Two French skiers were killed on Saturday, January 10, 2026, after being swept away and buried by an avalanche while skiing off-piste above the renowned Val-d’Isère resort in the French Alps, according to local tourism and rescue authorities.

The tragedy unfolded amid a weekend of heightened avalanche danger following days of heavy snowfall and strong winds across the region.

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Deadly Avalanche in Val-d’Isère’s “Hidden Valley” Sector

The fatal avalanche struck in the late morning in the off-piste sector known locally as the Vallée Perdue, or “Lost Valley,” on the backside of the Bellevarde area at Val-d’Isère. Officials described the terrain as a narrow, funnel-shaped canyon that offers a renowned but serious off-piste descent attracting experienced skiers in good snow conditions.

According to information released by Val-d’Isère’s tourism office, a slab of snow broke away high on one of the steep sidewalls, releasing a powerful slide that funneled directly into the confined gully where the two skiers were traveling. The configuration of the terrain left the victims with virtually no chance to escape to a safe zone as the snow surged down the natural chute.

The avalanche buried both skiers under an estimated 2.5 meters of compacted snow. Members of their group, who had remained on the marked piste while the pair ventured into the off-piste couloir, raised the alarm when they lost sight of them and realized they had not reappeared lower down the slope.

Victims Buried Deep and Found via Mobile Phones

Rescue teams from the mountain police and local ski patrol were dispatched rapidly to the scene by helicopter and on skis. However, authorities said efforts were hampered by the absence of standard avalanche safety gear on the victims. Neither skier was equipped with an avalanche transceiver, the electronic device that allows rescuers or fellow skiers to quickly pinpoint a buried person’s location under the snow.

Without a signal from a transceiver, teams were forced to rely on a combination of mobile phone tracking data and systematic probing. Using coordinates from the skiers’ phones provided by emergency services, rescuers narrowed the search to a rectangle of roughly 10 by 15 meters in the debris field and began intensive probing of the deep snowpack.

Both victims were eventually located beneath approximately 2.5 meters of snow, an extreme burial depth that significantly reduces chances of survival. When they were pulled out, they were in cardiac and respiratory arrest. Despite prolonged attempts at resuscitation on site and during evacuation, emergency medical personnel were unable to revive them and they were pronounced dead shortly afterward.

High Avalanche Risk After Heavy Snow and Storm Goretti

The accident occurred during a period of substantially elevated avalanche danger across the French Alps and Pyrenees. Meteorologists at Météo-France had issued a level four avalanche risk rating on the five-point European scale for much of the weekend, signaling a “high” probability of both spontaneous avalanches and slides triggered by skiers on many steep slopes.

The unstable conditions followed the passage of a winter storm referred to locally as Goretti, which brought heavy snowfall at higher elevations combined with strong winds. Such weather patterns are known to create thick slabs of wind-drifted snow on leeward slopes, resting over weaker underlying layers and primed to release with relatively small additional loads.

Authorities had directly urged skiers and snowboarders to exercise extreme caution outside open and controlled pistes, warning that off-piste and high alpine terrain would remain particularly hazardous as the snowpack slowly adjusted to the recent accumulations. Despite these warnings, many skiers across the Alps were drawn to the fresh powder conditions, including in popular freeride zones like Val-d’Isère’s Bellevarde back bowls.

Val-d’Isère’s History and Reputation for Off-Piste Skiing

Val-d’Isère is one of France’s most famous ski destinations, forming part of the expansive linked domain often marketed as a single area with neighboring Tignes. Its extensive network of lifts and pistes is complemented by large swaths of high alpine terrain that has made the resort a magnet for off-piste enthusiasts, ski mountaineers and freeride skiers from around the world.

Within that culture, classic descents such as the Vallée Perdue have long held an almost legendary status. The route winds through narrow rock walls, natural arches and tight chutes, providing a canyon-like experience that feels remote despite its proximity to the lift system. In good conditions and with low avalanche risk, it is considered a memorable adventure run for confident skiers accompanied by a qualified guide.

However, the same features that make the terrain visually spectacular also make it dangerous when the snowpack is unstable. The canyon acts as a natural terrain trap, concentrating even a relatively modest slide into a deep, forceful flow of snow and debris. Avalanche educators consistently highlight such features as places where even small slides can lead to exceptionally deep burials and severe consequences.

Authorities Renew Calls for Caution and Proper Equipment

Following Saturday’s accident, local authorities, rescue organizations and ski professionals reiterated calls for visitors to respect avalanche warnings and to equip themselves appropriately before leaving marked runs. Standard off-piste safety equipment typically includes an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe for every individual, as well as a backpack or vest that allows for quick access to gear during an emergency.

Mountain guides and avalanche forecasters stress that equipment is only part of the safety equation. Proper training in avalanche awareness, route choice, hazard recognition and rescue techniques is considered essential for anyone spending time in unpatrolled terrain. Professional groups in the Alps increasingly offer short courses in beacon use and snowpack assessment, especially around major resorts like Val-d’Isère.

