A 69 year old man has been killed after falling from cliffs below the Crêtes d’Argentière close to the ski resort of Valloire in the Maurienne valley. He had set out alone on Monday morning on a ski tour of the area.
His body was found at around 2,500 meters altitude. It appears that he fell while climbing in icy conditions. Ski tourists use specially adapted skis to climb mountains. They are fitted with lifting heels and skiers glue special climbing skins to the base of the ski to give traction when climbing. In icy conditions it may be necessary to use a special ‘crampon’ attachment fitted to the skis or bindings.
The victim was a resident of the Bauges. His relatives became concerned when he didn’t return on Monday night. The mountain police from Modane found his car parked in the ski resort. There have been a number of similar accidents over recent days. In part this reflects the start of the main ski touring season but the very high daytime temperatures over the last week and clear night skies could be making the ski touring conditions treacherous.
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