Where to Ski And Snowboard - Another death in the French Alps

Another death in the French Alps

30th March 2012, by Chris Gill

Chamonix, France

A British ski tourer has died after a fall in Chamonix on Friday 30 March.

The man, reported to be 56 years old and a resident of the resort, fell on ice and plunged 100ft to his death off the Crochues-Berard traverse on the Aiguilles Rouges. The traverse is a popular ski touring route in the area and other tourers alerted the rescue services – but the skier was pronounced dead at the scene.

A mountain rescue spokesman said, “He was ski touring on hard, icy snow. He slipped and fell a considerable distance – 30 metres. We were called but there was nothing we could do to save him unfortunately.”

The news comes just days after two British deaths in another French resort, Val d’Isère. This week a school teacher fell whilst making a turn on an off-piste route; his slip caused him to plummet over 600ft. Again, the man died at the scene. And a couple of weeks ago, a British ski rep died after colliding at high speed with a snow cannon whilst on his day off from work. He was skiing on piste at the time.

With the exceptionally warm and dry March weather taking a long hold across much of the Alps, conditions have been variable and challenging both on and off-piste. Chamonix has been enjoying some of the deepest cover in the French Alps.

The teacher who died in Tuesday’s accident in Val d’Isère was tackling some particularly steep terrain on the Face du Charvet when he lost control and fell.