J.P. Auclair and Andreas Fransson Confirmed Dead in Avalanche

[M_R]

RIP

from: http://unofficialnetworks.com/2014/0...d-in-avalanche


It is with heavy harts that we report that skiing icons J.P. Auclair and Andreas Fransson have passed away in an avalanche on the border between Argentina and Chile in Patagonia..

BioBio reported that Auclair and Fransson were climbing Monte San Lorenzo at the time of the accident. The group was filming a new project, which according to Fransson’s Facebook page, was a new webisode series called Apogee Skiing.

The region the group was climbing in is very remote and mountainous. BioBio states the location is 18 hours from the nearest city, and a two hour flight just to the base of the trail. A rescue operation takes up to 13 hours to reach the area of the avalanche.

[lynchdogger]

Still in shock. Both amazing athletes, skiers, and mountaineers. A huge loss to the ski world. RIP. Forever shred. Condolences to family and friends. They inspired so many. So sad.

[iceclimberx15]

Fuck! RIP men..

[brennabreathes]

A bit more information here: http://www.tetongravity.com/story/sk...lean-avalanche

[Skiwald]

WTF! These two have been a such a major inspiration to so many. It's hard to believe they are gone.

[conan the librarian]

I'm not one to be struck by the death of celebrities but when it's in a sport like skiing, it is always a shock, and a blow. Totally gutted by this.

S.I.P.

[axebiker]

Man...

[Lindahl]

Crazy that Liz Daley also was caught and died on the same day not too far away from there. Makes me think the conditions were deceptively dangerous that particular day? Unanticipated extreme rapid warming?

[rip]

Crazy that Liz Daley also was caught and died on the same day not too far away from there. Makes me think the conditions were deceptively dangerous that particular day? Unanticipated extreme rapid warming?

I had thought I saw somewhere that someone had posted that conditions were "all time" down there. 2 separate incidences so close together seems to say something changed or there was something unexpected that was encountered. Or they were just both freak accidents. Will wait and see when the reports come out.

[JD May]

It sounds like it was more on the side of freak accident - obviously impossible to know exactly what happened but the only details I've heard are that they were 2/3 of the way up the couloir and something released way, way up above them - i.e. probably not something they triggered themselves.

I haven't seen any details about the slide that took Liz Daley.

[Mr brownstone]

There's nothing really 'freak' about climbing a long steep line and having something come down from above.

It's mountain tragedy. Many many greats have perished walking up into the un/less known.

RIP

[MagnificentUnicorn]

This is sad news but not really unexpected or 'shocking'. The playground for these guys is very high consequence.

[Kinnikinnick]

Picture of the north couloir system of Monte San Lorenzo



I also found this video of a climb of, I think, the same mountain and couloir system. Pretty intense terrain.