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FRENCH ALPS

Chamonix bans wingsuits after spate of deaths in Alps

The mayor of the French Alps town of Chamonix has banned the extreme sport of wingsuit flying for six months after a spate of deaths in recent months.

Published: 5 October 2016 17:53 CEST
Chamonix bans wingsuits after spate of deaths in Alps
Photo: AFP
Eric Fournier, the mayor of Chamonix, a town which attracts lovers of extreme and outdoor sports, announced the provisional six month ban on Wednesday.
 
The mayor said he was particularly worried for the safety of people in the town after a Russian wingsuit flyer crashed into a recently built châlet this week.
 
“We can't consider that flying over inhabited zones is something that's normal, when they're putting residents at risk,” he said.
 
Fournier suggested the sport was not regulated enough and many flyers were simply not experienced enough to fly safely.
 
Wingsuit flying, which became popular in the late 1990s involves base jumping from a high point in the mountains or from a helicopter, wearing a “wingsuit”. The flyer will hurtle towards the ground at 200km/h before eventually opening a parachute.
 
Witnesses to this week's accident said the Russian man's parachute did not open, and that he crashed into the facade of the building. 
 
It's understood that he jumped from the Aiguille du Midi, a 3,842 metre peak near Mont Blanc.
 
(AFP)
 
The fact that five of the eight wing suit deaths in France this year have been in Chamonix had left local authorities concerned, before Wednesday's decision to put a halt to the extreme sport.
 
There have been 35 wingsuit-related deaths throughout the world since the start of the year.
 
Wingsuit flyers in Chamonix have to alert the special mountain police before each jump and are banned from jumping between 10am and 3pm from June to September to avoid accidents with paragliders.
 
“Wingsuiting is still a new sport that is growing in popularity, those who do it still haven't mastered it,” said deputy mayor Jean-Louis Verdier. 
 
It is not the first time the mayor of Chamonix has decided that a ban is the only way to cut the number of deaths.
 
Eric Fournier introduced a similar provisional ban back in 2012 after another spate of deaths.
 
“For us, adventure doesn't mean extreme risk. We have to ask questions of responsibility and respect for other sports,” he said at the time.
 
You only have to look at a selection of the incredible videos on YouTube to understand the risks involved in the sport.
 
But the clips also reveal why it continues to attract thrill seekers looking for the ultimate buzz.
 

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SKIING

Snow report: What’s the latest outlook for French ski resorts this winter?

Good news for skiers in France, as a mild December has given way to a cold blast in early January that's bringing some much-needed snow.

Published: 5 January 2024 14:50 CET
Snow report: What's the latest outlook for French ski resorts this winter?

After a mostly dry and mild December, snow returned to the the Pyrenees on Friday.

Meanwhile most resorts in the Alps have been able to stay open after a promising early start to the ski season, thanks to fresh snowfalls, with more on the way this weekend.

Pyrenees

Snow has returned in the Pyrenees. Some 5cm fell overnight into Friday, January 5th in eastern parts of the mountain range, with forecasts predicting a further 15cm to 20cm to be on the ground 24 hours later. The region had not seen any snow since December 2nd.

In Angles, 20cm of snow had fallen at higher altitudes by mid-morning on Friday.

Further west, numerous resorts in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département remained closed this week after early December snow had melted in mild conditions that have dominated France in recent weeks, but significant snowfall is expected over the weekend into Monday, and resorts are hoping that they will see enough to open.

One resort, Artouste, has been unable to offer skiing since the start of the season on December 23rd due to a lack of snow. A scenic rail service – usually reserved for warmer months – has kept the resort going. It is set to stop running on Friday, amid expectations of enough snow to finally open the slopes.

READ ALSO Climate crisis: ’90 percent’ of Europe’s ski resorts face critical snow shortages

Alps 

Many ski resorts opened on time, or even a little earlier than scheduled last month, after significant early snow fall, and have enjoyed deposits in the first days of 2024. But, even here, resort managers welcomed the promise of more significant snow this weekend.

Some resorts weren’t so fortunate. Ski areas in Gérardmer, in the Vosges, were still closed in the week leading up to Christmas because of poor snow conditions, but they are hoping for enough snow to finally get started this weekend, while La Bresse-Honeck was using ‘stocked snow’ made by using snow that fell earlier in the winter months to stay open as recently as December 30th.

In the Northern Alps, resorts such as Alpe d’Huez benefited from fresh snowfall on December 22nd, while Val d’Isère had new snow on December 29th. In the Southern Alps, Les Orres’ last pre-New Year snow was on December 8th.

And the French Alps have enjoyed more snow since the start of the year. There’s at least 50cm of fresh snow on the higher slopes of Les Gets and Morzine, for example, a significant improvement on the same time last year, when the resorts were among several that had very little snow to speak of.

In Chamonix, meanwhile, snow has fallen on eight of the last 14 days, with more expected every day between Friday and Monday.

Massif Central

As the post on X / Twitter shows, the Massif Central has not had the best of winters for snow so far. But between 30cm and 50cm is expected in Le Lioran by Monday. 

READ ALSO ‘So many barriers since Brexit’: The French ski businesses no longer willing to hire Brits

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