Avalanche
Industry News
JP Auclair and Andreas Fransson are being confirmed dead in an avalanche in Chile by the National Office of Emergency of the Interior Ministry of Chile. They had been missing since Monday afternoon before they were found lifeless this afternoon by Chilean police forces.
They went missing while climbing, skiing, and filming on 12,159-foot Mt. San Lorenzo (2nd highest peak in Patagonia) near the city of Cochrane in the Aysen area. This is a remote area in Chilean Patagonia (far south Chile).
The avalanche reportedly swept them 2,300-feet down the mountain when it hit. Two other skiers were with the JP and Andreas when the avalanche occurred. It’s unclear if they were in the avalanche or not at this point, but they survived.
This team of skiers arrived at Balmaceda, Chile on the 26th of September. On the 27th, they began climbing 12,159-foot Mt. San Lorenzo on the Chilean-Argentine border.
The two bodies were found by Chilean police using helicopters. Chilean police forces reached the bodies today and confirmed that they were both without life.
JP Auclair was a sensational professional freeskier from Canada, part of the original Canadian Air Force, co-inventor of the twin tip ski, and co-founder of Armada skis.
Andreas Fransson was a famous ski mountaineer from Sweden who is the only person to have ever skied the South Face of Denali, Alaska.
Mt. San Lorenzo Information:
Monte San Lorenzo, also known as Monte Cochrane, is a mountain on the border between Argentina and Chile inPatagonia, reaching a height of 3,706 metres (12,159 ft).[4] The Chilean name of Cochrane comes from the nearby town of Cochrane where climbers often approach the mountain. The peak was first climbed by Alberto María de Agostini in 1943.
The mountain is covered by three large glaciers (two in Argentina and one in Chile). The Argentine glaciers show clear evidence of retreat. – wikipedia
JP and Andreas will both be sorely missed by the skiing community. Our condolences to the entire skiing world.
RIP to these two fine men, as a Canadian really choked to hear about JP Auclair he was a legend in Canada. I once has a severe spill in Lake Louise during a white out, they closed down the mountain and we had to ski out. I went off a run to fall for what seemed like forever, knocked unconscious covered in blood. I said to myself as I was falling, at least I would go doing what I really loved the most, downhill skiing. It made me feel better and think they felt that too,
Condoléances aux familles et amis , ils sont partis en se faisant plaisir, je les envies . Dommage encore jeunes, j’aimerais aussi partir avec ma planche sous les pieds , j’aurais aimé qu’ils se rendent a mon age 70 ,, cet hiver j’ai eu la chance d’avoir 2 + pieds de belle poudreuse le 24 aout au chile . Bon voyage et a plus les amis Bernard Rouleau
Ma pensée va avant à tout à ses proches….
I’m stunned, truly gutted
they died doing what they loved RIP
Mourning is spelled with a u in the middle – just to keep it on the same page, thanks
And the old French addage – Extreme skiing, if you fall you die. I was thinking today, there are a variety of ways to fall. Rip in Peace, you rippers
The mountains call… and we go.
The dangers aside there is a peace to being out there.
I do not envy that they have passed, and my most sincere condolences to the families/friends, however to die in such a majestic place doing what they loved most is the best one could hope for in my opinion. If you must go before your time may you go doing the thing you love more than life itself.
My deepest condolences to the friends, family and loved ones. May the JP and Andreas RIP. Many blessings.
This is so f-ing sad……. Those guys were incredible….
why do all the greats have to die? shane ,CR, Doug Coombs, etc ?
Because the wouldn’t be great unless they took the risks they take.