Six skiers have died in avalanches across the French Alps over the weekend, with authorities warning that high avalanche risk will persist in the coming days.

The latest victim, a 32-year-old man skiing off-piste, was killed Sunday afternoon in Vallorcine, Haute-Savoie, when he was swept into a tree by an avalanche. Though not buried by snow, he did not survive his injuries, according to the Chamonix mountain gendarmerie.

Earlier Sunday, a British skier in his 50s was buried under an avalanche at La Plagne in the early afternoon. Despite mobilising 52 rescue workers, avalanche dogs and a helicopter, it took 50 minutes to locate him under 2.5 metres of snow. He could not be revived.

At Courchevel, another skier buried by an avalanche late Sunday morning was found dead, the resort announced without providing further details.

Three off-piste skiers had already died Saturday in two separate avalanches in Savoie — two at the major winter sports resort of Val d’Isère and one at Arêches-Beaufort.

High risk persists

Météo-France had warned since Friday of a “high” avalanche risk across nearly all Alpine massifs throughout the weekend, rated level 4 out of 5 on the European danger scale.

In Savoie, Prefect Françoise Nicoli warned that elevated avalanche risk will continue in the coming days, with level 4 danger maintained across the Maurienne, Haute-Maurienne, Tarentaise, Vanoise and Beaufortin massifs, and level 3 risk in the Belledonne and Aravis ranges.

“There are no ‘small off-piste runs’ and no ‘small avalanches,'” Nicoli cautioned.

The series of deaths highlights the dangers of off-piste skiing despite clear weather warnings, with all six victims venturing beyond marked ski runs when avalanche conditions were at their most dangerous of the season.

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Photo credit: Matea Nikolina, Unsplash