This is an archive of the old PisteHors.com forum

News | Gear | Ski Areas | Hiking | Mountain Biking
Powered by Google™
   
1 of 3
1
Vallorcine Avalanches
Posted: 19 March 2013 07:12 PM  
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  53
Joined  2008-12-18

Despite clear warnings, 4/5 and 40cm in the village overnight folk still headed for the back bowls when the Tete du Balme lift opened at 11am. I saw at least five avalanches triggered by skiers/boarders. The largest was triggered by a boarder who was carried into the Catogne stream way below les Bonhommes the victim was buried at least 2m despite triggering an ABS bag and appeared lifeless when dug out. There has been no official comment yet. Conditions in Vallorcine are very tricky at the moment. There is some great snow but still lots of slabs waiting to go. Be careful out there!

Not sure whether to post photos or not.

[ Edited: 19 March 2013 07:58 PM by Alan Scowcroft]
 
 
Posted: 19 March 2013 08:59 PM   [ # 1 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

There was an avalanche involving injuries at Bernex too. No details yet.

Young skier dead, local man, off piste in the Chalet Vert sector.

[ Edited: 19 March 2013 09:01 PM by davidof]
 
 
Posted: 19 March 2013 09:55 PM   [ # 2 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

That’s quite a lot of activity today, posted the other incidents here

http://pistehors.magneato.org/avalanches-at-the-7-laux-and-st-jean-montclar.18481922013.htm

hopefully things will calm down by the weekend, esp with the heatwave on Friday which should clear things out a bit.

 
 
Posted: 19 March 2013 10:13 PM   [ # 3 ]  
Jr. Member
RankRank
Total Posts:  32
Joined  2008-05-05

It was pretty full on at Le Tour today - slabs & sluffs pulling out on loads of aspects and a full on Cham-style powder frenzy going on…

We played it super-safe and saw the choppers going back & forth this pm and figured something big had happened - unconfirmed local word is 1 fatality.

 
 
Posted: 19 March 2013 10:19 PM   [ # 4 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

Someone mentioned skitour in the Courchevel Avals thread. Compared to 5 or 6 years ago it is interesting to note how the Skitour members are much more cautious on these kinds of days. Lots of people heading to low angled stuff like the Grand Rocher, or well travelled routes such as Chamchaude (and that’s with risk 2 to 3 locally).

But looking out the window at the clear blue skies the fresh powder is going to be really tempting to people up in resort. We had some wild winds before the snowfall, first a mistral, then a foehn then a big dump. It has really complicated things.

 
 
Posted: 19 March 2013 11:37 PM   [ # 5 ]  
Sr. Member
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  110
Joined  2008-11-05

Probably for the best that I had to work today then. We hit up GM ysterday, and whilst ok mid-high, the lower was definitely soft-ness on top of a good hard sliding surface.  However when we did out last lap or Herse mid afternoon the snow had become very wind compacted and transported.  Yesterday I had ruled Le Tour out before I even knew the lift situation just because I knew we’d had a good few days of strong Foehn up and down the valley.  Lets hope most people were ok and may have learnt a lesson.  I guess Pas de Chevre will also be iffy when the top of GM opens.

I hear Courmayeur was awesome today though, and I wonder how the big boys got on up the Midi today?

 
 
Posted: 20 March 2013 12:00 AM   [ # 6 ]  
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  79
Joined  2009-11-09

I was at Le Tour today and there was a lot of high risk skiing going on. As well as people dropping into the back bowls, I watched a pair of boarders drop into one of the steep gullies above Vormaine, I was convinced they would set off a slide, fortunately for them and maybe the people on the nursery slopes below they got away with it!

I am unsure if it’s ignorance, or an acceptance of the high risk, plus an element of reliance on gear.

A sad day.

 
 
Posted: 20 March 2013 08:45 AM   [ # 7 ]  
Newbie
Rank
Total Posts:  10
Joined  2010-11-14
Alan Scowcroft - 19 March 2013 07:12 PM

Despite clear warnings, 4/5 and 40cm in the village overnight folk still headed for the back bowls when the Tete du Balme lift opened at 11am. I saw at least five avalanches triggered by skiers/boarders. The largest was triggered by a boarder who was carried into the Catogne stream way below les Bonhommes the victim was buried at least 2m despite triggering an ABS bag and appeared lifeless when dug out. There has been no official comment yet. Conditions in Vallorcine are very tricky at the moment. There is some great snow but still lots of slabs waiting to go. Be careful out there!

Not sure whether to post photos or not.

La Tour is such an under estimated spot for both its backcountry skiing potential and it’s potentially extremely hazardous terrain. It’s a heuristic issue for sure and one which is linked to changing attitudes, equipment and the blue bird powder day effect! It’s been a shocking week and the toll keeps on rising!

