Avalanche Deaths in Europe Rise Again

In the latest incident a 41-year old Italian skier, Federico Giubilato, died in Marchkopf in Austria last weekend.

His skiing friend dug himself out as they were skiing off piste together and alerted the authorities as he frantically dug for his friend.

The rescue team arrived in two helicopters about half an hour later.

It took a further 30 minutes to dig Federico out.

Once his body was found he was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was a mechanical engineer with a degree from the University of Padua.

Another human tragedy with so much more behind the bald statistic of another fatality.

This winter, since October 1^st, 135 people have died in avalanches in Europe according to the European Avalanche Warning Services:

• Italy – 38
• France – 31
• Austria – 29
• Switzerland – 15
• Spain – 8
• Slovakia – 6
• Slovenia – 3
• Andorra – 2
• Poland – 1
• Norway – 1

There have been no recorded fatalities in The Czech Republic, Iceland, Sweden and Scotland.

The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL, has published its latest information this week on avalanche incidents in Switzerland.

244 people were caught in 171 avalanches this winter up to the end of March.

These figures are well above the average for the last ten years, which is 182 people recorded in 127 accidents.

None of the buried persons were on marked ski slopes.

Nine were recorded in touring terrain with six in off-piste areas.

An unstable snowpack covered much of the Swiss Alps in the first half of winter.

After an early onset of winter at the end of November, the weather remained dry and sunny until January.

The resulting thin snow cover was heavily transformed and formed a very weak, unstable base.

According to the WSL, winters with a pronounced ‘old snow’ problem are particularly accident-prone.

The danger is often not easy to recognise, even for experts.

In addition, avalanches that start in deep layers of the snowpack are usually dangerously large.

The Swiss cantons of Valais, Ticino and Graubünden were particularly affected by this situation.

The winter of 2025/26 was like the previous winter, too warm and characterised initially by well below-average snow depths.

New snowfall totals across Switzerland only reached 50% to 75% of the long-term average.

The snow deficit was greatest in the east of Switzerland.

The vast majority of victims were caught in wind slab avalanches or collapses linked to persistent weak layers buried deep within the snow, often triggered by skiers after fresh downfalls.

We have reported on the accidents on PlanetSKI across the winter:

• Eight skiers die in avalanches in Austria in one day
• 13 year old boy is latest avalanche fatality
• More avalanches in the Alps with ‘high’ risk in places
• Three dead in avalanches in France

Most occurred in a concentrated 2-month period from late December to late February.

In France 30 of the 31 total fatalities were between 26th December and 22nd February.

Though the number is above the annual average it is not outside the expected parameters, that range from 60 to 140 depending on the overall stability of the snowpack.

Variations in avalanche fatalities are very weather dependent.

What is interesting this winter is the number of experiences skiers caught – ski patrollers, guides, off piste instructors, experienced ski tourers and members of alpine clubs.

As winter draws to a close the risk remains.

There has been fresh snow this week and on Wednesday 1st April there was a  ‘considerable’ risk – Level 3 – in areas of the Alps.

Avalanche risk in Switzerland, Wednesday 1st April. Image c/o Swiss Avalanche Institute.

April sees the start of the main off piste ski touring season and the authorities advise caution.

Val Thorens/Orelle, France. Image © PlanetSKI

Related Articles:

• ‘To ski or not to ski?’ – that is the question
• New research shows avalanches are starting faster
• Avalanches help glaciers survive

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