Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding

SAM 2008

2008-05-01T19:07:00Z

The Mountain Equipment Mondial returned to Palexpo in Grenoble last week and the emphasis was firmly on sustainable development, a subject close to our hearts. However, sustainable, for alpine skiing, doesn’t necessarily mean environmentally friendly.

20C and real snow!

Chamonix Freeride Days – 10th Anniversary

2008-04-30T08:49:00Z

This Sunday is the 10th anniversary of the Chamonix Freeride Days. It is hard to imagine that the season is nearly over. The freeride days will be held at Grands Montets. The organizers want to settle the question, who is the better skier, downhill or freerider? Now we know that downhill skiers have the technique but can they ski off the groomed corduroy? What about freeriders, all speed and no skill?

Multiple burials revisited

2008-04-24T15:16:00Z

There is quite a battle raging in the normally sedate world of avalanche research. On the one hand Team Backcountry Access says that true multiple burials are so rare that backcountry travellers should focus on shovelling and probing techniques, on the other side Manuel Genswein, avalanche educator and expert in multiple burial search techniques, accuses the other side of “statistical tricks” and says Backcountry Access are ignoring the “inconvenient truth” that the Tracker beacon is technologically“out of date”.

Gavarnie cut off by monster avalanche

2008-04-21T09:06:00Z

The only access road to the Pyrenean ski resort of Gavarnie has been blocked by an enormous snow slide. A motorist travelling down from the resort was surprised by a slow moving avalanche late yesterday afternoon. The slide is some 15 meters deep and 150 meters wide. The local authorities have had to ask neighbouring areas to send equipment to help clear the blockage.

Winter conditions leads to rise in avalanche deaths

2008-04-20T07:08:00Z

A return to winter conditions has brought a smile to the faces of ski resorts as they look towards the end of the season but has also brought a significant increase in avalanche incidents. A reminder that the conditions that lead to unstable snow conditions are not confined to the winter months. There have been 15 confirmed deaths over the winter in France with 9 occuring during March and April. Yesterday an experienced ski tourer was killed in the Maritime Alpes and two other skiers seriously injured above l’Alpe d’Huez.

Couloir des Pioches, alpe d’Huez

Ubaye in shock following avalanche death

2008-04-16T06:28:00Z

Pierre Lombard, popular owner of the Gite de Larche has been killed by an avalanche yesterday. The Gite de Larche is a favourite overnight stop on the GR5 long distance walking route. Mr Lombard has deep roots in the area, his father was a long serving mayor in the community. An experienced mountaineer, news of Mr Lombard’s death has sent shock-waves well beyond the tight knit mountain community.

The Vallee Blanche is not a ski piste

2008-04-02T22:24:00Z

Thursday 13th of March, 2008. We’ve just done our 14th crevasse rescue and our second fatality this year after a fall of 30 meters. We don’t repeat this often enough but skiing on a glacier requires certain precautions and a knowledge of the terrain.

Salomon on strike, Look wants to buy Rossignol

2008-03-27T02:06:01Z

The Salomon factory at Rumilly is at a standstill for a third day today. The workers are claming an increase of 150 euros per month. Salomon is planning on moving ski production from France to Austria. Meanwhile Dominique Bergin, the head of Look International, a French cycle sport company, is preparing a bid for Rossignol with the idea of keeping production in France.

La Grave cable car turns thirty

2008-03-26T15:15:00Z

The La Grave - Vallons de la Meije ski area is celebrating 30 years of operations this March but the idea of linking the village of la Grave to the summit of la Meije goes back over a century with some madcap schemes before the very functional Creissels designed pulse gondola was opened in 1978.

Avalanche Pic Mauberme

2008-03-26T13:00:00Z

At almost the same time as four alpinists were killed on Pic du Midi du Bigorre (Pyrenees) on Friday, Paul Hadfield and I triggered a similar avalanche at the top of the Couloir Tartereau on Pic Mauberme just a few tens of miles further east but we were able to avoid being swept down the couloir.

Couloir de Tartereau - Les Inglis-Sharp

Four climbers killed by Pyrenees avalanche

2008-03-21T18:04:01Z

Four climbers, described as “very experienced”, have been killed after falling on the Pic du Midi. It appears the group triggered a small snow slide as they were climbing towards the summit on a 45-50° slope. The climbers were at 2700 meters on the west side of the mountain in the top section of the couloir de Chiroulet.

Another crevasse death on the Vallee Blanche

2008-03-20T05:54:01Z

There has been another fatal crevasse fall on the popular Vallée Blanche route which leads down from the 3800 meter Aiguille du Midi to Chamonix. 80,000 skiers and snowboarders descend the “VB” between December and April.

Crevasse rescue on Vallee Blanche - courtesy of Firechick

Respected Houches mountaineers killed by avalanche

2008-03-15T16:06:01Z

Pierre and Marie-Jo Trappier have been killed by an avalanche while ski touring above les Houches. Pierre Trappier was well known amongst climbers and ski tourers. The “couloir Trappier” on the north side of the Aiguille du Goûter bears his name. The two victims were part of a group of five engaged in a couloir in the Cabane des Rognes sector.

Three ski fatalities in the Northern Alps

2008-03-14T22:37:00Z

It has been a good winter for avalanche incidents in France with just 6 confirmed deaths. This record low can be attributed to the lack of snowfall and stable anticyclonic weather. This week winter was back with 30 to 80 cm of snow falling above 2200 meters accompanied by strong north-west winds. Enough to raise the avalanche risk to High early in the week. It was still Considerable today with a return to clear skies and sunny weather.

Aiguille Rouge, scene of fatal avalanche today

Dynafit Zzeus boots and Manaslu Skis

2008-03-07T08:31:00Z

Last year’s splash with the introduction the Zzero ski touring boot range (amongst other goodies) would be a hard act to follow so Dynafit has opted for broadening and deepening its line-up by moving into Freeride territory with the Zzeus boot and Mansulu skis.

Dynafit Manaslu