8 Climbers Die in Mont Blanc Avalanche

J Dogg — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:15:12 -0400

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Not the kind of news you want to hear from the ski & mountaineering mecca of Chamonix, but 8 climbers recently died in an avalanche while climbing Mt Blanc, Western Europe's highest peak. Avalanche danger was assessed as low, as expected in late summer, but the particular spot the avalanche struck was known for being prone to avalanches.

Apparently dozens more climbers could have been killed if the avalanche had hit a different time. Get more details on the fatal avalanche on the Telegraph website.

Nissan Outdoor Games - Chamonix

J Dogg — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:42:05 -0500

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Zooming in on a fantastic week and the first results…Packed with amazing shots, the first edition of the Nissan Outdoor Games by Columbia lived up to its billing. Impressive para-gliding acrobatics, ice-climbing, free-skiing and snowboarding, climbing and BASE-jumping high in the mountains accompanied the entertainment in the town centre.

Nissan Sports Adventure team riders Aurelien Ducrox (FRA), Geraldine Fasnacht (SUI) and Eric Themel (AUT) formed part of Team Focus. Cameraman Daniel Lafarge captured the truly amazing action sequences over the 5 day contest, whilst Geraldine narrated the film, who, after sustaining an injury at the Nissan Russian Adventure was unable to participate in the Snowboarding and BASE jumping for the team. Aurelien definitely had the standout skiing part of the contest when he dropped 3 cliffs in succession getting inverted on each one!

Geraldine commented: “It was such a pleasure to be part of the Nissan Outdoor games by Columbia in Chamonix. Because of my knee injury I thought that I was not able to participate but my team mates were great and changed a part of the scenario so that I could be included in the film and for sure this made it a great week for me. We has so much fun and it’s just beautiful to hang out in the mountains all together. Thanks to all of them… and for sure to Nissan and Columbia to make this perfect event happen. Hope next year we gonna have weather like this one…”

Prior to the films screening and award presentation, in the foothills of Mont-Blanc, a unique display of acrobatic para-gliding and wing-suiting amazed the crowd gathered on the platform at the Aiguille de Midi. The aerial performances of the invited professional athletes were coordinated by local guide Jerome Ruby, a Base-jump specialist. The Air-Show, never before performed at this altitude, amazed the open-mouthed spectators.

At 3,842 metres, on the terrace of the Aiguille du Midi, two hundred people waited with baited breath for this unprecedented display. Dave Barlia, the American BASE-jumper got the show started. Dropped from a helicopter 1000 m further up, he swept over the heads of the crowd before plunging into the Chamonix valley. The para-gliders followed just behind, stringing together the latest spectacular tricks (SAT dynamics, infinity tumbling). For thirty minutes, the three helicopters dropped the worlds’ best pilots, one after the other: Antoine Montant (Fra), Hernan Pitocco (Arg), Raoul Rodriguez (ESP), Alexandre Aimard (Fra), Mathias Roten (Sui), etc.

Among the BASE-jumpers invited, the Frenchman Jean-Noel Itzstein, Slovenian Robert Pecnik, South-african Julian Boulle and Yves Burry from Switzerland honoured the Games with their presence. These five strange flying objects, equipped with their wing-suits, flew in formation over the contours of the Aiguille du Midi, executing an incredible show passing just metres over the heads of the crowd at speeds of 170km per hour!

It was sundown that everyone had been waiting for, with the screening of the films and photos. A massive crowd assembled gasping, cheering and applauding the work of all the athletes present. After an exhausting week of filming around Mont-Blanc, the representatives of the seven competing teams were shaking with nerves in anticipation as to whom the jury, made up of specialists from the sports and audiovisual worlds would pick.

As the big moment came, it was the CEO of Nissan France, Pascal Schmitt, who had the honour of announcing the winning team for this first winter edition of the games. The “Aiguille d’or” trophy and 10,000 euros prize money for best film went to the members of the RIDE THE PLANETS team, who were stoked to say the least. Tero Repo (FIN), from team Radical Films, took the prize for best photographer.

The Nissan Sports Adventure team depart Chamonix on the 24th February for the Swatch O’Neill Big Mountain Pro. A unique one week mobile event, including three contest days, where Nissan 4x4’s such as the Pathfinder, X-Trail, Patrol and Navara will be taking the riders to some of the greatest mountain faces of the Alps. The eight highest ranked male riders of the Freeride World Tour and five world class wild cards of each discipline will battle for the 80'000 USD prize purse.

Checkout the “Team Focus” film featuring the Nissan Sports Adventure team, a behind the scenes footage from the Nissan Outdoor Games, new athlete profiles and how to’s all recently uploaded on to www.nissan-sportsadventure.com.

Doglotion.com - Freeskiing Community - chamonix

8 Climbers Die in Mont Blanc Avalanche

Nissan Outdoor Games - Chamonix