The 2013/2014 season saw 18 fatal avalanche incidents with 21 deaths in France. Well below the 30 year average.

La Clusaz may have opened the Balme sector of its ski area two weeks early on the 22 November but since that glorious week-end it has been a stressful start to the season for the resort director Pierr

It all seemed so positive last weekend. We were ski touring in the Belledonne. The resorts of Alpe d’Huez, la Clusaz, Montgenevre and Courchevel had opened ahead of schedule.

A little bit of snow science in the lab and in the field. The engineers are looking at a particular type of weak layer formed by surface hoar (aka frost).

It is not just the Alps that are having some strange weather (cold and snowy at altitude with continuing avalanche risk above 3000 meters) Australia is also being hit by some big storms with almost 4

In case you missed this last winter a look at how cats could take over from dogs searching for avalanche victims in the backcountry. A video about one man, several cats and a dream.

The Swiss Snow and Avalanche Research Institute has published its review of the 2013/14 snow and avalanche situation.

Winter started relatively early in 2013. The first permanent snow fell in the first half of October at altitude with a major storm cycle early in November.

A large natural avalanche caught six ski tourers, seriously injuring two in the Combe à Marion near the ski resort of la Clusaz a little after 11h00 on Sunday morning.

Two snowshoers have been killed and another injured on Saturday afternoon in the Ariege region of the French Pyrenees close to Rabat les Trois Seigneurs. They were hit by a 300 meter long slide.