A ski tourer was killed on Thursday by an avalanche close to the ski resort of Les Orres in the Hautes-Alpes. This is the fourth avalanche death in the department this week following heavy snowfall and high winds on the 26th of January. The avalanche occurred at 2000 meters altitude in the Eyssalette area.
Full depth avalanche in the Southern Alps today
The victim, a teacher, was a 36 year old man living nearby at Embrun. He had set out alone and his family became worried when he did not return home. The Mountain Police (PGHM) from Briançon found the man’s body using the signal from his avalanche beacon under a snow slide late last night. The avalanche risk was 3 (considerable) at the time. The number of victims of avalanches in France has now passed the total for last year.
There was an accident at Isola 2000 in the Southern Alps on the 4th February. A group of four people with an instructor were caught by a slide in an off-piste couloir to the right of the Mené run. A doctor aged 50, resident of Nice and father of 5 children was killed in the slide.