In reply to Jamie Simpson - Alpine Dragons:
After two days benighted in a high alpine hut, due to a heavy storm a group of seven formed to descend to the valley, me and my mate were at the back. We had a dilemma, the normal route went along the lateral moraine at the edge of the glacier, but that was being threatened by snow slides from the hillside above. The glacier itself was blanketed in soft snow covering all the crevasses that we knew were there.
After some discussion we decided to risk the glacier, the group consisted of a couple of locals, couple novices, a Major in the French alpine corps and me and my mate who both considered ourselves to be reasonably experienced alpenists, with the Major leading the way.
We got about half way down the glacier when the Major disappeared down a crevasse. As there were six of us behind him on the rope we managed to hold him and haul him out.
The major carried his axe in his hand with no safety leash, so he had lost his axe in the fall. his did cause some difficulties he couldn't offer any assistance, we just had to pull. It wasn't quite as simple as straight hauling but we got him out.
Then we had to work out which was the best line to take to get off the glacier.
John Gresty