chamonix

Tragedy in the Karakoram: Legendary French Steep Skier Guillaume Pierrel Dies in Avalanche on K6

Pierrel French death Pakistan k6

The global mountaineering and steep skiing communities are mourning the loss of Guillaume “Gee” Pierrel, who died following a devastating avalanche on K6 (7,282 m) in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range Wednesday morning, June 24. According to preliminary reports from local Hushe Valley authorities, the 43-year-old French mountain guide and extreme skier was caught by a sudden slide of snow and rock during […]
Post Tag for AvalancheAvalanche
Martin Kuprianowicz |
0 Comments

We Are Still Skiing Steep Lines In Powder In May In Chamonix, Trying Not To Die

chamonix

This Conditions Report is from Thursday, May 7, 2026. “No one went left. There’s a reason!” Janne shouted back at me. We were now approaching the rappel into the Cosmiques Couloir just a stone’s throw away from the Aiguille di Midi—a mountainous transport vessel of mythical status that offers those brave enough access to one of the most incredible alpine […]
Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Martin Kuprianowicz |
0 Comments

Whympr Becomes Only App to Offer Comprehensive Italian Mapping Access with New 4Land Integration

dolomites Whympr

Chamonix-based outdoor platform Whympr has announced the integration of 4Land Italian maps into its mobile application, significantly expanding its topographic coverage of the Italian Alps and surrounding regions. Effective April 15, 2026, the update provides detailed mapping for essential outdoor territories including the Dolomites, Aosta Valley, and Tuscany. Related: Whympr Introduces the Most Detailed Winter Mountain Maps Ever Built for […]
Post Tag for Industry NewsIndustry News
Martin Kuprianowicz |
0 Comments

French Duo Shaves 2 Minutes Off Mont Blanc Speed Record in Grueling Round-Trip Pursuit

French alpinists Samuel Equy and Mathéo Jacquemoud have etched their names into the history books of Western’s Europe’s highest mountains, setting a new round-trip Fastest Known Time (FKT) on 4,810-meter (15,766′) Mont Blanc. Starting from the iconic church in the center of Chamonix, the pair ascended to the summit and returned in a staggering 4 hours, 41 minutes, and 24 seconds. […]
Post Tag for ClimbingClimbing
Martin Kuprianowicz |
0 Comments
"
"

Search Underway for Missing 21-Year-Old Skier Near Chamonix, France—Mountain Rescue Seeks Public Assistance

French mountain rescue is asking the public for help locating a 21-year-old skier who went missing Friday, March 13, in the mountains above Chamonix, France. Related: Missing Skier Found Deceased After Overnight Search at Northstar Resort, CA The PGHM Chamonix (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne), the elite mountain rescue unit responsible for the Mont Blanc Massif, issued a call […]
Julia Schneemann |
0 Comments
"

Chamonix Guide Legend Ross Hewitt Shares Narrow Escape from Avalanche on Monte Bianco Skyway, Italy, That Left Him with Shattered Pelvis

For nearly thirty years, Ross Hewitt has been the personification of longevity in the world’s most unforgiving terrain. A Scottish-born, Chamonix-based mountain guide and former subsea construction engineer, the 49-year-old built a career on stacking the odds and treating steep skiing as a meticulous art of risk management. But in late January 2026, the probability he often spoke of finally […]
Martin Kuprianowicz |
0 Comments

Large Avalanche Sweeps Across Pistes At Flégère In Chamonix, Injuring 3 Skiers

A large avalanche roughly D3 in size roared down from steep terrain above the Floria T-bar at the Flégère ski area at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, crossing multiple groomed runs and burying skiers, prompting a major emergency response that was still unfolding late in the day. The slide released from rocky slopes above the lift and swept across at […]
Post Tag for AvalancheAvalanche
Martin Kuprianowicz |
0 Comments
"

SnowBrains Podcast Ep. 103 | Dave Searle – Chamonix IFMGA Mountain Guide

SnowBrainsPodcastLogo_3840x2160_S6Ep.103_DaveSearle(compressed)

Our guest today is Dave Searle – mountain guide, deep mountain thinker, and someone who has built his life around moving through wild places with purpose. Dave has spent years guiding in serious terrain, helping people travel safely and confidently in the mountains while also developing a thoughtful approach to risk, decision making, and what it really means to operate […]
Post Tag for Featured VideoFeatured Video
Play Video
Podcast |
0 Comments

[VIDEO] IN COLD BLOOD & by Heart | An Intimate Freeride Film with Victor de Le Rue

IN COLD BLOOD” is an intimate mountain film told through the inner voice of a rider torn between fear and obsession. As he moves between high-stakes competitions and raw backcountry adventures, we witness a search for balance between adrenaline and family, ambition and peace. No interviews, no showboating—just one man’s honest dialogue with the mountains. A visual and emotional journey […]
Post Tag for BackcountryBackcountry
Play Video
Avatar photo SnowBrains |
0 Comments
"

French Alpinist Vivian Bruchez Becomes First to Climb and Ski All 82 of the Alps’ 4,000-Meter Peaks

4000 m peaks alps

French mountain guide and ski mountaineer Vivian Bruchez has become the first person to climb and ski all 82 summits over 4,000 meters (13,00 feet) in the Alps—a feat that has taken more than two decades, dozens of partners, and an unwavering commitment to both athleticism and alpine ethics. On June 20, Bruchez summited Pointe Marguerite (4,065 meters, 13,337 feet) […]
Post Tag for ClimbingClimbing
Martin Kuprianowicz |
0 Comments
"

New Speed Records Set on Mont Blanc by French Athletes Benjamin Vedrines and Elise Poncet

Mtl Blanc sunrise alps chamonix

In a historic week for high-speed alpine ascents, two French athletes have claimed new Fastest Known Times (FKTs) for skiing ascents and descents of Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest peak. On May 24, 32-year-old French mountaineer Benjamin Vedrines completed a blistering round-trip from Chamonix to the 4,809-meter (15,777-foot) summit of Mont Blanc and back in 4 hours, 54 minutes, and […]
Post Tag for ClimbingClimbing
Martin Kuprianowicz |
0 Comments
"

La Sapinière: Convalescing in Style at the Chamonix Chalet Hotel with the Best View of Mont Blanc in Town

Chamonix

An image of a beautiful young blonde woman with big breasts wearing nothing but bright-red ski boots and clinging to the side of a snowy cliffside flashed across the projector screen in the panoramic breakfast hall of the La Sapinière Hotel, just up the grassy hill from downtown Chamonix. “There’s nothing wrong with this!” Gary Bigham blurted to the audience […]
Post Tag for Featured ArticleFeatured Article
Martin Kuprianowicz |
0 Comments

Snowboarder Dies in Crevasse Fall on Vallée Blanche in Chamonix, France

Vallee Blanche death

A snowboarder in his fifties died on Monday, March 17, after falling into a crevasse while descending the Vallée Blanche near Chamonix. The man was riding with a professionally guided group when a snow bridge collapsed beneath him, sending him nearly 30 meters (100 feet) into the glacier below, according to Chamonix.net. Related: American Ski Mountaineer Rescued by Helicopter with […]
Avatar photo SnowBrains |
0 Comments