Industry News
A Norwegian snowboarder fell to his death on Tuesday, March 12, while boarding at the famous Swiss resort Verbier, which is part of the 4 Vallées ski area. According to the police report, the snowboarder and his friend were traveling outside the marked piste, when one person fell and slipped over a rocky cliff. The accident occurred around 3:20 p.m. Rescue workers could only determine the death of the 39-year-old snowboarder.
The pair were boarding at around 2,720 meters (8,924 feet) of altitude below the Col de Gentianes when the tragic accident occurred. The boarder slid down a rocky cliff for over 330 feet. It is unclear whether they were aware that they were traveling outside the marked area. 4 Vallées has a large, marked freeriding area and as such is a regular feature on the Freeride World Tour each year.
Verbier and the 4 Valleys are the biggest combined ski area in Switzerland, with 410km (256 miles) of linked pistes accessed by 93 ski lifts. The ski terrain stretches from 1,250 meters (4,101 feet) to  3,330 meters (10,925 feet) and is only two hours from Geneva International Airport.
The police are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.
