8+ Dead in Avalanche on Mont Blanc du Tacul

**Idris** · 08-24-2008, 12:21 PM

3am this morning a huge avalance sweped mont Blanc du Tacul.

Reports were of 37 people being carried off by the avalanche, most were quickly found suffering from various injuries. 8 or more still missing when the search was call off this afternoon due to more avalanche risk.

Pics I took of the scene while out on the hill today

It was blody scary to look at let alone think what it must be like being tumbled that far

More at

http://www.bergredding.nl/wp-content...lanc-small.jpg

http://pistehors.com/news/ski/commen...or-8-climbers/

**huckasoreass** · 08-24-2008, 01:30 PM

Wow, that sucks. It's a little hard to tell from the photos, but did it look like purely serac fall or was there any new snow? There's that line running laterally from the serac, but I'm guessing that's not a recent crown, too, because it doesn't seem like there's any debris...

That is really gnarly. I can't imagine watching hundreds of tons of concrete rolling at you and a whole line up of climbers.

**Scottish_Skier** · 08-24-2008, 03:09 PM

Very unfortunate and sad.
Not much you can do about Serac falls either...

Guess the route would have been really busy with climbers leaving the cosmique to make an early start on Mont Blanc at that time also.

**huckasoreass** · 08-24-2008, 03:24 PM

Just checked out a motion shot from when Davenport, Stian and Christian Pondella hiked up that route in May, and there were 44 people (including them) directly exposed to the same serac that collapsed. With the number of people that march up there on a daily basis, it seems there was no good time for that to go.

What a shame. Oddly enough, when I first went through that footage I wondered how often things release above people on that approach.

**skier666** · 08-24-2008, 06:53 PM

That shot from afar makes it hard to tell....but then you realize the shear size Mt. Blanc by using your second pic as comparison. An avalanche is one thing, but solid chunks coming at you is another....positive vibes +++++++++++

**Franz Klammer** · 08-24-2008, 07:22 PM

It's big news in the Austrian media as 5 Austrian climbers are presumed dead. Terrible news.

**Ripzalot** · 08-25-2008, 04:58 AM

OMG that sucks. weird, we were biking yesterday with a full view of mt blanc on the horizon. probably looking over those same climbers somewhere on that white.

+++vibes to their families.

**geo039** · 08-25-2008, 05:20 AM

+V+I+B+E+S+

**HuckSolo** · 08-25-2008, 07:42 AM

major vibes to the families and everyone involved

**verbier61** · 08-26-2008, 01:50 AM

tom, thanks a lot for sharing these pics. damn damn damn

**edg** · 08-26-2008, 07:00 AM

Originally Posted by huckasoreass

What a shame. Oddly enough, when I first went through that footage I wondered how often things release above people on that approach.

People are killed in the same spot pretty much every year.

2008

2007

2006

Can't find a report, but 3 Brits were killed in summer 2005.

Sad stuff.

edg

**H-man** · 08-26-2008, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by Franz Klammer

It's big news in the Austrian media as 5 Austrian climbers are presumed dead. Terrible news.

Sadly verifed. My friend and Austrian guide Andy lost one of his best friends in this accident. Another Austrian guide from the Zurs area I believe if I follow his e-mail about it correctly.

RIP