The strong north winds and fresh snow have led to a series of avalanche incidents in the Savoie, Isère and Hautes-alpes. Rescue services have asked backcountry enthusiasts to take great care this weekend following 10 deaths in the area over the last fortnight. Strong winds over the last couple of days coupled with light snow have formed numerous slabs, particuarly above 2500 meters on south sector slopes.
This afternoon the CRS des Alpes as well as a dog handler searched a large slide in the Vaudaine sector of Chamrousse but it appears no-one was buried by the slide. Four skiers were taken by a slide in the Couloir de la Rama above St Christophe en Oisans around 3000 meters altitude. They were skiing off piste from les Deux Alps. Two of the skiers had to be rescued due to damage to their gear.
At Orelle in the Savoie a Dutch skier was buried for two hours under a slide before he was found by the piste patrol. He was not wearing an avalanche transceiver or Recco and was found by a probe line. He was taken by helicopter to hospital in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.
A 48 year old female ski tourer has been seriously injured above Monetier les Bains in the Hautes Alpes. The accident occured at 13h30 above the Route du Galibier near the tunnel (2642m). A group of three female ski tourers from the Var triggered a slab which carried them 250 meters downslope. None of the skiers was buried. There were also skier triggered avalanches in the Taillefer and Belledonne (Grand Colon faces W and N, Col de la Balmette (NE) and Brêche du frêne (S).