As the frozen landscape began to reveal clues, traces in the snow, the shape of the slope and the sequence of movements helped reconstruct the final moments of the four hikers who were killed by an avalanche while hiking in the Vardousia mountains on December 25. These findings are laid out in an in-depth report by a voluntary team of mountain guides, climbers and training officials from the Hellenic Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing.
Members of the federation were in the area on December 26, 2025, taking part in the search and recovery operation. Their analysis aims to reconstruct, with technical precision, the chain of events that led to the avalanche and the deaths of the four climbers.
A slab avalanche with destructive force
In the second part of the report, the team classifies the incident as a slab avalanche:
“The avalanche was a slab avalanche,” with a crown measuring “approximately 400 metres” and destructive power placing it at level “D3” — meaning it was capable of “burying a car, destroying a wooden house or breaking several trees.”
Terrain morphology as a deadly trap
Particular emphasis is placed on the morphology of the slope, which amplified the consequences:
“All debris was channelled, concentrated and compressed into the central section of the amphitheatrical slope,” with the gully acting “as a terrain trap, multiplying the consequences for the victims.”
According to the report, the primary cause was not the depth of the snow, but its internal structure. As stated in the conclusions:
“The snow slope before Mega Kambos exhibited a complex stratification, with multiple weak layers sandwiched between crusts, resting on a frozen base.”
These weak layers consisted of “angular crystals (facets),” described as “dangerously weak layers.”
How the avalanche was triggered
The report is explicit on how the avalanche was released:
“It is estimated that when they began ascending the slope, at a lower point, they triggered the avalanche.”
The trigger came from “the collapse of the weak layer due to pressure exerted by their weight,” which then “propagated across the entire slope.”
This assessment is supported by field evidence. As the report notes:
“They were all found very close to one another,” while “small items such as glasses, hats and beanies” were located nearby — indicating that “they had not travelled a great distance during the slide.” Moreover, “the point where they were found was roughly in the middle of the debris,” something that would not have been the case had the avalanche been triggered higher up.
A marginal slope, decisive conditions
Finally, the report highlights that the tragedy occurred on a slope with a marginal inclination of around 27–29 degrees, noting:
“The slope angle is borderline for avalanche formation, but the particular nature of the weak layer and the frozen base intensified and influenced the final outcome.”
A stark warning
The conclusion is unambiguous: in Greece’s mountains, where there is no organised avalanche forecasting system, understanding snowpack structure, reading terrain and being trained in risk management are not optional — they are matters of life and death.
This tragedy illustrates how a combination of natural factors and human presence, without obvious warning signs on the ground, can lead to catastrophic consequences. As the report stresses, “knowledge of avalanche risk is crucial for prevention and safe movement in the mountains,” especially in a country where, as it explicitly notes, “there is an absence of an organised avalanche bulletin.”
