News reached us on Saturday, that one of our guides Benoît Drouillat, had been climbing with his brother Vincent on a day off, and had been involved in an accident. Soon our worst fears were realised, when the horrific news arrived, that both had died. It seems that the two had been descending the Cascade de Lyre at Sixt Fer à Cheval, when they were hit by an avalanche. Many many of our clients have climbed and skied with Benoît over the years, and his love of the mountains was infectious to all he met. He was a very young and talented guide, who had just got married last year. Our condolences and heart felt grief go out to his family, and especially to his wife. There is nothing we can say or do that lessens the pain of this loss. Benoît was an inspiration to everyone he met. I took this photo today of the Aiguille du Drus and the Verte, with a Chapeau of cloud over its top. It shows the Patey-Brown route that Benoît climbed a couple of seasons ago, and I thought it a suitable photo to put up for him.