Even for the most extra­ordinary skier, neither acumen nor experience can prepare oneself for the mortal threat of an avalanche. Philippe Jabre learnt this last year.

Last February, Mr Jabre, then the star trader for London hedge fund GLG Partners, was skiing in Courchevel with his wife Zaza, a client and two guides when a huge mass of snow rapidly descended upon them. When the avalanche hit, his wife was submerged. Mr Jabre and his companions spent 23 minutes trying to find her and dig her out, with the odds of her survival dwindling by the minute. Miraculously, she survived, capping her recovery in January with a return to the slopes at the French ski resort where they own a home.