It would help if the local avalanche forecast was either posted in English or in a format which was easy to translate.

Play safe.

 Signature 

http://www.tinderboxskischool.com

 
 
Posted: 20 March 2013 09:01 AM   [ # 8 ]  
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  53
Joined  2008-12-18

Even if you don’t speak French the pictorials are easy to understand:

http://france.meteofrance.com/france/MONTAGNE?MONTAGNE_PORTLET.path=montagnebulletinneige/DEPT74

 
 
Posted: 20 March 2013 09:23 AM   [ # 9 ]  
Newbie
Rank
Total Posts:  10
Joined  2010-11-14
Alan Scowcroft - 20 March 2013 09:01 AM

Even if you don’t speak French the pictorials are easy to understand:

http://france.meteofrance.com/france/MONTAGNE?MONTAGNE_PORTLET.path=montagnebulletinneige/DEPT74

I agree that the graphic does get some of the message across and people should use it absolutely! 

The graphic gives you some info but not the specific hazards, which are found in the text.

People just see a number 3/5 etc and not the whole picture?

 Signature 

http://www.tinderboxskischool.com

 
 
Posted: 20 March 2013 09:30 AM   [ # 10 ]  
Administrator
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  2234
Joined  2003-10-24

There is some acceptance of risk by more experienced skiers. Whether we humans are fully capable of analysing risk to a sufficient degree is another question. My neighbour is in the Pyrenees this week which was on risk 4 alert. He said the 5 hour drive was more dangerous. I suppose that depends what kind of terrain he’s skiing. I also sense some tiredness setting in with skiers given the emphasis on avalanche accidents in the general press when 600 people die in drownings in France per year, 4,000 on the roads and 65,000 from smoking related incidents.

 
 
Posted: 20 March 2013 12:55 PM   [ # 11 ]  
Newbie
Rank
Total Posts:  10
Joined  2010-11-14
davidof - 20 March 2013 09:30 AM

There is some acceptance of risk by more experienced skiers. Whether we humans are fully capable of analysing risk to a sufficient degree is another question. My neighbour is in the Pyrenees this week which was on risk 4 alert. He said the 5 hour drive was more dangerous. I suppose that depends what kind of terrain he’s skiing. I also sense some tiredness setting in with skiers given the emphasis on avalanche accidents in the general press when 600 people die in drownings in France per year, 4,000 on the roads and 65,000 from smoking related incidents.

Another perspective is always good!

If only everyone had a better understanding of the risk and how to manage it.

This is one reason why I like the Kiwi avalanche danger scale, the graphics they use and the terminology. The emphasis is on the individuals avi skills and although
a little broad it does make a lot of sense.
Danger-Skill.jpeg

 Signature 

http://www.tinderboxskischool.com

 
 
Posted: 20 March 2013 01:23 PM   [ # 12 ]  
Sr. Member
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  110
Joined  2008-11-05

I don’t think its the avalanche bulletin or always experienced skieers causing the trouble.  Its people who think 3 means average safeness, not reasonable danger.  I heard someone only last week say, “oh it was only level 3, fairly safe when i lost my ski in a small avilanche”.  fool.

Its also people (mostly snowboarders that i know) who ski with either no gear, and very little respect for the mountain.  I know of people who don’t even look at the bulletin.  People also don’t think about the recent weather conditions, such as recent strong valley wind and that fact that Col de Balme is always windy come summer or winter.  That’s a good starting point for collecting data on where to ski.

Perhaps here in Cham there are experienced skiers who rush up the Midi at any chance, level 4 or not like yesterday who are exposing themselves to extra danger.  I always think the likes of Andreas Fransson must be some of the best at reading terrain & weather to hit up the lines they do.

 
 
Posted: 20 March 2013 05:11 PM   [ # 13 ]  
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  79
Joined  2009-11-09

5/5. Heli skiing or powder day tomorrow
4/5. Powder day
3/5. Might be some powder
2/5 Rubbish riding
1/5. Home time

Free-rider avalanche scale.

I wasn’t really intending this to be a joke, especially given the context. A few years back what would have been considered the first safe day to get out on fresh snow would now get get you a ski down a mougle field.

[ Edited: 21 March 2013 12:56 AM by juice]
 
 
Posted: 20 March 2013 06:18 PM   [ # 14 ]  
Newbie
Rank
Total Posts:  10
Joined  2010-11-14

Thats kind of funny?

 Signature 

http://www.tinderboxskischool.com

 
 
Posted: 20 March 2013 06:41 PM   [ # 15 ]  
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  53
Joined  2008-12-18

http://www.chamonet.com/events/news/off-piste-skier-caught-in-avalanche-near-chamonix

seems the guy is in critical condition but in hospital

 
 
   
1 of 3
1