Nestled deep in the snow-capped French Alps, the prestigious ski resort of Chamonix stands as a beacon for winter sports enthusiasts, offering some of the most challenging slopes in the world. At an altitude of 2,100 meters, in the shadow of the iconic Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe, a unique scene unfolds. Here, a highly trained golden retriever named Utah, just two years old, plays a vital role as part of the Chamonix ski patrol team. Utah’s job is to locate and rescue skiers who find themselves in trouble on the mountain. On this particular day, Utah’s mission is to “rescue” Tom Chesshyre, a journalist from MailOnline Travel, who has been buried in a snow cave as part of a demonstration of the ski patrol’s lifesaving work. The exercise offers a rare glimpse into the daily operations of a team that works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the safety of skiers and snowboarders.
The Chamonix ski patrol team is one of the most experienced and respected in the Alps. Each winter, they rescue around 300 people, with over 1,000 rescues taking place across the resort as a whole. The ski area encompasses several challenging regions, including Grands Montets, Brevent, Flegere, Balme, and Les Houches. Christophe Boloyan, the ‘chef de piste’ (patrol leader) of the Grands Montets ski patrol, explains that the majority of callouts involve knee injuries, which account for 75% of incidents. Head and shoulder injuries make up another 15%, while the remaining 10% involve other parts of the body. Christophe has invited MailOnline Travel to join the team for a day to showcase the critical work they do. The day begins early, at 7:30 a.m., as the team boards a cable car in complete darkness, the snow falling heavily around them. The resort is scheduled to open to the public at 9 a.m., and the eerie silence of the mountain creates an atmosphere of anticipation and focus.
The ski patrol’s headquarters is a modest, low-rise building located at the top of the Plan Joran lift. Inside, the team gathers for their morning briefing, wearing their distinctive Helly Hansen-branded black-and-yellow uniforms. These uniforms are tailored with special pockets that hold avalanche bomb ignitors, a crucial tool for controlling snowslides. The team consists of 25 patrollers, 12 snowcat drivers responsible for grooming the pistes, and three artificial snowmakers. Christophe notes that while the team is currently all male, they are actively working to recruit more women. During the briefing, Christophe reviews the latest weather data,
