NEWS / Winter sports

On the icy slopes of Everest, where silence and icy winds usually reign, it's now the dull roar of flying machines that disturbs the tranquility of the place.

A verdict has been reached in the case concerning the death of a 75-year-old Italian on the ski slopes of Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

Mitch Hutchcraft, a 32-year-old triathlete from Cambridgeshire, UK, completed an exceptional tour de force on Saturday. It is an extreme sporting achievement that pushes the limits of human endurance both physically and mentally.

The Belgian winter sports enthusiast is now safe, but the emergency services had quite a challenge on their hands to mount a significant rescue operation for the Belgian who encountered difficulties while ski touring in Italy's Aosta Valley.