A ski tourer has been killed by an avalanche around 13h today in the Chablais, the first avalanche fatality this season. He was skiing the North-West couloir from the summit of the Pic de la Corne (2084m) when he was caught by the slide. Recovered by his colleague in a state of cardio-vascular arrest he couldn't be revived despite the arrival of the mountain rescue service with a doctor. Both men were local to the area.
The avalanche risk was 3 (considerable) above 1800 meters altitude with the risk of localized soft slabs with weak layers on a wide north sector. The avalanche problem was windblown, fresh snow.
Avalanche, Combe de Tanet (photo: PGM Hohrod)
On Sunday a skier in the Vosges mountains had a lucky escape. Part of a group of three ski tourers the avalanche occured around 11h00 in the Combe de Tanet. The skier was not totally buried, probably due to his airbag and suffered no injuries apart from a lecture of the avalanche risks in the sector from the police. The risk of avalanches is not generally high in the Vosges but the mountain police had warned skiers to take great care over the weekend due to the fresh snow and high winds.