23/02/2026
🚨 “SNOW CLOUDS” OF TERROR: Fatal Avalanche Strikes Courmayeur Freeride Route 🚨
Terrifying footage captured by Jean Chiementin has emerged from the Italian Alps, showing the moment a massive avalanche descended toward ski facilities at the Courmayeur resort. Crowds of skiers can be seen fleeing as towering "snow clouds" engulf the area in the Aosta Valley.
The slide, which occurred Sunday morning, February 15, has claimed the lives of at least two skiers on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif.
The avalanche struck the "Couloir Vesses," a well-known and steep off-piste freeride route in the upper Val Veny.
Search and recovery operations involved a major effort with 15 rescuers, three canine units, and two helicopters.
One victim was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in serious condition but later succumbed to their injuries. A third individual was found partially buried but was rescued by companions at the scene.
A Dangerous Week in the Alps 🛡️⚖️
This tragedy adds to a "horrific" stretch in the Italian mountains, where 13 backcountry skiers, climbers, and hikers died in the week ending February 8 alone—a record toll largely driven by avalanches.
Officials warn that recent storms have dumped fresh snow onto "persistent weak layers," creating an exceptionally unstable snowpack that can be triggered by a single skier.
The disaster occurred roughly 124 miles northwest of Milan, which is currently hosting events for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Authorities stressed that while off-piste routes like Couloir Vesses are extremely high-risk, managed ski resorts and Olympic competition sites remain closely monitored and safe.
