The Mairie de Courchevel/St Bon has just issued a statement that have imposed an enforced closure on the popular and easily accessed Les Avals valley, which is out the back of Courchevel 1650.  All access has been prohibited with the exception of the Securite.
I have been told that a large full depth slide came close to taking out the le refuge du grand plan at 16:15 yesterday.
With a week of powerful sun forecast they are obviously concerned.
The closure is set until the 3rd April.

Thanks for the warning—I skied up thru the lower Les Avals valley from Courchevel 1650 just a couple of weeks ago, to access the dramatic Dents de Portetta peaks. But I was nowhere near the Refuge du Grand Plan.

KenR - funnily enough the lower section you skinned up through is far more exposed avalanche-wise than up near the refuge - the area round Le Biol (used to be a building here which was wiped out many moons ago) and all the E and S facing slopes right the way along past Grande Val. Last spring there were some huge slides coming from Col de la Grande Pierre direction down into Biol - debris properly deep…
It’s not called Les Avals for nothing

Yep, I remember finding a party of 3 snowshoers who had been hit by an avalanche sweeping them off the access track down to the river below.  None were badly hurt but it was a sobering reminder for all.

offpisteskiing - 25 March 2012 10:04 AM

the area round Le Biol (used to be a building here which was wiped out many moons ago)

I was wondering why I didn’t see any buildings at le Biol.

offpisteskiing - 25 March 2012 10:04 AM

the lower section you skinned up through is far more exposed avalanche-wise than up near the refuge . . .
It’s not called Les Avals for nothing

Thanks for this more specific warning. Guess that explains why the mayor closed the whole valley.

KenR Yep, though where that leaves common sense & good timing (ie early should be absolutely fine… the avalanche up high was late afternoon (no surprise there)) I am not sure - I guess COurch commune have to cover their backside as the valley is easily accessed from the lifts and is also a popular snowshoe route (and promoted as such). Not sure they would be able to do anything about tourers setting off early doors to go up to the Breche or similar…

I agree with Simon, the fact that it is a popular route means the mayor has to cover his ass; especially as they promote it. The mayor has a responsibility for security in his commune and that can often mean taking decisions which seem excessive but he can be sued if he does nothing as Montroc shows.

Near me a couple of paths have been closed because there is a risk of rockfall but they’ve just built a small housing development right under one of the zones and you can see rocks in the fields! You can be fined if one of the police patrols finds you on the path - how come the police are safe though to patrol?

There do seem to be more late skiers these days. Ken and I saw some extraordinary stuff on the Pic de Bronsin last spring. A snowpack that was completely rotten, unskiable, yet people leaving the carpark on a very hot day at 11am. Ok the lower slopes are low risk from avalanche but the ski experience would have marked some of them for life.

Risk 1 on the BERA today in the area. Well I suppose it is not risk 0

is this still in effect, am coming out on the 14th for a week of touring and curious as to local conditions

lifted a while back.

(PS, Mods/forum admin the reply function seems a bit temperamental - keep writing repies, posting them and then they dissappear...)

offpisteskiing - 07 April 2012 04:48 PM

lifted a while back.


(PS, Mods/forum admin the reply function seems a bit temperamental - keep writing repies, posting them and then they dissappear...)

me too, back button seems to work then trying again.

I’ve been looking at the empty post problem today, of course when you start looking you can’t reproduce the problem. I’m not sure of the cause but it is very annoying, even for me.