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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    9,300ft
    Posts
    22,543

    13 caught, 4 killed, Armacette near Mont Blanc, 4/9/23

    4 killed, 9 others caught/injured, near Mont Blanc, 4/9/23

    They were touring. Guides among them...

    Massive slide with debris field 500m x 1000m

    Click image for larger version. 

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    https://www.reuters.com/business/env...ps-2023-04-09/

    Video from town here shows massive powder cloud: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65227410
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    cb, co
    Posts
    5,195
    Saying 6 killed now. If that footage is from the actual slide, it's a wonder anyone survived.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    SLC burbs
    Posts
    4,413
    Got a call from my mom yesterday morning and I could tell from her voice that something bad had happened. One of the guides was a childhood buddy of mine, all around awesome person, pillar of the local community, and father to a young kid to make things even worse. Every time I'd go home I'd plan a couple outings with him and it was always a riot, he had the best energy and was the exact opposite of the guide cliché. He was equally happy taking beginner clients on meadow skipping days or getting into seriously gnarly terrain and doing first descents. My last outing with him was in the same zone the slide happened, Ms Boissal and I got to rip pow turns with him all the way down the glacier while looking down at the valley I grew up in.

    The conditions have been dismal over there this season but they've been getting some snow lately and things were apparently settled and considered safe, avi risk 2/5. The slab is an absolute monster, over 1600' wide, ran over 5000' down, you can see it from all over the valley. There were over 100 people at the hut people spend the night to do this particular peak, apparently it was super busy and a lot of people can count their blessings today as there were parties ahead and behind.

    This slide path has a bad habit of going huge, a few years ago it went to the valley floor (3500m down to 1200m) and ripped everything to shred on the way down. There was a massive engineering project done to mitigate the risk of torrential flood as it comes right out in the middle of the village and could potentially destroy multiple houses. Last year it slid again in the spring and while it didn't make it all the way down it flattened out every tree within 100 yards of the slide path itself and stopped at the top of the cow fields within 300' vert of the road. The carnage was something to behold...

    RIP Clément and the other 5 victims, and vibes to all involved. The local community is reeling from this one...
    "Your wife being mad is temporary, but pow turns do not get unmade" - mallwalker the wise

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    5,013
    Geez...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    11,962
    Fuck

    Sorry Boissal. Vibes to you and his other friends. And his family and kid.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    SLC burbs
    Posts
    4,413
    Some pictures and details:
    http://www.data-avalanche.org/avalanche/1681060778618

    The valley got a dusting from the powder cloud, 8000' below the crown. Oooooooooof...
    "Your wife being mad is temporary, but pow turns do not get unmade" - mallwalker the wise

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    France
    Posts
    3,440
    Thank you for your insight, Boissal.
    That's a terrible accident. I'm very sorry for your loss.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    cow hampshire
    Posts
    8,904
    Horrible. That was a massive slide. Geezus.
    RIP to all and sorry for your loss Boissal.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    in the brew room
    Posts
    2,382
    Damn! That's horrible. Sorry Boissal.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Denver
    Posts
    1,119
    the scale of that is mindboggling.

    My thoughts go out to you, Boissal, and everyone else impacted by this.

    Would this be considered a D5 avalanche?

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    9,300ft
    Posts
    22,543
    Probably D4

    Boissal my condolences
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Manhattan Beach
    Posts
    1,502
    I reached out to our Cham guide Brice via whatsapp when I heard this and he's ok but knew both guides pretty well as one would guess.

    I asked if there were any fundraising efforts for the families and will post here when I find out. Tragic stuff.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Not in the PRB
    Posts
    33,947
    So sorry, Boissal.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    N side, Terrace, BC
    Posts
    5,413
    Condolences Boissal. Sounded like a great guy. Heart goes out to all affected by this.
    “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.”
    ― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

    www.mymountaincoop.ca

    This is OUR mountain - come join us!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    1,292
    Condolences Boissal

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    173
    A terrible tragedy to be sure, vibes being sent to Europe, and rest in peace.

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