A UK citizen died after a skiiing accident in the mountains around Mont Blanc on Saturday evening.
The man, who has not been named, was on a ridge near Aiguille du Midi when he fell.
A second man who was with him managed to reach the nearest ski-lift.
He told the emergency services that he and his friend had been trying to reach Aiguille du Midi, which rises to 12,460 ft (3,842 metres) in altitude above Chamonix, to take shelter from unexpectedly high winds.
He said the pair had intended to ski the Vallée Blanche, a popular itinerary along the glacial valley at the heart of the Mont Blanc range, but were forced to change their plans because of the weather conditions.
Fierce winds appear to have caught several climbers and skiers by surprise. Rescuers found a 21-year-old Frenchwoman, who disappeared last Tuesday, suffering from hypothermia in the Mont Blanc range also on Saturday.