As reported by the Petzl Foundation, by 24 February, 28 people had already lost their lives in avalanches in France during the year 2026. This series of accidents is not inevitable.
Switzerland and Austria have succeeded in reducing the number of accidents by more than 30% thanks to new risk-reduction methods. For the past ten years, the Petzl Foundation has been involved in developing new free applications that incorporate these methods and help users choose their ski touring routes more wisely, reducing the risk of being caught in an avalanche. These applications are called Yéti and Skitourenguru. Already 4,600 routes have been digitised in the French Alps, 13,000 in the entire Alps and 500 to come in the Pyrenees in 2026. Further information on these applications is available here.
To support avalanche awareness, the Petzl Foundation has also launched a series of tutorials to help mountain goers prepare for their activities by choosing routes adapted to current snow conditions. The videos are in French with subtitles in English as well as other languages.
