 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No safety kit and avalanche risk 4.... 
Good to hear that they survived.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Bergmeister, it should certainly be a lesson to them both. It is easy to think that skiing between pistes is safe, especially if you are young and think you are invincible.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| @Bergmeister, it should certainly be a lesson to them both. It is easy to think that skiing between pistes is safe, especially if you are young and think you are invincible. |
@Hells Bells,
Sadly, we know a couple who lost their daughter in an avalanche between pistes in Les Arcs. Tragic.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Excellent work by the rescuers.
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I saw the picture and thought immediately that they were dead. They're really, really lucky.
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Article I saw said they were on piste but the slide crossed it
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| Quote: |
Article I saw said they were on piste but the slide crossed it
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The article Idris linked says they were between pistes Rochette and Mia.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yeh I know, I have a mate who lives there who was saying the article is incorrect and they were on piste. Lucky escape regardless and a huge effort to get them
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@hang11, it would be helpful to see the article you mention.
Slightly different take in Francebleu:
https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/faits-divers-justice/savoie-une-importante-avalanche-emporte-deux-skieurs-a-la-plagne-1649523057
In this article "the two British skiers were skiing off-piste in the Grande Rochette sector, in the Savoyard resort of La Plagne, very close to the black slope of La Rochette, when one of them triggered an avalanche on Saturday 9 april."
So, according to this report: not actually on-piste but very close, and the avalanche was triggered by the skiers.
Certainly Rochette is quite steep - interesting to know if it was actually open yesterday.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sad news and sounds like a fantastic rescue effort to get the guy out in a short time. I had also read they were on the Rochette piste. It makes a huge difference as you are obviously not expected to carry anything if you’re on piste. Perhaps it’s worth carrying a transceiver for those 4/5 days even when on piste.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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If you've got a transceiver take it even if you're not planning on going off piste. Imagine if you see someone close being buried and you're thinking; "if only I'd brought my transceiver I might be able to help save a life".
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@esaw1, +1
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You know it makes sense.
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Not really, as piste skiers don't wear transceivers. I think you'd be better off carrying a mobile phone and knowing how to call out the piste patrol, if you're asking. Obviously a transceiver on its own without buddies or rescue gear is pretty pointless. Well, except for making you look hard core in the cafe, I suppose.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| philwig wrote: |
| ... Obviously a transceiver on its own without buddies or rescue gear is pretty pointless. ... |
Apart from the rare occasion when an avalanche does cover a piste - when it could just save your life.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I want to know how the one who was fully buried 1.50m deep was found without a transceiver.
Either incredible luck/good fortune or the rescue crew had a search dog!
One very lucky guy, bravo to the rescuers!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Rogerdodger, The pictures show a very well organised probe line. There is no mention of a dog in the narrative. Hats off to the rescue organisation and a good old dollop of luck.
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I assumed the photos were stock photos of a training exercise.
The article states ‘nearly 50 people and 1 canine team from the SAP were mobilized to rescue the victims.’
There still seems to be much confusion if they were on or off piste, or if the piste was closed. I was there last week, and all the blacks off the Glacier and off the top of Becoin were closed. I didn’t notice if Rochette was open or closed, but I would be surprised if it was open on a 4/5 day.
There is a new press release today, translated below.
PRESS RELEASE TO LA Plagne Management Society
"The La Plagne Tracks Service warmly thanks Dr. Delacroix, his nurse, all the monitors (trees), their clients, the staff of the RM and all those who lent a strong hand on the avalanche relief operation that took place Rolled yesterday, Saturday, April 9th, on the Rochette sector.
This collaboration made it possible to leave the victim alive. Evacuated on the CHU de Grenoble, she got out of it last night after the observation of use.
His brother was evacuated at the medical center of Plagne Bellecôte for an avalanche protocol. Verb fractures have been detected.
The carelessness of these young people going off-track at risk 4, without any experience or location material could have been fatal to them. Thanks to all of you, this ends in the happiest of ways.
Beware the slopes remain dangerous and the snow doesn't know you're experts! "
Luc Nicole
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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That, despite very dodgy translation, seems clear they were off piste. And if they were on a closed piste, that amounts to just the same thing and equally stupid.
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@sugref, "I would be surprised if it was open on a 4/5 day. "
I was thinking just that. There wasn't much open around Chamonix.
If I know, absolutely for sure, definitely, I won't be going off piste, I would never think of taking avvy kit. Trivial risk.
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| esaw1 wrote: |
| If you've got a transceiver take it even if you're not planning on going off piste. Imagine if you see someone close being buried and you're thinking; "if only I'd brought my transceiver I might be able to help save a life". |
Personally I never do. If I go on piste, there's no way I would be off piste... if nothing else because if I go on piste, I have either SG, GS or SL skis, which means there's no way I would ski with those skis off piste. If I decide to ski off piste, I take different skis, and I have full equipment with me. But thing is, 90% of people, probably more, who are skiing off piste in resorts don't have any equipment with them. No transceivers, no shovels no probes and have absolutely no idea about dangers they are facing when stepping off piste. Every single time I go off piste in resorts I'm wondering how it's possible that there's so little accidents, as people are totally clueless. Majority of people either don't know there are avalanches, or think they are safe, because they are somehow near piste, while in reality 5m off piste or 5km off piste is pretty much exactly same thing.
For those very rare occasions when avalanche comes to piste, I'm not wearing transceiver. In 40 years of skiing, with normally 100 or more days/year on skis, I never saw a single avalanche coming to piste in real life. Yes I saw few videos, but never in real life, so for that, I will take my chances, and continue skiing without transceiver.
