French Avalanche And Off Piste Accidents 2003 2004

Avalanches > Accident Statistics > 2003-2004

The following table is a summary of the winter sports accidents recorded by PisteHors.com for the 03-04 season. This covers a nivological year, that is from the 1st October 2003 to the 30th September 2004.

An analysis of backcountry and off-piste accidents for the 2003-2004 season is available for download.

Date Injuries Deaths Range Department Location Experience Activity Cause Remarks Rescue Nationality Time altitude Aspect Risk
30/Oct/03 0 1 Alps Hautes-Alpes Col de la Rouannette Snow Shoeing Avalanche Transceiver French 13h00 2400 n/c
30/Oct/03 1 0 Alps Isère Côte Belle Experienced Ski Touring Avalanche Transceiver French 2450 N n/c
30/Oct/03 0 1 Alps Haute-Savoie Avoriaz/Arare-les-Crozats Mountain Police Ski Touring Avalanche Skiing Alone Probe/Mobile Phone French 2000 n/c
01/Nov/03 1 0 Alps Savoie Tignes/Gd Motte Off Piste Snowboarding Avalanche Pisteurs British n/c
20/Nov/03 0 1 Alps Savoie Tignes/Gd Motte Off Piste Skiing Fall crevasse/head injuries Pisteurs German 3300
24/Dec/03 0 1 Alps Isère Les Deux Alpes/Poutran On Piste Fall ice Pisteurs 14h00 3100
24/Dec/03 0 1 Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées Gavarnie Off Piste Skiing Fall 80 meters n/c
28/Dec/03 0 1[1] Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées Gèdre Climbing Avalanche Spanish
29/Dec/03 0 1 Alps Savoie Tignes/Tufs Couloirs With Instructor Off Piste Skiing Avalanche Impact with rocks Transceiver British 12h30 2500 NW 3
29/Dec/03 1 1 Alps Savoie Val d'Isère/Gd Vallon Off Piste Skiing Avalanche Triggered by boarder Probe/Dogs French 16h00 3
29/Dec/03 0 1 Alps Haute-Savoie La Clusaz/Balme Off Piste Skiing Avalanche Triggered by skiers Dogs French 15h30 2400 NW 2 to 3
29/Dec/03 1 1 Alps Haute-Savoie Flaine/Gde Platière Off Piste Snowboarding Falls fissure GB/FR 18h45
10/Jan/04 1 2 Alps Savoie Tignes/Tufs Off Piste Snowboarding Avalanche Carried into lake Dogs/Probe French 16h45 2100 NW 4
10/Jan/04 0 1 Alps Savoie Val d'Isère/S. Santons Experienced Off Piste Snowboarding Avalanche French 2450 4
10/Jan/04 1 0 Alps Savoie Val d'Isère/Fornet Off Piste Skiing Avalanche broken femur 4
12/Jan/04 0 1 Alps Haute Savoie Chamonix/ Aiguilles Rouges Off Piste Skiing Avalanche alone body found 3/May American late 4
19/Jan/04 0 1 Alps Savoie Ste Foy/Col de l’Aiguille Piste Patrol Off Piste Skiing Avalanche Securing Piste Transceiver French 16h00 2500 4
19/Jan/04 0 1 Alps Isère Les Deux Alpes Off Piste Skiing Fall 30 meter fall in bad viz. Belgium late
20/Jan/04 0 1 Alps Alpes-Maritimes Auron/Mont Ténibre Instructor Ski Touring Avalanche No probe/shovel Transceiver French 12h00 2
25/Jan/04 0 1 Alps Savoie Tignes With Instructor Off Piste Skiing Avalanche Transceiver Belgium 3
25/Jan/04 0 1 Alps Isère Les Sept Laux Off Piste Skiing Fall 100 meter fall French
26/Jan/04 1 1 Massif Central Auvergne Chalmazel On Piste Skiing Collision head injuries French
17/Feb/04 0 1 Alps Savoie Méribel Young Off Piste Snowboarding Fall British 14h30
21/Feb/04 0 1 Alps Savoie La Rosière Local Ski Touring Avalanche PGHM French 12h00 1950 3
21/Feb/04 0 2[2] Alps Isère Allevard/Refuge Oule Local Ski Touring Avalanche No Transceiver PHGM/Friends French 12h00 1800 2
22/Feb/04 0 2 Alps Savoie Val-Premont/Pralognan Local Snowshoeing Avalanche Experienced CAFiste PGHM French 2100 3
