Eight days ago, the men made themselves hear their news from their camp for the last time over a satellite phone. Since then, the three climbers, 34-year-old Thomas Arvey from Nice, 27-year-old Gabriel Meloch from Brianson, and aged Louis Bachaud from Chambéry, have not been heard from since. The bad weather in the area also makes searching difficult. According to Ang Norbu Sherpa, a member of the rescue team, the area where the men went missing is now covered in a blanket of snow “the height of a five-story building.”
“Since we could not make any progress, we decided to suspend the search. We will resume work in three or four days,” the rescue team said. The three young climbers were part of an expedition of eight. They were divided in order to climb different mountain peaks. The two 20-year-olds belong to an elite group of promising young climbers, accompanied by 34-year-old Thomas.
The Fédération Française des club alpins et de montagne (FFCAM) previously said the chances of finding the trio were “almost nil”. According to FFCAM, the men tried to turn back once they were caught by the avalanche. Rescuers found backpacks and other equipment for the team at the scene.
