Two skiers were killed in separate avalanche accidents on Monday in the French Alps, highlighting ongoing instability in the snow-pack despite generally moderate avalanche risk levels.
The first accident occurred on Monday afternoon in the Belledonne massif, in the department of Isère. A 38-year-old skier from the region was swept away by a large avalanche in the area of Lac de Crop, on the commune of Saint-Agnès. The incident took place shortly before 4 p.m. on a steep north-east-facing slope, where a 500-metre-long avalanche released in a narrow couloir near the Grand Replomb sector.
The victim was skiing off-piste with a friend when both were caught by the slide. The second skier managed to escape and was later rescued by mountain police after becoming stranded in rocky terrain. He was winched to safety by a CRS Alpes helicopter. Hikers in the area and the surviving skier raised the alarm.
Despite being equipped with an avalanche transceiver, the buried skier was found dead by rescue teams from the CRS, supported by two helicopters, including Dragon 38 from Alpe d’Huez and a gendarmerie aircraft from Savoie. The body was recovered by a CRS unit based in Modane. The victim was described as "very experienced".
According to the avalanche bulletin for the Belledonne massif, the danger level was rated 2 (limited) above 1,700 metres on west-, north- and east-facing slopes. Forecasters warned, however, of buried weak layers in high-altitude north-facing terrain and the possibility of small wind slabs forming near ridgelines under southerly winds. In rare cases, surface slabs could trigger deeper, more destructive avalanches.
A second fatal avalanche struck the same day in Montgenèvre, in the Hautes-Alpes. A skier in his early thirties was killed by what prosecutors described as an “avalanche of very large magnitude” while skiing off-piste above the resort. A companion who was with him at the time was unharmed.
The incident brings the number of avalanche-related deaths in the Hautes-Alpes to three in just three days. Over the weekend, two ski tourers were killed in an avalanche near Saint-Véran.
The avalanche risk in the Montgenèvre area was rated 3 (considerable) above 2,000 metres. Authorities warned of widespread instability on east-, north- and west-facing slopes due to persistent weak layers buried beneath wind-affected snow. These slabs, often difficult to detect, could be triggered by a single skier and result in medium to large avalanches, particularly above 2,300 metres.
Mountain rescue services are once again urging skiers to exercise extreme caution, carefully assess local conditions, and avoid steep off-piste terrain, even when avalanche risk levels appear moderate.