Where to Ski And Snowboard - Skiers caught in Courchevel avalanche

Skiers caught in Courchevel avalanche

19th April 2022, by Abi Butcher

Lolie Terrac's two daughters were swept off their skis by a slide on Combe de la Saulire

A French man skiing with his daughter in France filmed a wet snow avalanche taking out two young skiers on the piste in Courchevel at the weekend.

At 10:30am on Saturday morning, Gerard Jean-Claude Clarey was filming his daughter skiing behind him on Combe de la Saulire when he inadvertently caught on camera the wet snow slide from above which swept two young skiers off their feet.

The skiers had been standing to the side the blue piste, with their mother, and were unhurt after the incident, though were clearly shaken up.

Mr Clarey posted the video (which you can watch in full below) on YouTube and Facebook with the caption: “Waoo…Nature is beautiful but can be deadly…Courchevel on April 16th 2022 at 10:30am…understood right away both young girls were fine and the mama did an amazing job.”

Later, mother of the two children caught in the slide, Lolie Terrac, commented on his post: “It was me and my daughters jostled by this avalanche” and confirmed the children suffered “more fear than harm”.

The ski season ends in Courchevel this Friday and was boosted two weeks ago by heavy snowfall. But this, combined with the warm ground below and high temperatures over Easter weekend, caused precarious conditions.

But once again, as Mr Clarey says, nature — and the mountains — can be deadly. Even in the most carefully controlled ski areas.