the essential
The hard snow caused numerous slips this Saturday in several areas of the Hautes-Pyrénées, triggering several emergency services. The mountain rescue gendarmes from the PGHM of Pierrefitte-Nestalas warn of the danger of these snow conditions.
Be careful, hard snow… The mountain rescue gendarmes from the Pierrefitte-Nestalas PGHM had a lot to do this Saturday afternoon in several sectors of the Hautes-Pyrénées. Hard snow conditions caused slips on foot, on snowshoes and on skis.
“With the presence of the anticyclone on the mountains, there are no clouds. At night, there is a phenomenon of refreezing of the snow. We have hard snow conditions. We must be very careful and be well equipped. When ski touring, you need to know how to take off your shoes and finish with crampons. When you're on snowshoes, you shouldn't go down steep slopes,” notes this mountain rescue officer. The greatest caution is recommended.
The day started around 1 p.m. with the evacuation of a 48-year-old skier from the Cauterets resort. She was injured in a ski fall. She was evacuated aboard the Choucas 65 helicopter.
The PGHM gendarmes took to the air to rescue a 14-year-old Pyrenean hiker in the Col de Madamète sector in the Néouvielle massif. The young mountaineer was progressing with crampons but was not roped up. He slipped and was swept away. Injured, he was transported by helicopter to hospital.
A little later, Choucas 65 left for Cauterets and more precisely for Pont d'Espagne. A 48-year-old woman slipped in the parking lot. She hit the ground hard with her head. She was also evacuated to hospital by air.
She slides 200 meters and escapes unscathed
In Beaucens, in the Lake Isaby area, in the Hautacam massif, it was a 55-year-old snowshoe hiker who had a big scare. Engaged on a slope, she slipped. The snowshoer was carried about a hundred meters. Fortunately for her, her injuries appeared minor. The PGHM gendarmes evacuated her by helicopter.
At the end of the afternoon, in Grust, on the Luz-Ardiden resort, a 50-year-old skier collided with a ski patroller from the resort. The man was injured in the collision. He was also evacuated by helicopter by the PGHM gendarmes and the doctor.
Finally, mountain rescuers were ready to take off after receiving an alert. Witnesses called the PGHM when they saw a lady ski touring in the Col de la Bonida area above Barèges. They saw her slipping and rolling down nearly 200 meters without being able to stop. A great scare for the ski touring skier who escaped unscathed. The PGHM gendarmes ultimately did not have to intervene.
The greatest caution remains in place over the next few days with the overnight refreeze making the snow hard. If the avalanche risk is low or limited, “the risk of slipping is significant and persistent on the hard and icy snow present on the majority of northern slopes” also warn Météo France meteorologists.
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