“American Dave” Rosenbarger killed by Mont Blanc Avalanche

Extreme skier Dave Rosenbarger, known throughout Chamonix, France as “American Dave,” was killed by an avalanche on Friday, January 23. According to Patagonia, a sponsor of Rosenbarger’s since 2010, the 38-year-old Oregon native was caught, buried and injured in an avalanche on the Helbronner on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif. He was reportedly skiing with three friends at the time of the avalanche and later died of injuries at an undisclosed hospital.

Dave Rosenbarger. 1976 – 2015

Rosenbarger grew up in Gresham, Ore. and first began spending winters in Chamonix more than a decade ago. He split his time between the Alps, based in Chamonix, and Lake Tahoe, California, and was known for steep, technical descents. He is survived by his wife, Rosanna Hughes.

On Friday, January 23, Météo France, the weather and avalanche forecasting service for the French Alps, rated avalanche danger above 2,300 meters throughout the Mont Blanc Massif region at 3—considered “marked.” The report predicted up to 5 cm of snowfall for the day, and referenced “tricky,” large wind slabs on most aspects over a buried, weak layer.

Patagonia’s Josh Nielsen, Global Marketing Director, Outdoor, wrote the following of Rosenbarger: “He was the epitome of a pure passion skier—someone who didn’t do it for the cameras or for the limelight—and was deeply committed to the sport for all of the right reasons. Dave was a calculated risk taker and a talented athlete who dedicated his life to climbing and skiing some of the most challenging lines in the world, calling Chamonix, France his winter home. Dave is known for having an effortless style while skiing in steep and precarious places but also for his infectious, glowing personality. He contributed to our Patagonia family in so many ways—he had a natural eye for product design and became one of our most articulate and valued product testers, he was beloved by fellow ambassadors, a friend to all and the catalyst for many powder-laden Chamonix adventures. Dave was one of a kind and will be deeply missed.”