A third skier has been killed in the French Alps this week despite calls for prudence from the authorities. The latest incident was in the ski resort of Vars which had just opened. It appears the 55 year old man had taken the Crête de Chabrières from the top of the ski lifts and engaged in a steep east facing couloir near the flying kilometer piste at around 2500m. The two other fatal incidents were on Monday at Sauze (Enchastrayes) and Wednesday at the Pic Blanc du Galibier (Savoie). The three incidents occured within a radius of 40km. The snowpack in the area is unstable and there have been other skier triggered avalanches, fortunately without serious injury.
Rescue helicopter visible at the foot of the couloir yesterday evening
The alert was given by the victim's wife at 15h30 who was waiting lower down. The rescue services arrived around 15h45, first the local piste patrol followed by the mountain rescue helicopter with an avalanche dog and handler. The victim was not wearing a beacon. The avalanche dog was able to localize the victim but he was already dead.
The avalanche risk was High (4/5) above 2000 meters altitude with a generalized risk of skier triggered avalanches at altitude. The bulletin warned of the possibility of large, skier triggered avalanches on NE to NW slope aspects due to 60cm of recent fresh snow and a persistent weak layer and reccommended "great care" to anyone venturing into the mountains. It should be noted that although the couloir in this incident was east facing the snow was largely in the shade which would have increased the risk of weak layers forming.