With Meteo France warning of the possibility of skier triggered avalanches and after a period of strong southerly winds, rapidly warming temperatures and fresh snow you could fear the worst. In fact the day passed without serious injury, except to the dog of the Grand Plan refuge who was killed by a large snow slide.
Yesterday at 11h00 the gardian of the Grand Plan refuge near Courchevel was hit by a slide in the combe des Avals killing his dog.
At Valmorel an English skier was buried under a meter of snow after triggering a snowslab. She was rescued by units of the CRS des Alpes from Courchevel (mountain police) suffering from mild hypothermia and shock. The skier was with her dad and brother when the siblings ducked ropes in the Combe de Roche Blanche sector to ski a wind loaded ridgeline. The accident occured at 12h30. The victim was found using Recco reflectors in her ski boots.
In the Maurienne at Valmeinier an off piste skier was buried by an avalanche late in the afternoon under the col des Marches. A skier was quickly recovered by the pisteurs but a large rescue operation was put in place after fears that another skier had been buried. The missing skier had in fact escaped the slide.