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@primoz, I have experienced at least three avalanches going on to pistes. One of them in St. Anton missed me by a few seconds and would almost certainly have killed me. One in Kleinwalsertal came down immediately behind me and would have swept me into a river. Probably also a bad outcome...
I always wear a beacon. Doesn't cost me anything, so why not?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@primoz, it's not quite true that being 5m or 5km from the piste makes no difference re. avalanche danger. Generally, everything easy to access in resort gets thoroughly skied out in between each storm cycle greatly to helping to prevent traditional weak layers from forming. Away from resort this doesn't happen as much. I believe that this largely explains why there are relatively few avalanches involving unequipped unguided clueless skiers.
In the last week or so in the Alps there has been low density snow followed by high density snow followed by further low density snow without enough spacing to allow each layer to get skied out and high density snow on low density snow is a recipe for disaster.
One of those reports appeared to say that the buried skier had now been released from hospital which is very positive if so
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@rambotion, true and also not true. It helps with buried weak layers, but doesn't make any difference with new snow that didn't bond well with base. Unfortunately only dead guy I ever dig out was literally 5m off piste, and reason was exactly that what I wrote it doesn't make difference. Avi level was 4, about 70cm of new snow fell on icy base and didn't bond at all. I had great day off piste but taking care where to ski, while group of 4 went into terrain that was 100% sure it will go down... and it did. On top of that, those 3 idiots that avoided avalanche didn't bother to ever read manual of their transceiver, and unfortunately for that 4th guy, I came to that spot only 45min after avalanche, when they were searching only for dead body already (poor guy was out about 5min after I came there). I don't follow statistics, so I might be wrong, but just from memory of news articles, I would say in area around here (Austria and Italy, as Slovenia doesn't really have much of off piste terrain near resorts), about 50% of all casualties are off piste in resorts and other 50% are proper backcountry.
@Steilhang, you are one very "lucky" guy then  I never even saw it, much less to be involved, and I hope it will stay this way. And I hope you won't be seeing another one either
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi Everyone, I’m the 27yr old surviving victim here.
Firstly I’d like to express how incredible the piste rescue team, the helicopter staff and Grenoble hospital doctors/nurses really are. Without them I would not be breathing. Secondly many thanks to the individual who witnessed the avalanche and made a swift call that undoubtedly saved my life.
The actions from the above should be the only focus to this horrible experience, however, for peace of mind to those invested in this story I’d like to clarify a few things. Firstly, me and my brother were ON Piste when the avalanche happened, I don’t know if I ended off as a result. What’s important is that everyone learns from this and that it could happen to anyone on any resort. I appreciate all those that voiced concern and would like to express that me and brother are both physically okay and very glad to walk away from the event. I’m not looking to be active here but wanted to provide some first hand knowledge.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@TP54, SO glad you are both OK. Thank you for taking the time and trouble to post. We are often low on facts and high on speculation hereabouts, I'm afraid. Nevertheless, there is also a wealth of useful information in these pages, so welcome to snowHeads and please do stick around.
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TP54, well done for posting here. And rather brave.
Wonderful that you and your brother survived, and hopefully none the worse for the experience.
Enjoy the rest of your life 
I'm sure the discussion on wearing transceivers when on piste will continue.
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You know it makes sense.
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@TP54, welcome to s
Glad to hear you're Ok. Must have been terrifying!
Thanks for the clarification that you were on piste. Makes a difference to the story and no blame on you as a result.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
Glad to hear you're Ok. Must have been terrifying!
Thanks for the clarification that you were on piste. Makes a difference to the story and no blame on you as a result.
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+1
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Poster: A snowHead
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Looks like Luc Nicole has some apologising to do.....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@TP54, glad you are ok. As you say it is helpful for us all to learn from your experience. Are you comfortable in saying whether the piste was open or closed at the time?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Resort management companies should be responsible and give out correct information regarding on-piste or off-piste accidents, whether or not it hurts their brand or image.
In terms of serious accidents surely insurance companies will be involved and investigations pursued in order to establish whereabouts of accident victims?
Most piste skiers insurance does not cover off-piste for example.
Interested to know Snowheads experience of this…
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| ecureuil wrote: |
| @TP54, glad you are ok. As you say it is helpful for us all to learn from your experience. Are you comfortable in saying whether the piste was open or closed at the time? |
Yes the Piste was open. I caught it all on camera and multiple people were using the run, unfortately me + brother were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess thats just life. I dont blame the resort or its management, but I have learned a valuable lesson that fresh snowfall ontop of previously frozen + steep slope of a black run was the primary cause of the avalanche. From now on I aim to wear a tracker out of principle and make sure I have the resorts emergency number saved during my stay. The individual who made the first call had this number to hand which ultimately saved my life.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@TP54, In that case I would be after a pretty big and prompt apology from the resort for their libelling of you 'The carelessness of these young people going off-track at risk 4, without any experience or location material could have been fatal to them.'
And I apologise for any implied criticism in my earlier post
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@TP54, Thank you so much for posting and updating the situation. I am so relived that you are both ok. Very best wishes.
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@TP54, welcome to snowHeads and thank you for taking the time to correct the story for us. I hope you and your brother are recovering from your ordeal.
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@TP54, you're very lucky, as I'm sure you appreciate, and the rescuers did extremely well getting you out in good time!
The good news is that the chances of the same thing happening again to you and your brother are very slim, so get back on that horse as soon as you can 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@TP54, echoing the above, thanks for joining and sharing your side, and hope you both recover quickly
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Agree, thanks for an open and honest account @TP54.
Posts like yours will save peoples' lives. I know I am complacent about avalanche risk on piste, even when the risk level is high.
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FAQ
