French freerider Juliette Willmann of Chamonix has died in an avalanche in Patagonia.
The 29-year-old was ski touring on Cerro Creston, about 35km from El Chalten, with her husband, the mountain guide Pierre-Idris Mehdi. A snow slab broke loose under them around 12:30 pm on September 29, carrying both of them 400m down the mountain.
According to Alpine Mag, Willmann was found buried about 1.5m deep, with no vital signs. CPR failed to revive her. Her husband was injured but survived and was evacuated.
An established freerider, Willmann won the Freeride World Qualifier in 2018, then competed on the Freeride World Tour from 2019 to 2022. Her best season was 2021, with two second-place finishes and fourth overall, before she left the circuit for high-mountain skiing.
An investigation into the exact circumstances of her death is underway.
