Briton killed in fall on one of the world’s 'most difficult' and steepest ski slopes

9 February 2024, 08:23 | Updated: 9 February 2024, 08:24

A British skier has died in a fall in the Swiss Alps on one of the steepest runs in the world

The man, 47, was skiing down the Pas de Chavanette, aka the Swiss Wall, which had been closed because of dangerous ice.

The man fell up to 400m down the ski run. The man was with another skier and a snowboarder at the time.

“Despite the rapid intervention of the rescue services, the victim, a British national living in England, died at the scene of the accident,” a statement said.

An investigation has been opened and questions will be asked about why the victim and his companions were on the piste, which was clearly marked with a closure sign and a net.

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The Swiss Wall is “among the world’s most difficult pistes,”  “only skiers of a very good level can take it in optimum conditions,” an unofficial website states.

The Swiss tourist office, which says on its website: “Even the most hardened and acrobatic skiers will go weak at the knees here. The mountain drops away extremely steeply on the east side of the Chavanette Pass. The gradient here is up to 56 per cent.”

“Because of the extreme angle, the slope cannot be prepared with a snow groomer. The mogul slope is only suitable for highly experienced skiers or snowboarders.”