche risk is currently 4 on a scale of 5 indicating that both Natural and human triggered avalanches are very likely and that unstable slabs of snow are likely on a variety of aspects and slope angles.

Val Thorens pisteurs were on the scene quickly and rescued the buried man from the snow in just 15 minutes. The victim was treated at the scene after suffering a cardiac arrest before being airlifted to nearby Grenoble hospital.

An enquiry into his death and the cause of the snowslide has been launched.

The accident comes at the same time as 3 people die as a result of an avalanche in nearby Les Arcs as we reported here and even more serious incidents in Switzerland that we are covering as they unfold.

Bookmark this page

Related Articles