Pyrenees Avalanche Deaths Hit Decade High at Six

Avalanche deaths in the Pyrenees this winter have reached six, the highest total in a decade, with two fatalities occurring in Andorra amid around 30 recorded incidents of people caught in slides.

Andorra Recerca + Innovació (AR+I) researcher Aina Margalef, a geologist, nivologist, and member of the Association for Snow and Avalanche Knowledge (ACNA) accident commission, noted the figure exceeds last season's five deaths. ACNA data shows roughly 30 cases early in the campaign, a level Margalef called excessive.

Recent incidents in the Principat include a fatal avalanche in Freixans, Ordino, outside marked ski areas, the death of an Ordino-Arcalís resort worker days after hospitalization from an in-bounds slide, and Catalan sportswoman Ares Masip swept away but uninjured in early January, as she described on social media.

Experts attribute the rise to irregular snowpack, social media-driven pursuits of powder snow that normalize high-risk activities, and frequent underestimation of dangers. Mountain guide Julià Joseph Porta of Torb stressed fully analyzing avalanche bulletins, not just risk levels, given variable Pyrenean conditions. Even low ratings can conceal hazards in gullies or channels signaling instability.

Fire Service Mountain Rescue Group head Abel Amigó recommended reviewing historical snowpack data alongside daily bulletins to pick safer routes, such as established Andorran backcountry paths avoiding exposed slopes. On location, constantly reassess for fog, wind slabs, or altered snow, and retreat if tired or uncertain.

Civil Protection director Cristian Pons echoed the need for advance planning: track weather and bulletins daily, match activities to group skills, avoid improvisation, and opt for secure paths when in doubt. Essential kit covers a functional DVA transceiver, shovel, probe, water, food, charged phone, and power bank. Travel in groups of at least two, preferably three, and master equipment use.

Margalef highlighted snowpack complexities, including fresh snow, wind slabs, wet slides, and persistent weak layers buried for months that trigger major releases. Level 2 risks account for 39% of accidents, often from poor bulletin interpretation. She identified three key phases: preparation via bulletin training, prioritizing field observations over predictions—requiring nivology skills akin to scuba certification—and rapid accident response. Group rescues in the first 15 minutes are critical, as survival chances drop sharply afterward.

If caught, try swimming to the surface; if buried, adopt a fetal position, form an air pocket for about 20 minutes of oxygen, and call 112. Specialists warned against social media "false experts," urging official sources for guidance.