23/Feb/04 0 1 Alps Savoie Valloire/Sétaz Off Piste Skiing Avalanche parallel to piste Piste Patrol 3
29/Feb/04 0 2 Alps Isère Grand Rousses/Alpe d'Huez Off Piste Snowboarding Fall slipped on steep slope Dutch 2150 S
07/Mar/04 0 1 Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées Aure/Pic de Cuneille Local/Young Ski Touring Avalanche PGHM/Friends French 12h00 2400 3
12/Mar/04 0 1 Alps Isère Vercors/Corrençon Cross Country Fall off piste
15/Mar/04 0 1 Alps Haute-Savoie Mont Blanc/Mont Vallet Off Piste Skiing Crevasse alone/seen by witness
23/Mar/04 1 0 Alps Hautes-Alpes La Grave/Girosse Ski Touring Crevasse Alone/30 hrs in Crevasse PGHM Czech
27/Mar/04 0 1 Alps Haute-Savoie Mont Blanc/Vallée Blanche Ski Touring Crevasse Separated from friend PGHM 3000
30/Mar/04 0 1 Alps Haute-Savoie Mont Blanc/Gd Mulets Ski Touring Crevasse Separated from group PGHM Polish 3200
01/Apr/04 0 1 Alps Hautes-Alpes La Grave Experienced Off Piste Skiing Avalanche head injuries Witnesses French 16h00 3100 N 3
06/Apr/04 0 1 Alps Isère Alpe d'Huez/Sarenne   Off Piste Skiing Fall   CRS Danish        
13/Apr/04 0 1 Alps Hautes-Alpes Orcières-Merlette Gendarme Off Piste Skiing Fall Fall skiing alone   French        
16/Apr/04 0 2 Alps Hautes-Alpes Monetier-les-Bains   Climbing Avalanche   PGHM/Dog Italian     N 3
24/Apr/04 0 1 Alps Hautes-Alpes La Grave Elderly Off Piste Skiing Fall 200 meter slide            
27/Apr/04 0 1 Alps Savoie Valloire/Crêtes d’Argentière Elderly Ski Touring Fall Alone PGHM French        
16/May/04 1 0 Alps Savoie Couloir Whymper/Mt Blanc   Snowboarding Fall fall in first few meters Witnesses/PGHM   08h00 4000    
17/May/04 0 1 Alps Savoie Col du Galibier Tourists Walking Avalanche Snow Clearance PGHM Dutch 18h30 2600   2 (est)
30/May/04 1 1 Alps Haute-Savoie Couloir Gervasutti/Mt Blanc Ski Instructor Ski Touring Fall cornice/sérac collapse PGHM French 10h40 4200 N 2 (est)
5/Jun/04 0 1 Alps Savoie Aiguille du Grand Fond   Ski Touring Fall Alone Ski Tourist French        
13/Jun/04 0 1 Alps Savoie Grande Casse/Face Nord Local/Young Ski Touring Fall Slide on north face PGHM French 12h00   N  
10/Jul/04 0 2 Alps Savoie Mont Blanc du Tacul Local Guide Climbing Avalanche Terrain trap/fresh snow PGHM Fr/Dutch 14h00 3900 N warning
21/Sep/04 1 1 Alps Haute-Savoie Mont Maudit/ Mont Blanc Dutch Climbing Avalanche Collision with Rocks PGHM Dutch 19h30 4000   n/c

Avalanche Fatalities By Activity

Ski Touring   6
Off Piste Skiing   7
Snowboard Touring   0
Off Piste Snowboarding   3
Snowshoeing   3
Climbing   5
Walking 1

[1] The climber was over the border in Spain
[2] The second victim was reported as having died a few days later in hospital due to injuries received

Avalanche Deaths to Date: 24 (26). The second figure includes two avalanche deaths which are either unconfirmed or occurred outside France. An avalanche of alpine proportions hit the south face of the Chasseral in the Swiss Jura on the 31st January 04. The avalanche was triggered by off piste skiers or snowboarders at 12h40. The slide measure 400 meters and the crown was 1.5 meters deep. Fortunately nobody was buried by the slide but it proves that even areas like the Jura can be dangerous under the wrong conditions.

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