A CLIMBER from Ellesmere Port was half an hour from being trapped by the avalanche that claimed nine lives in France last week.

Dave Compton, of The Harn, Great Sutton, was one of two Britons reported missing in the wake of the avalanche on Mont Maudit in the French Alps.

He and his climbing partner were just behind the group consumed by the massive snow shift and turned back after seeing the aftermath.

Mr Compton, 41, who has been climbing for seven years, spoke of his sadness, despite the relief that greeted him when he turned up safe.

He saw climbers assembled either side of what would have been his planned track. That and strong winds persuaded him to turn back toward Chamonix.

But Mr Compton – who flew out to the Alps on July 7 – did not realise there was a search party out for him or the scale of what had happened until he saw the news.

Mr Compton said: “Then we realised the gravity of the situation when we saw the news so we went straight down to the mountain guides’ association and reported we were still alive.

“If you spend time in the mountains you expect things like this but not so close.

“We were going to take the same route as them.”

Britons John Taylor and Steve Barber were among the dead.