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Simply Savoie

Guided walking – snowshoeing – via ferrata in the French Alps with Mark Tennent

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French Hunting Accidents – The Saga Continues

The quite incredible saga of French hunting ?accidents? involving French chasseurs (hunters) continues this autumn. Two incidents have been reported in the local newspaper Le Dauphine Libere. The first took place in the Bauges mountains. In this incident a hunter shot dead a horse. He reportedly thought it was a deer! Unbelievable. The second incident was in early October near the ski resort of Meribel. In this case a hunter shot dead a cow.

It makes my blood boil to hear these incidents reported as ?accidents?. As a former British Army officer weapons were a fundamental part of my job. Even during the height of the ?Troubles? in Northern Ireland the use of firearms was very strictly controlled with ?Rules of Engagement? as to when you could and couldn’t open fire. These RoE were summarised on the ?Yellow Card?. Soldiers who fell foul of them could, and did, face court with one or two facing manslaughter charges. You may recall that last autumn two people were shot dead by hunters. In both cases the people concerned were on well-used footpaths. I have yet to hear of criminal cases being brought against the individuals concerned.

New Via Ferrata in the Drome – Buis-les-Baronnies

I’ve just had the chance to check out one of the most recent via ferrata in France.? It proclaims itself to also be the longest; in total 1700m of via ferrata!? The via ferrata is on the north face of the St Julian, a long limestone crest of rock overlooking the village of Buis-les-Baronnies in the Drome-Provencale.

The main via ferrata is in three sections: “La Testourisasso”, “La Roumpo Quieu” and “La Tihousso”.? There’s also a via ferrata for beginners or the more nervous, “La Pitchouno”.

The footpath leading to the via ferrata is reached in about 5 mins by vehicle from the centre of the village of Buis-les-Baronnies.

Avalanche at Tignes – 13 February 2017

The risk of avalanches has recently hit the headlines following a tragedy at the ski resort of Tignes in the French Alps. The avalanche cost the lives of four people including the ski instructor.

Note: My article seeks only to see what can be learned from this tragedy. Nothing in this article should be interpreted as criticism of the instructor involved. We all may do things differently in hindsight. My sincere condolences go to the families of all those involved.

Where the avalanche took place

The avalanche took place off-piste (definition?) below the Pointe du Lavachet (2652m). The slope where they were avalanched is known as the Lavachet Wall with a slope angle c. 38 degrees. The slope is at an altitude of between 2141 and 2588m. The slope faces North-West. At the bottom of the slope a large man-made ?berm? earthern / rock ridge protects part of the resort from avalanches coming from this slope. [in photo]

The Avalanche Forecast for Monday, 13 February 2017

The Avalanche forecast for this Monday issued by Meteo France for the ?Massif Haute Tarentaise? was written at 16h00 the previous afternoon. The forecast gives the following details:

Avalanche Risk: Category 3 – ?Risque Marque? (?Considerable? in English). [This risk level is extremely common throughout the winter. The European Avalanche scale runs from 1 ? 5 however 3 should never be considered to be ?medium? in terms of risk].

Compass: it identifies slopes from South, through West, to North as being most at risk.

It talks about natural avalanche releases caused by a rise in temperature. It predicts recent ?slabs? at altitude being released by skiers.

Snowpack Stability

The forecast identifies that the Foehn will transport snow and cause new accumulations above 1900 to 2000m. Slab avalanches have been noted from 2500m. Overall the areas the most at risk are concentrated along the Italian frontier [ very close to Tignes] on west-facing slopes and slabs up to 40cm thick may be involved. These recent slabs may release due to the passage of a single skier where the slope steepens.

The current warming up is to be watched out for. A partial moistening of the snow pack is possible and may reach fragile layers and cause natural avalanche releases on steep slopes [ considered to be above 35 deg.] Locally spring-like conditions and times to watch out for. [Just because a slope has already skied doesn’t mean it’s safe.]

Known facts

  • The group were on snowboards and had completed the same run earlier in the morning. One of the group dropped their snowboard and didn’t continue.
  • The group were traversing, on foot, when the avalanche released.
  • The ski instructor was 59 years old and had been working in the area for the last 30 years.
  • All members of the group were equipped with avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels. [Standard equipment for going off-piste].

My thoughts …

The Lavachet Wall fits into the type of slope in terms of aspect, altitude and steepness identified in the avalanche forecast.

The fact that the slope didn’t release during the first run may be due to it being cooler than later in the morning. It may also be due to not ?hitting? critical spots on the slope where the collapse of the weak layer would be induced and propagated.

The decision to ski the slope may have been influenced by the instructors undoubtedly extremely good knowledge of the area. ?Familiarity? is considered to be one of several heuristic traps found to be influential in avalanche incidents.

The ?berm? at the bottom of the slope created a ?terrain trap? causing the avalanche debris to accumulate to depths reportedly up to 8m. If the slope had become gradually less steep the depth of burial may have been significantly less increasingly significantly the chances of survival. Statistics from France show that typical burial depths are between 1m and 1.5m.

The group was on foot at the time the avalanche released. Although not certain it may suggest that they were relatively close to one another on the slope. This would have concentrated their weight on the slope increasing the chances of triggering. Their feet would also penetrate deeper into the snowpack with an increased likelihood affecting a fragile layer. Being close together increased the chances of them all being taken in an avalanche. You should be sufficiently spaced out to avoid this and to avoid over-loading the slope. If available, use ?islands of safety? and move one at a time.

