Over 30cm of fresh snow have really improved conditions on the G.O. with a marathon 78km stage on the Praz de Lys - Sommand plateau where Jean-Philippe Pontier improved his lead position.

The mushers and their dogs set out under driving rain on another technical leg. A modified 46km course from Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval to Morillon.

Sunday's stage of the Grande Odysees was won by Radek Havdra's team. Havdra is from the Tcheque republic and had already won the Grande Odyssée twice.

The prolog of the 10th edition of the Grande Odyssée dog sled race got under-way today at Samoens in the Haute-Savoie in front of 7000 spectators.

Like me, you may remember the black and white children's TV series from the 1960s about the adventures of a boy (Sébastien) and his Pyrenean sheep dog (Belle).

It is already the 10th edition of the internationally famous Grande Odyssée dog sledding race. The 30 mushers and their dogs will cover a thousand km over eight stages.

Trail runners Emelie Forsberg and Killian Jornet were rescued by the PGHM late on Saturday after becoming exhausted on a climb of the Frendo spur on the north face of the Aiguille du Midi.

At 80 years old Yuichiro Miura became the oldest man to summit Everest today.

A British skier has been killed ascending the Aiguille du Midi (3753 m) ridge late yesterday evening. His friend was able to reach the safety of the cable car station.

After four nights in the open at nearly 4000 meters altitude hopes of finding 21 year old Gaëlle Cavalié were getting slim.