Some ski instructors take classes down closed runs. Like I said to my friend who told me their instructors have been doing it this week....your insurance is not valid if you are on a closed run, but then you won't need it if you are dead.
Very easy to judge what happened here, thoughts go out to the families involved. Their kids are in the hands of experienced people. Just goes to show that things can go wrong.
If kids are missing, it not good news :cry:
Les Deux Alpes Tragedy
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I thought it looked familiar but was confused by the name - didn't this used to be the "Grand Couloir"?
In which case IIRC, yes, it's steep, a natural funnel with exposure to steep slopes on both sides and it ends in a terrain trap - which would account for the depth of the debris (reported as 7-8 metres). A must-do pitch when the snow's good (soft and stable) but not where you want to be any other time. :(
Jeez; looking at the piste map, there are five pistes named Bellecombes. Bellecombes 2 is a Blue that goes left from the top of the chair, Bellecombes 5 is the Black to the right. Poor vis, fading light at 4pm, steamy goggles... mistake black for blue (assuming it wasn't clearly marked closed with a barrier), right name, wrong piste? :(
Group on a school trip in L2A for the week; ten teenagers and a teacher (from the Dauphine report) so not a ski school, no.
None wearing transceivers.
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Started by Michelle63 in Avalanche Safety 13-Jan-2016 - 21 Replies
Iceman
reply to 'Les Deux Alpes Tragedy' posted Jan-2016
The Northern Monkey. Jan'23 Les Arcs
Dobby
reply to 'Les Deux Alpes Tragedy' posted Jan-2016
Heart goes out to all concerned.
As Michelle says, this is a tough piste. It is a gully/couloir which is very steep, has steep sides and gets badly bumped-up. Its old name used to be *something* couloir. It scared the wotsits out of me just looking at it from the chairlift. Not clear whether the avalanche was caused by the skiers themselves or whether it was snow from adjacent slopes which caused the problem. I think that this piste/area is prone to avalanches because of the steepness of the slopes.
As Michelle says, this is a tough piste. It is a gully/couloir which is very steep, has steep sides and gets badly bumped-up. Its old name used to be *something* couloir. It scared the wotsits out of me just looking at it from the chairlift. Not clear whether the avalanche was caused by the skiers themselves or whether it was snow from adjacent slopes which caused the problem. I think that this piste/area is prone to avalanches because of the steepness of the slopes.
Admin
reply to 'Les Deux Alpes Tragedy' posted Jan-2016
dobby wrote:Its old name used to be *something* couloir.
I thought it looked familiar but was confused by the name - didn't this used to be the "Grand Couloir"?
In which case IIRC, yes, it's steep, a natural funnel with exposure to steep slopes on both sides and it ends in a terrain trap - which would account for the depth of the debris (reported as 7-8 metres). A must-do pitch when the snow's good (soft and stable) but not where you want to be any other time. :(
The Admin Man
Dobby
reply to 'Les Deux Alpes Tragedy' posted Jan-2016
Admin, you are right. That's the slope I think. LDA renamed all the pistes a few years ago to make things, erm, easier. Apparently.
Admin
reply to 'Les Deux Alpes Tragedy' posted Jan-2016
dobby wrote:LDA renamed all the pistes a few years ago to make things, erm, easier. Apparently.
Jeez; looking at the piste map, there are five pistes named Bellecombes. Bellecombes 2 is a Blue that goes left from the top of the chair, Bellecombes 5 is the Black to the right. Poor vis, fading light at 4pm, steamy goggles... mistake black for blue (assuming it wasn't clearly marked closed with a barrier), right name, wrong piste? :(
The Admin Man
Iceman
reply to 'Les Deux Alpes Tragedy' posted Jan-2016
I thought they were with a ski school? That not the case?
Things must be bad when another Ava that has people buried and getting heli off the mountain is not a big news story :(
Things must be bad when another Ava that has people buried and getting heli off the mountain is not a big news story :(
The Northern Monkey. Jan'23 Les Arcs
Admin
reply to 'Les Deux Alpes Tragedy' posted Jan-2016
Iceman wrote:I thought they were with a ski school? That not the case?
Group on a school trip in L2A for the week; ten teenagers and a teacher (from the Dauphine report) so not a ski school, no.
None wearing transceivers.
The Admin Man
Iceman
reply to 'Les Deux Alpes Tragedy' posted Jan-2016
Ah, my mistake.
Oh dear.
Oh dear.
The Northern Monkey. Jan'23 Les Arcs
Topic last updated on 14-January-2016 at 23:04