Of
Alberto Giulini
At first there were fears for the involvement of three people
“I saw two or three people overwhelmed by the snow.” It was just after 2pm when a ski instructor raised the alarm: in Claviere, on an off-piste stretch of the mountain On the Planean avalanche broke off. Within a few minutes the rescuers arrive, the first information fuels fears of a possible tragedy. It’s a race against time, they go into action rescue alpine troops, firefighters, financial police, carabinieri and 118 personnel.
The research
Two helicopters take off to monitor the area from above, soldiers and molecular dogs move on the snow on skis. The ski instructor who witnessed the scene leaves together with the rescuers: loaded aboard a helicopter, he indicates the area where he saw the skiers.
However, as the minutes pass and the research progresses, it begins to grow optimism. The «Artva», a device for searching for those caught in an avalanche, gives a negative result: there are no signals sent by transmitters of possible victims. The fear of a possible tragedy fadesbut the research continues. The findings of the Artva are also confirmed by «Recco»: the signals emitted do not «bounce» off any reflector present in skiers’ clothing or equipment. The final sigh of relief arrives just before 4pm: there are no skiers trapped under the avalanche.
«Wrong behavior»
«When the helicopter flew over the area, there were four entrance tracks and four exit tracks – he explains Luca Gia Arcotapresident of the Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta mountain rescue team –. It means that these people, probably overwhelmed by the snow mass, pulled themselves out and left on their own. Wrong behavior: they could have warned that it was them, they had not been hurt and had not caused damage to other people. And at that point it would then have been up to the judicial authority to arrive at the necessary conclusions.”
Risk of new detachments
In Piedmont it was the second danger averted after the avalanche that broke out on Saturday afternoon at Jaffreau, in Bardonecchia. And the alert remains high for the next few days, due to the risk of new detachments and the peak presence in the mountains during the winter holidays. «The first person who has to pay attention is the user, he must safeguard himself and the people who play sports next to him – explains Luca Giaj Arcota -. We must avoid exposing ourselves to particular dangers: those who want to do mountaineering must choose academic climbs, which are relatively easy and present an at least acceptable level of danger.”
Those involved in an avalanche often find themselves in areas where passage is strongly discouraged, if not completely prohibited. «Ski resorts already know where there are potential dangers and tend to limit access or exclude them completely. Yet many times, nEven though the ski areas are closed, someone still passes through. You cannot put an armed guard to check, but you must pay attention to your own safety and above all that of others: triggering an avalanche also means causing damage to others, especially if near ski resorts. The mountains must be frequented, of course, but you must protect your own health and that of others.”
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December 28, 2025 (changed December 28, 2025 | 8:05 pm)
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