Deadly Week in Italian Alps: 13 Backcountry Enthusiasts Perish Amidst Unstable Snowpack
A tragic week in the Italian mountains has seen 13 backcountry enthusiasts, including skiers, climbers, and hikers, lose their lives. Rescuers reported on Monday that 10 of these fatalities were directly caused by avalanches, triggered by an exceptionally unstable snowpack. These somber events unfolded as Winter Olympic competitions commenced in the region.
A total of 13 backcountry enthusiasts have died in the Italian mountains over the past week, with 10 fatalities attributed to avalanches triggered by an exceptionally unstable snowpack.
Hazardous Conditions Persist
Recent severe snowstorms have created high-risk conditions across the entire Alpine crescent, bordering France, Switzerland, and Austria. Italy’s Alpine Rescue Corps highlighted that fresh snowfall and wind-swept snowcaps layered on weak internal layers have significantly contributed to this dangerous instability.
Federico Catania, spokesman for the Alpine Rescue Corps, emphasized the gravity of the situation, explaining that "a single skier’s passage or natural overloading from snow weight could be enough to trigger an avalanche" under such precarious circumstances.
Incident Locations and Safety Measures
Crucially, the avalanche-related deaths occurred exclusively on ungroomed slopes, distinctly separate from the monitored Olympic competition sites in Lombardy, Cortina d’Ampezzo, and Val di Fiemme.
Catania confirmed that managed ski resorts and Olympic venues are constantly supervised and pose no danger to skiers, providing a clear distinction between controlled environments and the perilous backcountry.
Contributing Factors and Urgent Recommendations
Rescuers have noted a proportional increase in accidents and fatalities. This surge is attributed to a rise in mountain visits during brief periods of good weather that followed the recent snowstorms, encouraging more people into unstable terrain.
Given the extreme risks, rescuers strongly advise individuals planning backcountry excursions to consult avalanche bulletins and postpone their trips until the snowpack has stabilized.
Fatalities Breakdown
Over the weekend, a detailed breakdown of the avalanche incidents revealed:
- Two skiers died in Lombardy.
- Three skiers died in Trentino, with two of these occurring near the Marmolada glacier.
- One skier died in South Tyrol.
Other reported deaths from the past week include:
- Two hikers on Monte Grappa in Veneto.
- One hiker in the Marche region along the Apennine range.
- An ice climber in Valle d’Aosta.
Other Rescue Operations
Separately, the Alpine Rescue Corps also carried out the helicopter rescue of U.S. downhill skier Lindsey Vonn after she crashed during a competition in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Sunday. This operation was unrelated to the backcountry fatalities.