Key Points

  • Read the avalanche bulletin thoroughly. Don’t just skim read it.
  • Ensure that where there is a risk of avalanche that you are well spaced out and use ?islands of safety?.
  • Be very aware of potential ?terrain traps?.

BREXIT viewed from the French Alps

BREXIT is now triggered. As a French resident and British expatriate I will be acutely watching developments.

The question of the status of British nationals resident in an EU country, France, is in limbo. I am in the process of applying for French nationality that, if successful, should remove this as a concern. Even prior to BREXIT it was ?on my to-do list? as I have no thought of returning to the UK. BREXIT has pushed it to the top of my agenda.

Skiing Holidays

Living in the Tarentaise with many of the biggest ski resorts in the French Alps the effects could be profound. Huge numbers of Britains come here on skiing holidays and the majority with British ski holiday companies.

French v British Contracts of Employment

These companies are staffed, almost exclusively, by British seasonal staff employed under British contracts of employment. In order to do so these companies currently make use of the EU ?Posted Workers? Directive. It would seem logical that UK companies will no longer by able to make use of this option as the UK leaves the EU.

The effect of this would be to oblige UK companies to employ staff on French employment contracts. French employment law is substantially more restrictive and costly; just ask any French company. The current French minimum wage, the ?SMIC? is EURO 1 480,27 gross per month for a 35 hour week. It would also limit the amount of deductions companies can deduct for board and accommodation, etc. In France, unlike in the UK, the employer may only deduct a limited amount for board and accommodation. Payment in kind of items like ski passes cannot be deducted from salaries.

Work Visa or Permits?

Currently, as an EU member, UK nationals have the right to work in other member states. It is reasonably foreseeable that a working visa may be required in the future.

Recognition of Qualifications

Having briefly discussed BREXIT with an official from the French Sports Ministry his, unofficial, view was that British qualifications will still be recognised. Those who already have had official recognition would be covered by the French legal principle of ?les acquis? meaning that a right already obtained cannot subsequently be taken away. However it leaves aside the right to work in France.

References:
https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/observatories/eurwork/comparative-information/posted-workers-and-the-implementation-of-the-directive
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=471

Save the Vallon du Lou

The downhill ski industries insatiable appetite to destroy the natural environment continues in the French Alps. The Vallon du Lou is currently classed as a protected natural area. Despite this SEVABEL, the company that manages the ski infrastructure for Les Menuires, believes it should be allowed to expand its tentacles further. It wants to construct a new 6-place chairlift and a ski run in the currently unspoilt Vallon du Lou.

SEVABEL states that it needs to remain ?competitive? compared to other ski resorts not only in France but elsewhere. It’s worth noting that SEVABEL is part of the huge Compagnie des Alpes that manages many of the biggest ski resorts in the Alps including Val d’Isere, Tignes, Meribel, La Plagne, Les Arcs. It also manages the visitor attractions of Parc Asterix, Futuroscope, Parc Walibi. Clearly it’s more concerned with making money for its shareholders than looking after France’s natural heritage.

A local association, ?Demain Vivre aux Belleville?, is mounting opposition to this project. I’ve just signed the petition to oppose this desecration. There’s a Facebook page here.

A Walk Above Lake Annecy

Lake Annecy, with its turquoise waters, was the backdrop for our walk today. Annecy is reached in under 40 minutes from Geneva which makes it an ideal location for a short break.

Today we were heading for the mountains that dominate the Eastern side of lake Annecy. The principle tops are those of La Tournette (2351m) and Les Dents de Lanfon. Across the lake the limestone mountains of the Bauges spread out before us. The Bauges are not high, the highest summit being the Pointe d’Arcalod (2217m), but the tops are frequently guarded by steep and rocky slopes.

We reached the starting point for our walk after driving up past the Col de la Forclaz. On a sunny day a steady stream of paragliders take to the air from just above the col here. Leaving the car we walked up through the alpine pastures to reach the Chalet de l’Aulp. Today it was shut up as the cows have not yet come up to their summer pastures. Other walkers were heading for La Tournette which was still sporting large snow-fields on its steep flanks guarded by high limestone cliffs.

We followed a path, initially through woods and crossed a couple of gullies. Birds were singing in the trees and a squirrel hopped across the path in front of us. Soon we came out of the shade of the trees into green, alpine meadows and the Col des Nantets a good spot for a drink and a snack. From here we could see down towards the town of Thones in the Aravis the gateway to the villages of Le Grand Bornand and St Jean de Sixt.

Passing the chalet des Nantets the path zig-zagged up through sparse pines to reach rockier terrain. A short rocky passage, protected by a hand-line, brought us into a grassy hanging valley. Crocuses added a splash of colour against the still hay-coloured grass. A few old patches of snow lay in the hollows. We passed by the Chalets de l’Aulp Rian, deserted for now but soon to be a farmer’s home for the long days of summer whilst watching over herds of cows.

A signpost indicated the Col des Fretes below the imposing Dents des Lanfons however we continued climbing a shallow re-entrant. At the top limestone outcrops, stunted pine trees and a 360 degree view; time for our picnic. The backdrop of Lac d’Annecy, the mountains of the Aravis and beyond the snow and ice-covered mass of Mont Blanc and its satellite peaks.