Rescuers blame weather and 'underprepared skiers' for rise in Alps avalanche deaths 8 hours ago Share Save James Waterhouse Europe correspondent, Val Thorens in the French Alps Share Save BBC A helicopter is the quickest way to reach those stranded by an avalanche in the French Alps From the vantage point of our helicopter above the Alps, you can make out scars and dimples from recent avalanches. More than 100 people have died across the mountains this season so far, according to the European Avalanche Warning Services – a ballpark figure not seen for eight years. As our pilot throws his rescue helicopter over one of the jagged ridges below us, we see ant-like skiers queueing at lifts or weaving down various pistes. There is an enthralling beauty about the dense snow that sits atop the Tarentaise, an imposing network of valleys in the heart of the French Alps. "As with all around the world, the climate is changing," says Frédéric Bonnevie, our guide and a mountain patroller for 32 years. He points to shorter winters, and the best powder now being found at higher altitudes. And although thick, this season's snow covering has been unstable, contributing to a steep rise in the number of people killed by alpine avalanches. Bonnevie explains they can control the conditions on the pistes, but not off them, and that's where skiers have been getting into perilous difficulties. BBC/Paul Pradier Frédéric Bonnevie says the avalanche danger is greatest off piste "A lot of the victims are skiers who come here often, are technically skilled, but aren't necessarily connoisseurs of the mountain environment," suggests Stéphane Bornet, the director of Anena, a French snow safety association. Several, he says, didn't have safety kits, such as a transceiver to reveal their location or a shovel. Bornet claims they also didn't carry out basic research on the routes they wanted to take. The statistics are sobering: if you're carrying a transceiver there is a 70% chance you'll survive an avalanche, according to emergency crews. The first 16 minutes after being buried are seen as crucial. If you don't have one, the rescue operation can take longer, requiring dozens of people and more equipment, and the survival rate drops to 20%. The BBC team saw traces of avalanches as they flew over the ski area "Most of the time when we're coming, it can be too late," says Pierre Boulonnais, who has patrolled the slopes of Val Thorens for 17 years. With his weathered face, he is a man of the mountain and knows his snow. "That's why you need to have all the rescue equipment on you and to be in a group, but sometimes you can just be in the wrong place at the wrong time," he adds. We talk as he digs a small hole off-piste. Our short journey there is exhausting, as you have to keep moving so you don't sink into the soft powder. After patiently waiting for me to get my breath back, Boulonnais explains the difference between w
Originally reported by BBC World News. Published on ABN12.