A 21 year old climber has been killed and another suffered knee injuries in an avalanche on the West side of the Gerbier mountain near the ski resort of Villard de Lans in the Vecors mountain range. The victim was part of a group of 7 students accompanied by a high mountain guide. They were intending to climb the Double Brèche du Gerbier, a popular route. The wind slab avalanche occurred at 9h30 at around 1750 meters altitude on the North-West approach slopes at the top of the combe Charbonnière. The victim was buried by the avalanche. A team of rescue workers and an avalanche dog were transported to the scene by two helicopters. Recovered in a state of cardio vascular arrest the young man was finally flown to the Grenoble University hospital at the end of the morning after medical treatment. He died later in hospital.
Double Brèche du Gerbier, archive photo
The avalanche risk was 2 (moderate) above 1700 meters, 1 (low) lower down. The bulletin warned of some small slabs close to ridges and on NW to NE slope aspects formed by wind blown snow over the preceding days and not easy to trigger. There had been 15cm of snow on Tuesday.