TL;DR
A level 4 avalanche in the Ves Canal claimed three lives on 15 February, bringing Italy's season death toll to 25—well above the decade average. The incident occurred on a popular freeride route despite clear warnings about dangerous conditions.
Fatal Avalanche Claims Three Lives on Popular Mont Blanc Route
Three experienced freeriders from the Chamonix valley died in an avalanche on 15 February in the Ves Canal, Val Veny, above Courmayeur. The slide occurred around 11 a.m. on a Sunday—peak time for backcountry traffic—on one of the area's most frequented off-piste routes beneath Mont Blanc.
Alexis Rassat (29), Hugo Neuville (31), and Quentin Philippe (35), all from France's Savoie region, were caught in the avalanche despite the bulletin warning of level 4 danger—classified as "strong" on the five-point scale. A yellow alert for wind and avalanche risk had been issued across the entire region. That experienced local riders proceeded into such clearly flagged conditions raises uncomfortable questions about decision-making in familiar terrain.
One victim was found deceased at the scene. The second died at Parini hospital in Aosta despite resuscitation efforts. The third, buried for approximately 40 minutes, was airlifted to Turin's Città della Salute-Molinette hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. The extended burial time likely proved fatal—survival odds drop dramatically after 30 minutes.
