Two Dutch snowboarders have been killed in the Grandes Rousses area in the ski resort of l’Alpe d’Huez after apparently getting disorientated while riding off-piste.
The strong south / south east winds (fohn) over last weekend left a deposit of red Saharan sand over much of the Alps and lead to the formation of a number of slabs on north facing slopes as some backcountry skiers found to their cost. Apart from the incidents recorded by PisteHors.com a Chamonix guide was killed on the Italian side of Mont Blanc earlier in the week.
Despite an extensive ground based search no trace of the missing Savoie snowshoers has been found. The operation will continue over a wider area on Thursday but with fewer men and no helicopter due to the poor weather.