Skier’s near-death experience in the French Alps: Power of quick thinking and preparation
In a heart-stopping incident, a skier narrowly escaped death after falling into a crevasse on the Meije mountain in the French Alps. The incident was captured on film by the skier’s helmet camera and has since gone viral, sending shivers down the spines of viewers around the world. The skier’s quick thinking and the help of his friends enabled him to escape the crevasse alive.
The Meije mountain is known for its off-piste and extreme skiing, attracting daredevil skiers from around the world. However, it also poses significant risks, including crevasses hidden beneath the snow and ice. The French skier in question, who has chosen to remain anonymous for fear of worrying his family, was skiing with a group of friends from the Les Powtos mountain sports team when the accident occurred.
According to Thibaut Arnould, a friend of the skier who witnessed the incident, the group had made multiple descents on the mountain before disaster nearly struck. “In the euphoria of a descent, my friend got tricked by a crevasse at the last moment,” Arnould said. “He tried to avoid it. Regrettably, he plunged directly into the crevasse and began to slide downward.
The footage captured on the skier’s helmet camera shows the terrifying moment when he fell into the crevasse. After sliding for several seconds, the skier mutters a French swear word before exhaling and taking off his backpack to get his climbing equipment.
With the aid of a rope lowered by his friends, he managed to ascend the crevasse using his pick axe and crampons. “He was really very lucky,” Arnould said. Waiting on the ski lift, feeling helpless, it felt like the longest 20 minutes of our lives before we could finally reach a high enough point to rescue him.
According to the skier, the depth of the drop was a minimum of 15 meters. However, the crevasse goes beyond the serac, which is a block of glacial ice formed by intersecting crevasses and can be seen in the video. Despite the close call, the skier was shaken but ultimately unharmed by the incident.
Les Powtos, the skier’s sports team, combines their love of skiing with photography and video. Despite having the footage of the incident, they hesitated to share it online for a year. According to Arnould, they eventually decided to do so to serve as a warning to others. The video is not intended to create a buzz but to highlight the potential dangers of being euphoric during a descent, even if you are familiar with the La Grave glacier.
The video has now been shared thousands of times, serving as a reminder of the dangers of extreme skiing and the importance of safety measures. “We knew the video was going to be successful but not to this extent. It’s completely beyond us,” Arnould said.
The incident highlights the risks that skiers take when skiing off-piste and the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. It is essential for skiers to have the necessary safety equipment, including a harness, ice screws, and ice axes, and to have a plan in case of an emergency. Additionally, skiers should be aware of the risks posed by crevasses and other hazards and take precautions to avoid them.
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The French skier’s narrow escape from a crevasse on the Meije mountain in the French Alps serves as a reminder of the risks of extreme skiing and the importance of safety measures. The incident underscores the need for skiers to be prepared for the unexpected and to take precautions to avoid hazards such as this incident.
