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Four dead in Val d'Isere avalanche

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Grim news today from Val d'Isere:

Piste Hors

Radio Val d'Isere
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Sad Sad Sad Very, very, sad. Interesting to note that the local report says that "snowless" years are often more dangerous. When my son did a season there a few years ago he had told us, early on, that because the snow cover was so very thin, he wasn't about to risk breaking his snowboard and was staying on the piste. We were very relieved, the more so when two young Brits were killed not long after, when the snow cover was still very thin. I wonder which "independent" ski school that was?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
rob@rar, grim news indeed Sad
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pam w wrote:
I wonder which "independent" ski school that was?
Top Ski, being led by Didier Moreau who apparently survived the avalanche.
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rob@rar,

Another bad day for skiing. Avalanche risk 3 with warnings of 'risk of slab avalanches on north/ northwest slopes'
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Can only imagine what friends, relatives and Didier Moreau must be going through right now, deepest sympathies to all those directly affected.
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Is it the same area as the one on Boxing Day? it read on piste-hors as though it was, not sure?
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Markymark29, I think it is broadly the same area, but not the same slope.
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Skied with Didier in the past, very nice guy. Hope he is ok. I think their guides usually wear ABS packs.
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Markymark29, I believe the avalanche on Boxing Day was close to the centre of the 'Vallon de l'Iseran' bubble lift. Today's avalanche is described as in the 'Vallonnet' area, which is just above Pont St Charles. So both are in the 'Fornet' sector of Val d'Isere, but not close together.
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Sad 1 English, 1 Swede, 2 French skier, are dead, My mind for this time to their families,, I was arrived this morning, to Tignes, , I was not realised that the dead swede was same age as me,, so I have just contact worried familymember in sweden, and france,,,
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
rob@rar, On the les Arcs website under avalanche risk, it says 'Marque'. What does that mean Puzzled

http://www.lesarcs.com/meteo
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genepi it means considerable or level 3 (out of 5)
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
genepi, literally ' Marked', as in a marked risk - significant might be a better translation
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
To remember,, most skier and snowboarder are in avalanches when there is a 3,, they dont realise the danger,, and thats have inkluded me to Embarassed
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
__________


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 13-01-11 11:46; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
The English guy was a colleague.
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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?
Michelle,
Quote:

The English guy was a colleague.
don't know why, but when I saw that facebook thread you posted on, I wondered that. So sad.

I thought I'd conquered my fear of the idea of doing more off-piste: feel really scared again now.
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Michelle, Sad
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8252887/British-man-among-four-people-killed-in-Val-DIsere-avalanche.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12164692
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Michelle, really sorry to hear that.
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Michelle, how awful Sad sorry to hear that and commiserations to the family.
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Last edited by After all it is free Go on u know u want to! on Thu 13-01-11 11:47; edited 1 time in total
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Gideon, I complet agree with you,, I have ski Tignes today, as U say, lovely powder. so safe it can be, near the slopes
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Sympathies to all concerned with the Val D'Isere tradgedy.
I'm in Tignes at the moment and witnessed a big slide taking one person on the right hand side of the upper bowl as you look up on the Chardonnet late this morning as we went up the Merles chair. I called it in to the Pisteurs but have seen no news of it...we were unsure whether the guy got out as our view was obscured as the lift went up... but it was big and v fast - loose snow slide.I'm hoping that no news is good news.
Touch wood he made it. Stay safe to all out there.
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Gideon, who is guiding you out of interest?
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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.
Michelle, Sad very sorry to hear that.
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Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much on Thu 13-01-11 11:47; edited 1 time in total
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
________


Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Thu 13-01-11 11:48; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Gideon, I think your comments about the actions of the guide in this case are premature and unfortunate.

Interesting to hear you suggest that your guide considers that slope isn't safe... And glad you have found a guide you trust and feel is safe. But wasn't Wayne Watson himself involved in guiding a party only two weeks ago in which a British skier died in a slide? I am sure the AE guides are great. But plenty of experts seem to think the same about Didier Moreau. Now both of them have got tragically caught - so let's not play "my guide is safer than your guide" eh?

