"As with all around the world, the climate is changing," says Frédéric Bonnevie, a mountain patroller for 32 years. Fluctuating temperatures are influencing how much snow falls, when it does, and where. "We had a lot of snow at the end of October, then not enough over the Christmas holidays," he explains. "So when we had a lot of snow in January, there was a high avalanche risk."

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One instructor told us he had also seen a cultural shift. In the past, off-piste skiers would wait a few days after snowfall to allow it to settle. Now, he claims, they immediately venture out to maximise their breaks. Rescuers feel human complacency has a role alongside the changing weather, and, for officials, the former is easier to overcome than the latter.