British Skier Falls 5,000ft to Death in French Alps

ibtimes ^ | May 19, 2013 6:07 PM GMT | Timur Moon

[BenLurkin]

The man, who has yet to be named, fell to his death on the Mont Blanc range after being stranded on a glacial ridge close to the Aiguille du Midi mountain.

He had been out with another skier when they were caught in a storm as they descended the challenging Vallee Blanche, 12,460ft (3,800 metres) above the resort of Chamonix.

The two were left trapped on the peak when their cable car broke down, and with bad weather closing in, high winds and blizzards forced them to abandon their intended descent.

The man's companion managed to get to the lift station, guided by a member of staff, but the second lost his footing and fell 1,500 metres down the north face of the cliff at around 9pm.

[ken5050]

It’s only the last 100 feet that kills you..

[a fool in paradise]

5,000 feet. Is that some kind of a record?

[a fool in paradise]

But the view was incredible.

[BenLurkin]

If he was an optimist, people on the slopes would have heard him saying (as he went down past them) “So far so good..so far so good...”

[Tax-chick]

That’s sad. However, it’s very hard to figure out from the article what happened.

[Mad Dawgg]

"That’s sad. However, it’s very hard to figure out from the article what happened."

Actually its very easy...

What happened was:

Gravity...

[Tax-chick]

Excellent big-picture summary.

[BenLurkin]

Near as I can tell, they were not on a marked ski slopes but preparing to attempt some very challenging runs from a peak, when the weather closed in. The decedent lost his footing as they were coming back down.

[Tax-chick]

I was confused by the mention of cable cars and staff members, which either were or weren’t involved in the late gentleman’s sudden descent.

[ken5050]

These days..one almost expects that would have found the time to film the fall, and post it on YouTube, before he impacted..

[BenLurkin]

p>

It is confusingly written. Particularly the reference to a broken cable car. Makes it sound like that was the only reason they were walking down. But considering the totality of the information provided, apparently his friend got back to the upper terminus of the cable lift, but they both had to go a long distance to get there because they had ventured so far off the designated ski slope.

[KarlInOhio]

Step 1:

Step 2:

Why did he forget step 2?

[Tax-chick]

It seems, then, that he fell from “the top,” as it were?

[BenLurkin]

Or close to it.

[Tax-chick]

Thanks for your help. It is somewhat clearer now.

[wbill]

5000 feet....that’s a long time to think things over.

[Sherman Logan]

Step 2 doesn’t work so well in an alpine storm.

[Sherman Logan]

Quite probably he bounced much of the way. Even on Mt. Blanc I suspect a 5000 foot freefall is unlikely.

[SampleMan]

I’m guessing he did not fall 5,000 ft, but rather bounced and tumbled 5,000 ft.