Two big beasts in the ski mountaineering world have perished in separate avalanches last Thursday in Valtournenche, Italy. Emmanuel Cabau, known to readers as the author of a number of popular guide books and high mountain guide Simona Hosquet, the first Italian to repeat the Matterhorn by the Bonatti route.
Ski touring in Italy, rescue workers started searching for Mr Cabau on Friday after he failed to contact his wife. His car was found parked at Valtournenche. His body was discovered on Saturday morning by Italian rescue workers under 150cm of snow in Val d’Ayas using a signal from his avalanche beacon. He was identified by papers in his rucksack. He was killed by an avalanche from the Bec di Nana (3010 meters).
Emmanuel Cabau was the author of a series of four ski touring guide books covering the Savoie, Isere, Hautes-Alpes and Alpes du Sud for Olizane press. A resident of Voiron near Grenoble he was 48 years old. Married since 1991 with Isabelle they have an 8 year old son. His wife praised the professionalism of the Italian rescue services. She said her husband "he lived 3 or 4 lives and knew the mountains very well with a a knowledge of snow forged on the ground over 25 years but he was caught inspite of everything." His brother in law remembered a man who was humble despite having visited most of the mountains of the world, someone who did not boast of his exploits which included a first linking of three Himalayan summits of over 6000 meters. His death has stunned the mountaineering community.
At the same time just 1km away well known female guide Simona Hosqeut was part of a group of a dozen skiers that were hit by a large powder avalanche above Chenil. Hosquet, who holds the rank of Corporal in the Italian army was leading clients. She was taken 500 meters down the mountain by the slide and died as a result of injuries sustained in the fall.
Hosquet was the first woman to become an Italian army ski mountaineering instructor in 2007. She actually started out as a cross country skier, part of the winning relay team in the Italian national championships. She had taken part in a number of expeditions including Aconcagua in 2011 and was the first Italian to repeat the Matterhorn by the Bonatti route.
(article originally published on 8/2/2014 but delayed for additional fact checking)