I am no expert - but I do recognise that there are some whacky snow layers out there at the moment, and that the terrain we like all like to ski - ie 30-40 degrees - can avalanche.

The number of ski guides and avalanche professionals who do die, sometimes with just really bad luck, prove that anyone who thinks he can, with knowledge and the right attitude completely mitigate the risk of getting caught, is kidding himself, and probably has a attitude problem.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
From that video footage looks like it stepped down to the ground (possible depth hoar?) from a slope overload

"The fracture occurred at the 6th passage skier skiers carrying the 5 down. "

why was the guide at the top and why did he let 6 people out onto that slope?


Looks to have crossed the road and lucky not to have got anymore groups in the area.
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Agree with Stoatsbrother entirely.
But there does seem to be an issue with that area - the Boxing Day slide was totally unexpected as confirmed by the pisteurs comments. This one looks to be on a very similar slope - location, angle, orientation etc and also looks to be a full depth avalanche. There is clearly a weakness there and everybody in that area will be ultra cautious from now on.

As long as we want to ski off piste there will be risk - we pay the Guides to take us to areas that we would not go alone. I certainly would not want to be a Guide in Val at the moment.

I am off next weekend to 3V and I am worried about skiing off piste at all. I will certainly be taking extra care.

But we all love it, want to do it and will continue - just look at the Insurance discussions ......... the holy grail of good Off Piste without a Guide Insurance....... and who buys on-piste skis these days ?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 13-01-11 11:48; edited 1 time in total
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There clearly are different risks in different ares - it will be interesting to see what Henry has to say - he has promised a review of the tragic avalanche tomorrow.
As one of the AE guides, he has very relevant experience.
www.henrysavalanchetalk.com
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Even in this post [now deleted] you are making a clear allegation...I find such speculation/pre-judging of the issues distasteful. But of course it's very common on 'tinternet - viz the Jo Yeates case. Sad

Edited to remove reference to a now deleted post.


Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 13-01-11 12:20; edited 1 time in total
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Gideon, I don't know all the facts - I am waiting for the results of experts to tell me what happened and why.

You did - in your post - and your subsequent one clearly imply that the guide's decision making was wrong, on a Google-Searchable forum. I suspect you are the person who has opened themselves to risk of defamation here.

Just to QFT in case you edit your posts you said:

Quote:
Don't let it put you off. .****** chunk of post removed after Gideon did the decent thing and deleted it****. There's lots of really great, safe off piste terrain with lovely snow for you to enjoy, but it's important to be with a conservative guide who you know and trust.

Quote:
I ski with Wayne Watson from Alpine Experience, and would recommend any of their guides.

Quote:
The Vallonet slope is the same aspect as the Boxing Day slope, which continued to slide in the same area, even after that accident, giving some insight into how the snow pack was behaving.
There was recent snow/rain fall on the Vallonet slope.
There is a lot of depth hoar snow all over the region.
The Vallanet slope is about 1000m long with virtually no safe islands, and has a big drop off to a road in the middle.
The Val d'Isere meteo, posted outside the Tourist Office, warned of slabs at this altitude and aspect, that could be triggered by one or more skiers.

******** chunk of post deleted after Gideon deleted contentious element*******


******* chunk of post deleted after Gideon withdrew his statement*****

I think bad things happen in the mountains - and we should do what we can to learn from them - and it is hugely premature to suggest any of the guides involved in these incidents have made poor choices. The lessons form the Aviation industy are that no-blame investigation works best as a learning tool - with disciplinary action only if there are really culpable errors.

Can I ask straight out whether you have any connection - other than as a paying client - with Alpine Experience?


Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 13-01-11 13:35; edited 1 time in total
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Can I ask straight out whether you have any connection - other than as a paying client - with Alpine Experience?

Good grief that's a ridiculous question and I will no longer be part of this discussion.
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Gideon, I think that is a wise decision, as is withdrawing your contentious posts.
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