Amongst the many missions flown by the PGHM based in Chamonix on the 11th July was the recovery of the body of a Polish climber killed after falling in the couloir du Goûter. The Goûter is the normal route to the summit of Mont Blanc from St Gervais. The climber, aged in his thirties, was leading a group of three Australians at the time of the accident.
Three-quarters of avalanche fatalities this winter involved ski tourers according to figures from the Swiss Snow and Avalanche Research Institute (SLF). The average over the last decade has been 42%. In total 27 people have been killed in avalanches since the 21st of December 2009. The average since 1997/98 is 24 for the whole year. After a late start to the winter season the snow pack was unstable over a long period and over an extended geographical area.
The Rescue Services in the Isère department have flown seven rescue missions in the space of a couple of hours today. Conditions were difficult for pilots with high winds and drifting snow. A series of avalanches in the Isere and Haute-Savoie have left five people dead and others injured. Sebastian Rigaud, a spokesman for the mountain police in Grenoble has advised skiers to keep off the mountains for the next few days. If skiers do go out the greatest care is needed in route choice.
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