Where to Ski And Snowboard - Avalanche warnings as Brit teenager dies

Avalanche warnings as Brit teenager dies

18th December 2013, by Abi Butcher

A 16-year-old has died in Lech while the Alps prepare for the most unstable snowpack conditions in 20 years. (Library pic)

A teenager has been killed in an avalanche in the ski resort of Lech, amid warnings from experts that the Alps are about to experience the most unstable snowpack in nearly 20 years.

The unnamed 16-year-old from Winchester was skiing off-piste with his father, twin brother and a ski instructor headed for Stierlochbach when a ridge of snow fell on the group around the Madloch-Fauler Stock. The teenager’s brother escaped unhurt because he was reportedly skiing a little further back from the rest of the group, but their father remains in a serious condition in hospital.

The instructor pulled the 51-year-old man from the snow after freeing himself from only a light covering. Emergency services said all three were wearing avalanche transceivers at the time of the accident, yesterday afternoon just after 1.30pm. The avalanche warning at the time was 1, the lowest.

The accident comes amid warnings of forthcoming treacherous conditions. Avalanche expert and ski instructor Henry Schniewind said earlier today that it would be “avalanche carnage” when the next snowfall arrives in the Alps.

“Normally time strengthens the snowpack, this is not the case today,” he said. “Each day has made the snowpack less consolidated, the current sugary snow is a very very weak layer… it will be very dangerous.”

Though conditions were good in late November, without any new snowfall in weeks any stability in the snowpack is being further eroded by strong changes in temperature with cold nights following sunny, spring-like conditions during the day. With a sprinkle of fresh snow expected at the end of this week and more storms expected early next week the problem is likely to worsen — the new snow will bind itself to an unstable base.

Avalanche expert and consultant Alain Duclos said “We’ve not seen these kind of conditions for a number of years across the Savoie and Hautes-Alpes. .... Anything that falls on top of this layer will be particularly unstable.”