Latest Tragedy Strikes as British Skier Dies in La Grave French Alps Avalanche That Injures Guide and Sweeps Away Companion

The French Alps have been struck by another devastating avalanche tragedy, with a British skier among two people killed after a sudden slide swept through an off-piste group near the resort area of La Grave.

The incident adds to a growing list of deadly avalanches this season, raising fresh concerns about dangerous conditions in the mountains.

What Happened on the Mountain

The avalanche hit on Tuesday morning, striking the Côte Fine couloir, a steep off-piste route popular with experienced skiers.

A group of five skiers, accompanied by a professional guide, was caught when the snow suddenly gave way.

Authorities confirmed that two skiers were pulled from the snow in cardiorespiratory arrest and later pronounced dead.

One victim was a Polish man born in 1987.

The other was a British national, born in 1989, originally from Poland but living in Switzerland.

The French guide was injured and taken to Grenoble University Hospital, while two other skiers, one from Germany and one from Australia, managed to escape without physical harm.

Rescue Efforts Made Harder by Bad Weather

Reaching the site was especially difficult because poor weather grounded rescue helicopters.

Teams were forced to travel by land, slowing access to the remote couloir.

A major emergency response was launched, involving mountain gendarmes, an emergency doctor, local guides, trackers, and a search dog trained to locate avalanche victims.

Despite their efforts, the two skiers could not be saved.

Another Avalanche Strikes the Same Day

The tragedy in La Grave was followed by another deadly avalanche just hours later.

Around midday, a massive slide roughly 300 metres wide swept across a road and footpath in the town of Valloire in the Savoie region.

Local authorities reported that one person died and four others were injured.

Two of the injured were in serious condition and were airlifted to nearby hospitals.

Rescue teams worked for more than four hours before stopping operations later in the afternoon due to the growing risk of further avalanches.

By the end of the day, three people had died in two separate avalanche incidents in the French Alps.

Avalanche Risk Remains High Across the Region

Weather forecaster Meteo France kept Savoie under an orange avalanche alert on Tuesday, though officials said conditions were expected to improve in the coming days.

Still, the repeated disasters underline how unstable the snowpack has been this winter, especially in off-piste terrain.

A Season Marked by Repeated Loss

This latest incident comes only days after another avalanche killed three skiers in Val d’Isère, including two Britons and one French national.

Resort officials noted that all victims had avalanche transceivers, yet emergency responders were still unable to save them.

The deaths followed a rare, day-long red alert avalanche warning across south-eastern Savoie, a danger level issued only twice before since the alert system was introduced 25 years ago.

Several resorts were forced to close parts of their pistes as a precaution.

Other fatal avalanches have also been reported in recent weeks, including the death of a 38-year-old skier near Saint-Agnes close to Grenoble, and another man in his early 30s killed in a very large slide near Montgenèvre.

Earlier this month, two off-piste ski tourers were killed near Saint-Véran, known as the highest village in the French Alps.

So far this season, avalanches have already claimed at least 20 lives across the French, Swiss, Italian, and Austrian Alps, showing just how dangerous conditions have become.

Why Off-Piste Skiing Can Turn Deadly

Off-piste skiing is often seen as thrilling because it offers untouched snow and challenging routes, but it comes with serious risk.

Avalanches can happen in seconds, leaving little time for escape.

Even with modern safety equipment, survival often depends on immediate rescue, which is not always possible in remote terrain or poor weather.

What’s Next?

French authorities have opened an investigation into the La Grave avalanche, with the case handed to the Briançon High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon.

Interviews with the survivors will be crucial in understanding what triggered the slide and whether conditions or decisions played a role.

Meanwhile, avalanche warnings remain active in parts of the Alps, and officials continue urging skiers to avoid high-risk off-piste routes unless conditions are clearly stable and proper guidance is in place.

Summary

Another British skier has died after an avalanche struck an off-piste group near La Grave in the French Alps, killing two people and injuring their guide.

On the same day, a second major avalanche in Valloire claimed another life and left several others injured.

These tragedies are part of an alarming winter season in the Alps, with at least 20 avalanche deaths reported so far, highlighting the ongoing dangers posed by unstable snow and extreme mountain conditions.