Wednesday, 30 July, 2008
New off piste operator for Chamonix in 2008/9
If you were wondering how to start or improve you off piste skiing skills or get into backcountry skiing you may be interested to know that the British Alpine Ski School based in Chamonix is launching a programme of off piste, backcountry and performance courses for next winter. The courses will be run in partnership with other local providers.
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Monday, 07 July, 2008
Avalanche cords make a come-back
A new avalanche safety system is about to be launched onto the market. Called the “Flash Avalanche” the system is a development of the avalanche cords used by ski tourers before the widespread adoption of avalanche beacons. The main advantage is that is consists of four cords which are only deployed in the event of a slide. Aimed at off piste skiers the Flash Avalanche will sell for 55 euros.
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Wednesday, 02 July, 2008
Mixed opinions on CDA super lift pass
Here at PisteHors we’ve never understood the problems with roaming between domains in the massive Companie des Alpes group. The CdA currently 13 ski resorts in France having recently acquired stakes in Val d’Isère, Valmorel, La Rosière. After checking the shareholders register we recently discovered that they also have a large shareholding in l’Alpe d’Huez. However skiing different days in different resorts has always been a faff. Why don’t they just sell one lift pass for the whole area?
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Tuesday, 01 July, 2008
Retrospective on the 2007-2008 ski season
2007-2008 was a comeback year for French ski resorts which posted a record turnover of 1.2 billion euros. More than 20% up on 2007 and even up in real terms on the previous best 2006 season. However with even high altitude resorts like Val Thorens covered by 50% artificial snow cover what was the season like for real skiing?
November snow
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Monday, 23 June, 2008
Avalanche in the Hautes-Pyrenees
A 68 year old female skier from Barcelona in Spain has been killed by an avalanche on Sunday in the Néouvielle range in the Hautes Pyrenees department. The slide was apparently caused by warming weather conditions.
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Saturday, 21 June, 2008
Adventure skier Jean-Noël Urban dies on Gasherbrum
News has reached us that Serre Chevalier based climber and extreme skier Jean-Noël Urban has died climbing on Gasherbrum I in Pakistan. The accident occured on the 18th of June at 5am. Jean-Noël was descending from Camp 2 to Base Camp when a snow bridge gave way.
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Wednesday, 18 June, 2008
First death of the summer season on Mont Blanc
As we have continually noted in our snow report conditions are still very unstable above 3000 meters with around half a meter of fresh snow since Sunday. An avalanche may have been responsible for the death of a high mountain guide, Patrick Monzat, late yesterday afternoon. The first death on the normal route of Mont Blanc for the summer season.
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Sunday, 15 June, 2008
PGHM celebrates 50 years of mountain rescue
The Chamonix High Mountain Police based in Chamonix have been celebrating their 50th anniversary this weekend. The Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne (PGHM) or more simply “le PG” was born out of tragedy. In 1956 two young climbers, Jean Vincendon and François Henry, were stranded on Mont Blanc in terrible conditions in full view of skiers and the world media opposite on the Brevent. Poorly equipped with unclear chains of command the rescue services consisting of guides and the army (EHM) proved powerless to help. The men were left to an agonising fate in atrocious conditions. The era of none-professional mountain rescue was over.
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Monday, 09 June, 2008
DBO
I was apprehensive when Bruno called. I knew him from Grenoble ski touring circles and wondered if I would be up to the mark. I needn’t have worried. Passionate about the mountains he was relaxed and friendly. Our destination was la Grande Chible and maybe the Pointe d’Emy. 1500 meters of ski touring so early in the season was asking a lot of me but I was pleased to be out in the mountains in pleasant company. For Bruno this would be a walk in the park.
Adieu Bruno (DBO)
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Wednesday, 04 June, 2008
Walkers killed by avalanche in the cirque de Gavarnie
Accordng to the High Mountain Police (PGHM) based at Pierrefitte Nestalas in the Hautes-Pyrénées two walkers have fallen to their deaths this afternoon in the cirque de Gavarnie. The two victims, aged in their late 50s where at the échelle des Sarradets. According to capitain Bertrand Couret, spokesman for the PGHM “it is likely that they were taken by a snow purge… there is a lot of snow above 2000 meters and the conditions are like winter with a high risk of avalanche”.
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