Rise in Injuries on the Piste
3rd March 2023
Last modified on March 4th, 2023
Up to 100 people per day are being admitted to one hospital in Grenoble alone due to skiing accidents. UPDATED
The rise is put down to hard packed and icy slopes after little recent snowfall and busy slopes.
It is compounded by the large numbers of people on the slopes in the recent February holiday period.
The Hôpital Sud de Grenoble in France is in a “catastrophic” situation, said head of the emergency department, Dr Jean-Jacques Banihachémi, to FranceInfo.
“We have between 80 and 100 patients a day,” said Dr Banihachémi.
“The problem concerns the reception of patients, the fact of being able to hospitalise them and especially to operate on them.
“For example, just on Sunday, we had to transfer patients to Lyon for fractures that required surgery,” Dr Banihachémi added.
Bare slopes in France. Image © PlanetSKI
He said that there is a rising number of femoral neck fractures among young people.
And it’s extremely serious, because these are relatively heavy surgeries.
“We also have a lot of knee fractures with leg fractures on the increase.
“As far as the upper limbs are concerned, shoulder and wrist fractures are the most common.”
Megeve, France. Image © PlanetSKI
There has been no snow worth talking about for well over a month in parts of the north-west Alps, with generally high temperatures.
Across France it has been the driest winter for more than 60-years.
Météo-France said between January 21st and February 21st there had been no precipitation at all.
Not just in the Alps but across the whole of France.
PlanetSKI spent a day with the Verbier ski patrol in Switzerland earlier this winter.
We had good conditions at the time but the head of Piste Security, PV, told us “when there is not really enough snow, people are not adapting their behaviour accordingly.
He went on to point out that “some skiers & snowboarders are simply going too fast for the conditions.
“My job is much easier when there is lots of snow and no rocks.”
Skiers and snowboarders are recommended to wear a helmet and be in good physical condition.
Most accidents happen towards the end of the day so people are advised to be aware of fatigue.
“You have to pay attention to your speed, it is a very important factor in the cause of accidents,” said Dr Banihachémi.
“You have to know a minimum of the mountain code, how to ski and what priorities to give on the slopes.”
There is some snow in the forecast for the French Alps next week but in the meantime conditions remain hard-packed.
One of our reporters, Tim Clark, was in La Rosiere in France over half-term.
He described the pistes at time as ” hard as concrete” and in places the snow resembled a “kind of polished white porcelain.”
La Rosiere, France. Image © PlanetSKI
La Rosiere, France. Image © PlanetSKI
See this earlier PlanetSKI Facebook video that we filmed in Verbier in January on our last visit.
It has had 1.3m views:
There has been some reaction to this article on the PlanetSKI Facebook page
Al MacLeod – Total lack of respect for other people around them, no concept of the code, skiing out of control most of the time, that’ll be the increase in accidents.
Paul Newis – Withdraw their ski pass.
Veryan Young – Maybe a time to remind oneself of the Piste X Code and spread the word…? Susan Jband – When skis were longer you couldn’t get far out of control before your skis crossed. Nowadays it is so easy to go fast without being in control. Also people just stop anywhere on the piste and don’t pull over at edge.
Mark Ian Harris – During a half term trip to Andorra, yes the slopes was hard and icy patches under snow cannon & I had a fall on the first day on hired skis not understanding the conditions. But after looking at the skis even I understood they wasn’t prepared correct. I took back and the shop agreed and the rest of the week with sharpened skis and care enjoyed the slopes.
Alex Graham – Doesn’t help that piste patrol is practically non existant in France. Might help slowing down a few people.
Kalnaraups Arnolds – I think it’s just the weather is not good, not enough of fresh snow and slopes just to ice…
harder to control if ya going to fast… Tom Thorp
Kalnaraups Arnolds that’s no excuse. People should ski under control. You can’t go too fast, endanger other people then blame ice. If you’re knowingly skiing beyond your control, you need to stop. The sport of skiing is about dealing with whatever the mountain throws at you appropriately. Whatever!
Tim Elvin – I have noticed that since covid people are displaying worse habits on the piste stopping in really daft places and having no spacial awareness.
Smixxy Hobden:
Tim Elvin, I’ve said since last year that people have come back to the slopes with the attitude instilled during covid “you have to look after yourself, think about yourself, take care of yourself” etc etc – very little thought of other people, all very focused on self/being selfish.
And I thought that before some selfish sod joined a piste at warp speed, didn’t look up before or as they joined and caused me turn to avoid an impact and fall causing a fracture of my tibia plateau. I was skiing quite gently as there were three school groups below me. No, they didn’t stop; all about themselves, sure they had a fab week, but my season was over – work and skiing 
Toby Fishel – Blame the ski manufacturers and how they promote their skis
Nick Davies
Toby Fishel, or maybe the user that massively overrates their ability
Ryan TG Lewis
Nick Davies, exactly. Some people always look to attribute blame to anyone and anything other than themselves. Take responsibility!
Tom Thorp – Blame ski manufacturers for promoting high performance over control, also for selling the idea that everyone should be on the piste with fat skis on, which require speed and angulation way above what’s appropriate to operate.
But most of all blame resorts for a lack of safety enforcement, for cramming resorts with unsafe numbers of people (France is particularly guilty of this) and not properly educating skiers on safe piste behaviour.
When I was learning as a kid, the piste code was a huge part of lessons. It was everywhere, on posters, on the piste maps and passes.
Now as an instructor, I not only come across hundreds who don’t know it exists, but also have to regularly explain it to people on piste when they are breaking the piste code, causing accidents that endanger my clients and are baffled when I hold them accountable!
In North America people get passes taken off them for dangerous skiing, there are similar rules to driving in terms of collisions/insurance – people on piste to control speeding skiers.
I want the mountains to be a liberating place where anyone can enjoy the thrill of skiing. But there needs to be some control for the safety of everyone, and actually get back to an educational culture where people realise that the definition of good skiing is about flawless control.
That’s where you can really enjoy speed and performance.
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