Avalanche
News relating to avalanches. Check the Avalanche Bulletins when planning a trip outside of open ski slopes.
Wednesday, 25 October, 2006
An Analysis of French Avalanche Accidents for 2005-2006
The winter of 2005-2006 was the deadliest since 1970 term of French avalanche deaths. 55 people were killed in the five month period from December to April with a further two deaths in August on Mont-Blanc. Last winter the number of fatalities was double the long term average and the number of fatal accidents was nearly three times the average. In our fourth annual review of backcountry accidents we analyse the accidents and snow conditions that were behind this exceptional winter.
Avalanche at Piau, November 2005 - © Jerome Buc
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Thursday, 14 September, 2006
Montroc avalanche, last legal lap?
The last legal lap in the Montroc avalanche may finally have been run in Grenoble’s Administrative Court this summer, more than seven years after the events that killed 12 people in their homes in the hamlet of les Poses. Four sets of claimants, relatives of the deceased as well as the commune’s insurer AXA sought significant damages against Chamonix and the French state for their role in the tragedy.
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Saturday, 19 August, 2006
Two climbers killed by Mont Blanc avalanche
Ten climbers, including a high mountain guide, have been hit by an avalanche on Mont-Blanc shortly after 1pm today. Two men, both French nationals resident in the Jura, were killed by the slide. The other climbers were Swiss nationals, all members of their country’s alpine club. Two were seriously injured and another two escaped with minor injuries.
Mont Blanc du Tacul. Photo: Daniel Carollo
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Thursday, 17 August, 2006
Mountain of debt for Tignes avalanche families
In April 2005 PisteHors reported the death of two snowboarders in a massive avalanche on the north face of the Grande Motte glacier. Sam Harber and James Rourke, both in their mid-twenties were doing a season with tour operator VIP Snowline. It was supposed to be their final run before returning to the UK. Mr Rourke’s body was discovered under meters of snow and ice the following day. Mr Harber’s body was only found 2 months after the accident when the avalanche debris began to thaw. Now the families are being threatened with a bill of over £20,000 to cover rescue costs.
North face of the Grande Motte
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Thursday, 13 July, 2006
Val Thorens avalanche families long wait for justice
At around 3pm on the 21st of November 1992, an avalanche triggered by a cornice fall in the ski resort of Val-Thorens, hit the open Jean Beranger ski piste. Ten people were buried; only three were dug out alive. Following the incident the resort was accused of doing “too little, too late” in its response and yesterday, after 14 long years, a Lyon court agreed with this view.
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Saturday, 29 April, 2006
Fewer fatalities in the Haute-Savoie in 2006
Despite the worst season for avalanche accidents in France since 1971 there has been a drop in the number of rescue missions in the Haute-Savoie and a decrease in the number of fatalities in the mountains compared to last season according to figures released by the Haute-Savoie prefecture. The Haute-Savoie includes the Mont-Blanc range, the highest mountain in Western Europe and a magnet for extreme skiers and mountaineers.
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Sunday, 23 April, 2006
Italian killed by Mont-Blanc avalanche
A Italian woman has been killed by an avalanche this afternoon on Mont-Blanc while touring on skis. The accident occurred at 15h00 in the Grandes Jorasses sector close to the Leschaux hut. The sector can be accessed from the Leschaux glacier which joins the Mer de Glace. There have been 55 avalanche deaths this season in France.
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Thursday, 20 April, 2006
Lucky Escape in Glencoe Avalanche
PisteHors.com readers may be interested in an avalanche that occured in Glencoe in Scotland. It ties in with the slab avalanche mechanics story in that the group had already skied the slope when the slide occured. The victim did not have an avalanche transceiver was recescued alive after15 minutes burial under the slide. The group did not have shovels, probes or transceivers. The accident occured on April 8th
Pictures and further information can be found here:
Davy Gunn
Glencoe
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Sunday, 09 April, 2006
Avalanche on the Bellecôte
Two skiers have been hurt in an avalanche on the Bellecôte at la Plagne today around midday. The accident happened at 2500 meters altitude in the Couloir Pepin under the Dôme des Picherès. The victims were part of a group of eight skiing off piste at the time of the incident.
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Thursday, 06 April, 2006
Slab Avalanche Mechanics
A couple of points have come up in the avalanche incidents we have reported this winter. For example, why nothing happens when all conditions seemed to be satisfied for an avalanche and why does a slope suddenly slide that has already been skied by a dozen or more skiers? Researchers François Louchet and Alain Duclos gave some answers to these questions in a paper published in The Avalanche Review this winter. The article suggests a four stage release mechanism and has met with a lot of interest from avalanche professionals.
Snow slabs
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