death

American Ski Guide from Utah Dies in Fall Near Osorno Volcano, Chile

Todd Passey

Renowned American mountain guide Todd Passey, an internationally decorated IFMGA-certified guide based in Utah, has died following a fatal fall while skiing near Osorno Volcano in southern Chile’s Los Lagos region. According to initial reporting from Chilean news station T13 and radio network Cooperativa, the accident occurred at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2026, as a guided group […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Rockfall Kills 1 Climber, Injures 3 on Mount Rainier, WA

A rockfall on Mount Rainier’s Disappointment Cleaver route killed a local Washington climber and injured three others early Sunday, July 19. It struck two independent parties climbing without guides, low on the mountain’s standard summit line. Six climbers were caught in the rockfall at approximately 11,600 feet (3,536 meters) at around 3:30 a.m., a Mount Rainier National Park spokesperson said. […]
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Matthew Oliphant |
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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 […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Skier Dies After Falling 80-Feet Into Crevasse in Jasper National Park, AB

Athabasca Glacier

A Jasper National Park crevasse death has been confirmed after a 38-year-old Revelstoke, British Columbia, resident fell approximately 25 meters (80 feet) into a crevasse on the Athabasca Glacier. According to reporting from CBC Canada, the incident occurred on May 12 while the man was skiing and snowboarding with two friends on the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park, Alberta. […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Fewer Skiers, Fewer Avalanches — But Colorado’s Trauma Deaths Held Steady

Colorado’s snow-starved 2025-26 season produced fewer skier visits, limited avalanche activity, and reduced traffic in the backcountry. Despite this, the number of trauma-related deaths at resorts across the state remained stubbornly high. Of the 13 total deaths that occurred in-bounds at Colorado ski resorts, 9 of them were trauma-related, according to a Colorado Sun report by Jason Blevins. All 9 trauma-related […]
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Quinn Brophy |
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American Woman Mountaineer Killed in Avalanche During Descent of Mount Makalu in Himalaya Mountains

mont blanc shelley johanessen

An American climber has died following a high-altitude avalanche on Makalu, the world’s fifth-highest peak. Shelley Johannesen, 59, was killed on Sunday morning when a massive slide struck her team at approximately 7,000 meters as they were descending from the summit. According to reports from Explorer’s Web and the Tourism Times, the incident occurred just below Camp 3 on the […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Skier Convicted of Manslaughter Following Fatal 2022 Collision with British Child

In a ruling handed down by the Bonneville judicial court in Haute-Savoie, France, a 43-year-old volunteer firefighter has been convicted of manslaughter following a high-speed collision that claimed the life of a five-year-old British girl. The court sentenced the man to a 12-month suspended term and ordered a payment of €165,000 in damages to the bereaved family, according to updated […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Utah Avalanche Center Caribou Basin Avalanche Fatality Final Report: Victim Had Transceiver But It Was Not Turned On

The Utah Avalanche Center (UAC) has released its final report on the February 22 avalanche that killed a snowbiker in Caribou Basin near Big Cottonwood Canyon, offering a detailed reconstruction of the accident and highlighting key lessons for backcountry travelers. “Thank you to everyone involved for sharing information. As with all avalanche accidents, we hope to learn something to prevent […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Investigation Begins Into Deadly Castle Peak, CA, Avalanche as Families of Victims Speak Out

castle peak avalanche

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA has launched an investigation into the catastrophic avalanche near Lake Tahoe’s Castle Peak that killed nine people during a guided backcountry ski trip, authorities confirmed Thursday. OSHA said it is examining the incident involving guides employed by Blackbird Mountain Guides LLC. The agency investigates workplace hazards, including accidents that […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Father Killed in Utah Avalanche While Snowmobiling with Son, Marking Season’s First Fatality

Wasatch Sunrise

One person was killed in an avalanche in Utah’s Wasatch backcountry on Wednesday, February 18, marking the first fatal avalanche of the 2025-26 winter in the state. The slide occurred in terrain between Snake Creek and Ant Knolls, an area east of the Cottonwood Canyons, officials said. Initial information indicates two people were snowmobiling when the avalanche was triggered Wednesday […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After Skier Dies in Avalanche During Mount Bailey, OR, Cat-Skiing Trip

A lawsuit was filed last Friday in Deschutes County Circuit Court and seeks over $14.5 million in damages for the death of Brian Thomas Roberts. He was killed in an avalanche on Mount Bailey near Diamond Lake, Oregon, on March 13, 2025. The lawsuit against Diamond Lake Improvement Company claims the conditions were too dangerous that day, and the guides told […]
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Avatar photo SnowBrains |
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Investigation Underway After Guest Death at Timberline Mountain Ski Resort, WV

Authorities are investigating the death of a guest at Timberline Mountain Ski Resort in Tucker County, West Virginia, following an incident that occurred on Sunday. The resort, located near Davis in the Canaan Valley region, confirmed the death in a public statement released the following day. Resort representatives said the incident is under active investigation and that no additional details […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Climber From Argentina Dies After 2,000-Foot Fall on Mount Shasta’s Wintun Glacier, CA

A 45-year-old man from Argentina died Friday, September 12, after falling nearly 2,000 feet on Mount Shasta’s Wintun Glacier, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said the victim, identified as 45-year-old Matias Augusto Travizano, was descending the mountain with two companions on September 12 when the group strayed off the Clear Creek Trail near 13,500 feet. The route, […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Months After Avalanche in Alaska’s Chugach, Recovery of 3 Heli-Skiers Remains Impossible

More than six months after a devastating avalanche in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains claimed the lives of three heli-skiers, recovery teams have been unable to bring their bodies home. The slide struck March 4 near the west fork of the Twentymile River outside Girdwood, burying three longtime friends beneath an estimated 40 to 100 feet of snow. The victims were identified […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
1 Comment

Successful Connecticut Investment Banker Dies During ‘Everesting’ Challenge at Snow King Mountain in Wyoming

A Connecticut man died earlier this month while participating in a grueling endurance challenge meant to simulate summiting Mount Everest by repeatedly climbing Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Slava Leykind, 43, of Westport, died on July 2 at an Idaho hospital after completing six ascents of the Jackson Hole ski hill during the “29029 Everesting” event, according to […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Female Backcountry Skier Dies in Nearly 2,000-Foot Fall in Banff National Park, Alberta

Banff national park

A 34-year-old Lake Louise woman died Tuesday morning after falling roughly 600 meters (1,968 feet) while skiing in a remote area of Banff National Park near Moraine Lake, according to Parks Canada, a federal agency responsible for protecting and managing national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas across Canada. The skier was part of a group of […]
Martin Kuprianowicz |
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20-Year-Old Speedrider Dies After 1,000-Meter Fall on North Face of Aiguille du Midi, France

A 20-year-old speedrider died Tuesday, May 13, after falling nearly 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) while descending the north face of the Aiguille du Midi, one of the most iconic peaks in the Mont Blanc Massif in France. The accident occurred late Tuesday morning despite calm weather and fresh snow conditions that had attracted several local thrill-seekers to the high alpine […]
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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 […]
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