Italian mountains see record toll as 13 skiers, climbers and hikers die in one week

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2 dead after avalanche near site of Winter Olympics in Italian alpsTwo skiers have died in an avalanche that happened near the site of the Winter Olympics in the Italian alps on Saturday, local authorities said. (Credit: Vigili del Fuoco)

Rescuers said Monday that at least 13 backcountry skiers, climbers and hikers have died in the Italian mountains over the past week, including 10 killed in avalanches caused by an exceptionally unstable snowpack, as Winter Olympic competitions began.

Fresh snowfall during recent storms and wind-swept snowcaps on weak internal layers have created especially risky conditions along the entire Alpine crescent bordering France, Switzerland and Austria, Italy’s alpine rescuers said.

The avalanche deaths occurred on ungroomed slopes, away from well-maintained and monitored Olympic sites in Lombardy on the Swiss border and Cortina d’Ampezzo in Veneto, as well as cross-country skiing in Val di Fiemme in the autonomous province of Trentino.

Avalanche kills skiers near Winter Olympics venue

At least two skiers were killed and another injured when an avalanche struck the Italian Alps on February 7, as the Winter Olympics began nearby, local officials said.

What they're saying:

‘’Under such conditions, the passage of a single skier, or natural overloading from the weight of snow, can be sufficient to trigger an avalanche,’’ said Federico Catania, Italy’s Alpine Rescue Corps spokesman.

"There is no danger for people skiing within managed ski resorts, and in particular no risks to the Olympic sites,’’ Catania said. "All of these areas are constantly monitored and are generally safe regardless of Olympic events.’’

RELATED: 2 dead after avalanche near site of Winter Olympics in Italian alps

Dig deeper:

With a spate of recent snowstorms, people have been rushing to the mountains during brief windows of good weather, "and as a result the number of accidents, and therefore fatalities, has increased proportionally,’’ Catania said.

Over the weekend alone, two skiers died in avalanches in Lombardy, three in Trentino and one in neighboring South Tyrol. They included two who died in separate avalanches in the area of the Marmolada glacier.

The deaths also included two hikers on Monte Grappa in Veneto and in the Marche region along the Appenine range, as well as an ice climber in Valle d'Aosta.

The same Alpine Rescue Corps also carried out the helicopter rescue of U.S. downhill skier Lindsey Vonn, after she crashed during competition in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Sunday.

Big picture view:

Rescuers advise people making backcountry excursions to heed avalanche bulletins and to delay outings until the snowpack has consolidated.