A 29 year old trainee Spanish guide has been killed by an avalanche while climbing la Canaille ice fall in the Ecrins mountain range above Mônetier les Bains. The 300 meter route leads to the Tête de Sainte Marguerite (2796 meters) and was first climbed in 1987. The victim was carried around 100 meters and buried by the slide. He was accompanied by four other people including two French guides.
The guide has been named as David Garcia. The avalanche occurred at 2400 meters altitude around 12h30. The body of the victim was found by rescuers attached to the PGHM (High Mountain Police) in Briançon. The rescue operation was extremely hazardous due to poor weather and secondary avalanches in the sector. The four survivors did not suffer any injuries and were air lifted by the rescue helicopter. The avalanche risk was Considerable at the time of the accident. On the 13th of March local guide Damien Charignon was killed skiing off-piste on the Prorel close to the scene of today’s accident and in April 2004 two Italian climbers were killed by an avalanche in the goulotte du Casset in the same sector.
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