In recent seasons, campaigns from ski patrols, local authorities and national mountaineering federations have focused on encouraging skiers to check the daily avalanche bulletin before going off-piste and to avoid steep, wind-loaded slopes during or immediately after heavy snowfall. The high-profile nature of incidents at internationally known resorts is likely to add urgency to those educational efforts.

Rising Avalanche Awareness Amid Changing Mountain Conditions

The fatal avalanche at Val-d’Isère comes at a time when avalanche risk and mountain safety are under heightened scrutiny across the European Alps. In recent winters, a series of deadly incidents in France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria has led to renewed discussions about how to communicate risk effectively to a growing population of off-piste and backcountry users.

Experts in mountain safety point to multiple factors behind these concerns, including increasingly variable weather patterns, periods of intense snowfall on weak early-season snow layers and a surge in the popularity of freeride skiing and ski touring. While resorts like Val-d’Isère maintain highly controlled conditions on marked pistes, off-piste areas remain unpatrolled and can change dramatically in a matter of hours.

Some European avalanche services have recently refined their danger scales and communication tools to better reflect subtle shifts within each level of risk. For skiers, however, the fundamental message remains conservative: when danger reaches level four, or “high,” many steep slopes are considered potentially unstable, and travel in complex terrain such as gullies and couloirs becomes significantly more hazardous.

Community Shock in a Resort Long Marked by Avalanche Tragedy

The deaths on January 10 have cast a pall over Val-d’Isère at the height of the winter holiday season, with many visitors and locals expressing shock at the news. The resort, highly dependent on winter tourism, regularly hosts tens of thousands of skiers and snowboarders each week during peak periods, making any fatal incident deeply felt within the community.

Val-d’Isère, like many high-altitude Alpine resorts, has a long and complex history with avalanches. A particularly devastating event in 1970 destroyed a youth center in the village, killing dozens and leaving a lasting imprint on local memory. Since then, significant investments have been made in avalanche defenses, monitoring and controlled blasting activities on slopes that threaten inhabited areas and ski infrastructure.

Despite these measures, the mountains around Val-d’Isère remain inherently dynamic and sometimes unpredictable. While infrastructure and active control work are designed to protect villages, roads and on-piste terrain, off-piste routes are subject to natural forces that cannot be fully mitigated. The latest tragedy serves as a reminder that, even in a modern, well-managed resort, the risks of high mountain terrain can never be entirely eliminated.

FAQ

Q1. Where exactly did the fatal avalanche occur at Val-d’Isère?
The avalanche took place in the off-piste Vallée Perdue sector, on the backside of the Bellevarde area above Val-d’Isère. This is a narrow canyon-like route outside the marked and secured pistes.

Q2. Who were the victims of the avalanche?
Authorities have confirmed that the two people killed were French skiers who had been skiing off-piste with a larger group. Their identities and ages had not been publicly released as of the evening of January 10, 2026, pending notification of families.

Q3. Were the skiers carrying avalanche safety equipment?
Officials reported that the victims were not equipped with avalanche transceivers. This absence of standard rescue gear significantly complicated search operations and delayed their recovery from the snow.

Q4. How were the victims located under the snow?
Rescuers used data from the skiers’ mobile phones to narrow the search area, then conducted systematic probing of the avalanche debris. They eventually found the victims buried under about 2.5 meters of snow within a zone roughly 10 by 15 meters.

Q5. What was the avalanche danger level at the time of the accident?
Météo-France had issued a level four avalanche risk on the European five-level scale for the region on January 10. Level four is considered “high,” indicating that avalanches are likely to be triggered on many steep slopes and that natural avalanches are also possible.

Q6. Why is the Vallée Perdue considered a risky area in unstable conditions?
The Vallée Perdue is a narrow gully framed by steep sidewalls. In such terrain, even a relatively small slide can be funneled into a powerful flow, creating deep debris deposits. This terrain trap effect greatly increases burial depths and reduces escape options when avalanches occur.

Q7. Are marked pistes at Val-d’Isère affected by the same avalanche risks?
Marked and open pistes are regularly controlled and, when necessary, temporarily closed by ski patrol to manage avalanche danger. The highest risks typically concern off-piste and backcountry terrain beyond the secured runs, where natural instabilities in the snowpack are not actively mitigated.

Q8. What safety measures are recommended for skiers going off-piste?
Mountain safety professionals strongly recommend that every off-piste skier carry an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe, and know how to use them. They also emphasize checking the daily avalanche bulletin, avoiding steep and wind-loaded slopes in high-danger periods, and considering hiring a certified mountain guide.

Q9. Has Val-d’Isère experienced serious avalanches in the past?
Yes. Val-d’Isère has a documented history of serious avalanches, including a catastrophic event in 1970 that destroyed a youth center in the village and caused many fatalities. Since then, the resort has invested heavily in avalanche defense structures and control work to protect inhabited areas and ski infrastructure.

Q10. Will this accident lead to changes in how the resort manages off-piste skiing?
It is too early to know what specific policy changes, if any, will follow the January 10 accident. However, such incidents often prompt renewed safety campaigns, reinforced messaging about avalanche risk and, in some cases, reviews of signage and information provided to visitors about the dangers of leaving marked pistes.