After the deadliest start to the ski season for 15 years in the Swiss Alps an article in Swiss newspaper Le Matin warns that the avalanche situation is so bad that even pros don't want to go off pi

The last few days of 2013 have seen quite a few avalanche accidents, in part due to the number of holiday makers in the mountains, in part due to the current conditions.

The CRS des Alpes in Briançon has issued the following warning: The snowpack in the Hautes-Alpes is particuarly unstable at the moment, something that is at odds with what you may read in the avalanch

Despite early season snow, conditions have been a bit poor in recent weeks outside of open ski runs where cold night weather has enabled some snowmaking.

Conditions at the moment are similar to the start of the 2005 / 2006 season which saw a record 57 avalanche deaths in France. A thin snow-pack with very strong temperature gradients.

Roof avalanches can be a serious danger. In Texas a woman managed to catch the exact moment slabs of snow slide from this roof.

One thing you couldn't fail to miss today in the Belledonne Mountains were copious quantities of surface hoar crystals on any shaded slopes and between 1200 - 2000 meters, maybe higher but that is

Early season snowpack is what can turn a normal avalanche season into hell and damnation and it is something that is worth watching very closely.

Ryan Guess of Black Diamond equipment introduces the Black Diamond Jet Force Halo avalanche airbag.

In a long interview given to Antoine Chandellier the father of Courchevel ski instructor and trainee guide Grégory Costa, killed a year ago today in an avalanche in Nepal, criticises the state of comm