Mountain rescue services have been busy in la Grave. Tuesday afternoon the PGHM helicopter had to fly from Grenoble to pull 9 people out of the 1000m Orcière couloir when they found that their abseil rope was too short. Same procedure today at 7.30pm when the PG from Briancon had to rescue four Brits who had attempted the couloir without a rope. Obviously not PisteHors.com readers (see links below)

http://pistehors.com/backcountry/wiki/Hautes-Alpes/La-Grave-Off-Piste-Map
http://pistehors.com/backcountry/wiki/Hautes-Alpes/Girose-Glacier

A 31 year old French skier slide to his death in the Orcière yesterday around 15h00.

Same could be said of the Italian climber who was killed snow shoeing back from the Super Couloir unroped on the 10th:

http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/2011-03-10.htm

On the 9th a skier broke his pelvis after a 20m fall into a crevasse on the Argentiere Glacier

http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/2011-03-09.htm

On the 3rd the PGHM were called out 10 times including 2 crevasse rescues in the Valley Blanche.

http://www.chamonix.net/english/news/2011-03-03.htm

be careful out there !

Bit more info on the la Grave death. The PGHM was only informed of the accident when they rescued the stranded Brits who had witnessed the fall. The victim was staying in les Deux Alpes and wanted to ski down to la Grave but as has already happened in the past lost his way on the traverse over. He was accompanied by a friend and they engaged in the Orcière, blocked by unfortunately named “Nous irons tous au paradis” (we are all going to heaven) icefall he slide on ice at the entrance and fell 250 meters to his death.

Two Finish skiers were hit by a snow and ice slide triggered by séracs in the couloir Cordier under the Aiguille Verte in the Grands Montets sector of Chamonix today. One victim was buried by the slide, the other carried into a crevasse. The couple have lived in Chamonix for a number of years. The woman suffered knee injuries, the man was killed. They intented to climb the couloir Couturier. Serac falls are generally considered to be unpredictable but the hot weather may have been a factor.

Three more skiers whinched out of the Orcière yesterday. They should put a ladder in !

http://www.chamonix.net/francais/actualite/2011-03-17.htm

watched the PGHM collect these poor sods this morning - tough job

Alan Scowcroft - 18 March 2011 07:26 PM

http://www.chamonix.net/francais/actualite/2011-03-17.htm

watched the PGHM collect these poor sods this morning - tough job

Tough job indeed. I recently read the book “au dela des cimes” by JJ Mollaret who headed the PGHM in Cham from ‘65 to ‘75 before, I guess, cracking a bit under the strain of picking up dead bodies the whole time. The book is quite simple harrowing.