Amongst the many missions flown by the PGHM based in Chamonix on the 11th July was the recovery of the body of a Polish climber killed after falling in the couloir du Goûter. The Goûter is the normal route to the summit of Mont Blanc from St Gervais. The climber, aged in his thirties, was leading a group of three Australians at the time of the accident.
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Three-quarters of avalanche fatalities this winter involved ski tourers according to figures from the Swiss Snow and Avalanche Research Institute (SLF). The average over the last decade has been 42%. In total 27 people have been killed in avalanches since the 21st of December 2009. The average since 1997/98 is 24 for the whole year. After a late start to the winter season the snow pack was unstable over a long period and over an extended geographical area.
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The Rescue Services in the Isère department have flown seven rescue missions in the space of a couple of hours today. Conditions were difficult for pilots with high winds and drifting snow. A series of avalanches in the Isere and Haute-Savoie have left five people dead and others injured. Sebastian Rigaud, a spokesman for the mountain police in Grenoble has advised skiers to keep off the mountains for the next few days. If skiers do go out the greatest care is needed in route choice.
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If you only listened to the mainstream press you would have the impression of a very hard winter: trains frozen in the Channel Tunnel, major highways all but impassible, ski lifts buried under snow and avalanches causing death and destruction from Scotland to Italy. With the climategate scandal you might also start to believe that global warming was just a figment of publicity hungry scientists’ imaginations. However French ski tourers had a feeling of a short winter, with very poor weather and, here they’ll agree with the media, dangerous snow conditions. With the deaths of Olivier Cordeuil and Nicolas Wirsching, Grenoble lost two of the creme of its steep skiing community to avalanches.
November snow in the Belledonne
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At some 17km the Sarenne at Alpe d’Huez is reputed to be the longest black ski run in the world. Starting on the Pic du Lac Blanc at 3330 meters it follows the Glacier de Sarenne over the first section before cutting through a rocky valley before merging with a blue run from Auris. The piste is symbolic, a powerful marketing tool for the resort.
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A system developed by a French company could revolutionize the search for people lost in mountains, even those buried under an avalanche. The device, a portable IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) catcher, developed by French company Diginext, is currently in use by the military.
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The footwear specialists of Calzaturificio Dal Bello have picked up this year’s ISPO footwear award for the LITE version of their Virus ski touring boots. The ISPO jury thought the boot was innovative, offering a better package while reducing overall weight.
Dalbello V.i.r.u.s Lite ski boot
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The Marker Tour bindings models have been awarded with backcountry awards by the ISPO jury. They found that the Tour F10 and F12 “fully satisfy the requirements for a modern touring binding.” They were impressed by the overall design, ease of use, materials and finish.
Marker Tour FT12 binding
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A 21 years old has been found alive under an avalanche after 17 hours. He was found conscious and with just mild hypothermia according to the rescue services.
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Last Saturday Gilles Durand, a 53 year old college professor and director of sports at the University of Grenoble was climbing the steep couloir des Sultanes with a friend when they triggered a slab avalanche. The couloir takes it name from the large sentinel rocks that guard the entrance.
Couloir des Sultanes
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