Unfortunately, these types of tragic incidents are recurrent in the region.
This Saturday, February 17, a snowshoe hiker died at the end of the day.
The 28-year-old man fell several hundred meters above the Bossons Glacier, reports France Bleu Pays de Savoie.
The accident took place near the town of Chamonix.
Rescuers from the Chamonix High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon (PGHM) were mobilized at the end of the day.
They arrived around 5:30 p.m., too late to save the victim.
The sportsman was hiking alone in the direction of the Pyramides chalet.
He slipped more than 300 meters, his fall was fatal.
“Dramatic accident”
With France Bleu Pays de Savoie, the PGHM alerted about these hiking incidents, which have become more and more frequent in recent days.
“Beyond this dramatic accident, we intervened several times for people who were technically blocked this weekend,” said one of the rescuers.
Rescuers are calling for extreme caution.
Currently, mild temperatures are encouraging more and more people to go hiking in the mountains.
The PGHM explains that even if there is no snow at the bottom, it can be present in significant quantities at altitude, depending on the slopes and exposure.
These conditions can then place athletes in difficulties.
This accident-prone period is due to several meteorological factors.
It has snowed little in the massifs in recent weeks and with temperatures characterized as "spring" in January, the snow "melts during the day and freezes at night, when temperatures are lower", Océane Vibert, director of La Chamoniarde, prevention and relief company.
As a result, “the snow turns into ice”, which in places results in particularly hard and slippery mountain sections.