Avalanche
At least six people were killed in avalanche accidents across the French Alps this weekend, as dangerous snowpack conditions persisted despite repeated warnings from authorities. Three skiers died on Saturday, followed by three more fatalities on Sunday, January 11, in separate incidents across Savoie and Haute-Savoie.
The deadly weekend unfolded amid Level 4 and Level 5 (“high” and “extreme”) avalanche danger across most Alpine massifs. Météo-France and regional authorities urged “extreme vigilance” from Friday onward and strongly advised against off-piste skiing. Despite these warnings, pisteur-secouristes reported widespread disregard for safety advice. Rescue professionals expressed frustration at the number of skiers heading into the backcountry without essential equipment such as shovels, beacons, or knowledge of avalanche alerts. Frédéric Bonnevie, president of the Association of Slope Safety (ADSP) and managing director of lift operations in Orelle, criticized the level of “non-compliance with instructions” in a video message on Facebook.
On Saturday, December 10, three skiers were killed in two separate avalanches in Val d’Isère and Arêches-Beaufort. In Val d’Isère, two French skiers died after being buried under 2.5 metres (8 feet) of snow, according to a statement from the resort’s tourist office. The alarm was raised by members of their group who remained on the piste and became concerned when the pair failed to return. Despite rescue efforts, both victims could not be revived.
A third skier died later that day in an off-piste avalanche at the Savoyard resort of Arêches-Beaufort. Two skiers were swept away at around 2 p.m.; one suffered a serious head injury and was hospitalized, while the other died despite attempts by rescuers to resuscitate him.
Sunday proved equally grim. Five avalanches resulted in three deaths and two injuries in Courchevel, La Plagne, and the Vallorcine area near the Swiss border. In La Plagne, a British skier in his 50s was buried by an off-piste avalanche early in the afternoon. The resort said 52 rescuers, avalanche dogs, and a helicopter were deployed. The victim was located after 50 minutes under 2.5 metres (8 feet) of snow but could not be revived.
Earlier on Sunday, another skier was found dead after being buried by an avalanche in Courchevel, one of France’s largest and busiest ski resorts. A third fatality occurred in the Vallorcine sector of Haute-Savoie.
In Orelle, two brothers in their twenties were caught in an avalanche while skiing off-piste without avalanche transceivers. One was seriously injured. Although they were skiing close to marked runs, Bonnevie stressed that proximity to pistes does not reduce the risk: “There is no small or large off-piste. Even a few meters from a marked and secured slope, you are in danger.”
Another avalanche near Tignes on Sunday swept away a snowboarder, who was later found partially submerged in a lake and transported to hospital suffering from hypothermia. Météo-France had warned that under Level 4 conditions, “the passage of a single skier can trigger large-scale avalanches.”
The hazardous conditions also disrupted travel across the region. Around 800 people were forced to spend the night from Saturday to Sunday in emergency shelters and gymnasiums in Moûtiers, a key access hub for Savoie ski resorts. A further 29 people sought emergency accommodation in Val Thorens, while about 40 passengers were stranded overnight on a bus en route to Arc 2000 Ski Resort.
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