A young French skier died on Saturday, May 9, after an avalanche swept through the north face of the Aiguille du Plan in the Mont Blanc Massif, according to the High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon (PGHM) of Chamonix, France.
The accident occurred around 12:30 p.m. on May 9 as three French skiers, aged between 20 and 25, were descending the steep north face of the mountain. The group reportedly triggered an avalanche while moving through the terrain, and one skier was swept away by the slide.
Rescue crews later found the young mountaineer dead at the bottom of the face.
The two remaining skiers became stranded midway down the face after the avalanche and were unable to continue safely. Rescue teams from the PGHM evacuated both skiers by helicopter with assistance from Choucas 74. They were transported to the Sallanches Hospital Center for evaluation.
PGHM said all three skiers were equipped with avalanche transceivers at the time of the accident.
The north face of Aiguille du Plan is one of the more serious ski descents in the Chamonix massif, known for its steep terrain and highly variable snow conditions. Spring avalanche cycles remain a hazard across the Alps after recent snowfalls and with warming temperatures continuing to destabilize snowpacks.
It is the second fatal avalanche in as many days, after a mountain guide died on Friday morning, May 8, while climbing the north face of the Aiguille d’Olan, in the Écrins massif. According to initial information, the men triggered a windslab avalanche just 20 meters (66 feet) from the summit. The avalanche swept him around 400 meters (1,300 feet) down the mountain.
This takes the avalanche death toll in France to 34 this season — the deadliest in five years. In 2020-21, a total of 40 avalanche deaths were recorded in France.
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