Avalanche Kills 7 Climbers in French Alps An avalanche killed seven climbers and injured one in the Pelvoux region of the French Alps today. This was the deadliest avalanche in the Alps this year. The avalanche happened at about noon local time on teh 13,000-foot Dome de Neige des Ecrins (snow dome of Ecrins). It was initially believed that 5 people had died in the avalanche. “The toll has increased – seven people have died.” – official […] Avalanche SnowBrains | September 15, 2015 0 Comments
VIDEO: Speed Rider Slides Chairlift Cable This is nuts. Speed Rider Valentin Delluc slides an out-of-use chairlift cable while ski-gliding down the mountain. The 22-year old frenchman has been skiing his whole life, and started paragliding at age 11. It was only a matter of time before the two came together… From Valentin’s vimeo (translated from French): WARNING: This slide into speed riding is very complicated and dangerous to carry !!! It really does not try to replicate this kind of thing . Only after thousands and thousands of hours of practice I could envisage making this slide . The […] ameliatraynor | April 9, 2015 1 Comment
Line of the Winter | Leo Taillefer Frenchman Leo Taillefer shreds his home mountain of Val d’Isere for GoPro’s Line of the Winter contest. Taillefer has some serious love for Val d’Isere: I traveled the last 7 years for skiing. I did USA, Canada, South America, Sweden, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia, and after all trips, I come back [to] Val d’Isere and I see that’s the best place for me. – PLANKS Clothing athlete profile. The good stuff starts at about 1:03. ameliatraynor | April 2, 2015 1 Comment
Ski Instructor Charged with Manslaughter in Avalanche Death A ski instructor in Val d’Isere has been charged with manslaughter, following the death of his client in an avalanche in December 2010. The avalanche occurred off-piste in the โcouloir des pisteursโ on the north face of the Charvet. The two men were carried 400 meters by the slide, and while the instructor managed to stay above the snow, his client was completely buried by the avalanche. Thanks to an avalanche beacon, he was found after 20 minutes. The client was already in a state of cardio-vascular arrest, and was airlifted to […] Avalanche ameliatraynor | March 16, 2015 1 Comment
Skier Clipped by Plane, Suffers “Near Amputation” A Polish woman was seriously injured Thursday when she was hit by a plane careening down the slopes of Avoriaz in the French Alps. The ski-equipped Jodel single-prop plane failed to take off from a snowy high-altitude runway near the ski area, and the pilot was unable to stop the plane as it slid into resort bounds. The plane skirted a group of children and slid under a chairlift before clipping a 55 year old Polish woman with its propeller, almost completely severing her hand. Emergency services reported that she suffered a โnear […] ameliatraynor | March 16, 2015 2 Comments
VIDEO: Aussie Skier Rescued After Burial in Swiss Avalanche January 30, 2015 – Les Crosets, the Swiss-French border. Australian skier James Mort and his three friends were just a week into their month-long ski trip when a storm brought more than three feet of fresh snow in a 48 hour period. Although the avalanche risk was a 4/5, the men were eager to make up for the dry conditions during the week prior. After spending most of the day playing it safe, they decided to head off-piste for fresh tracks in a wooded line known amongst locals as a safer option due to its short length and low pitch […] Avalanche ameliatraynor | March 12, 2015 0 Comments
Weekend Death Toll Rises to 5 in Alps | 28th Avy Death in France A male skier in his 50s was killed in an avalanche on February 22nd, 2015 in the French Alps. He was skiing with three other skiers when the avalanche struck. All four were caught in the avalanche. Two of the surviving skiers were severely injured in the slide and one woman was uninjured. The avalanche occurred at 1:30pm at an elevation of 1,700m (5,577-feet) in the Taillefer range of the French alps near the town of Val d’Isere about 25 miles south of Grenoble. This was the 28th avalanche death in France this winter. There have been 25 avalanche deaths in Switzerland this year. There have been over 80 avalanche deaths in Europe this year. […] Avalanche SnowBrains | February 25, 2015 0 Comments
Making the Epic Pilgrimage to Legendary La Grave, France La Grave, France is every passionate skier’s dream come true. La Grave is raw. It’s expansive and unbridled. There are no ropes, no boundaries, nor limits in La Grave. You do what your soul wills and your decisions are your own. To travel to La Grave is a required pilgrimage for every die hard skier and snowboarder. The key to enjoying the raw beauty of La Grave is riding with someone who knows the place inside and out. La Grave mountain guide […] SnowBrains | January 30, 2015 1 Comment