Pyrénées: carried over nearly 800 m, an experienced skier dies in an avalanche

A skier died, carried away by an avalanche on the slopes of the Pic du Midi. The man found lifeless, Simon Leblanc, was well known in the Hautes-Pyrénées.

The local gendarmerie reminds "all practitioners of the importance of consulting the avalanche bulletins, of equipping themselves with adequate security equipment (...) and of never skiing alone in exposed terrain".

An avalanche on March 18 at the Pic du Midi, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, took the life of a child of the country appreciated by all: Simon Leblanc, seasoned skier and employed at the resort of Luz-Saint-Sauveur, was...

The tragedy occurred early in the afternoon. On Tuesday 18 March, a 40-year-old man died in an avalanche. He was then skiing on the slopes of the peak of the Midi de Bigorre, in the Hautes-Pyrénées. According to Actu Occitanie, the alert was given to the Peloton de gendarmerie de haute montagne (PGHM) in Pierrefitte-Nestalas, at around 14:30. Three skiers, who were on the same route as the victim, attended the scene. According to them, an avalan…

The tragedy, which occurred on Tuesday 18 March in the early afternoon, sparked a wave of emotion in the middle of the mountain where the victim, originally from Luz-Saint-Sauveur, was known.

On the way back from the summit, a tourer from Franken triggered a snowboard, which then buried him. All help comes too late.