GRENOBLE, France (AFP) - Rescue workers have found the bodies of three of six French skiers who went missing during a trek in the Queyras mountain range in the French Alps, officials said on Sunday.

The party of six, experienced skiers aged between 50 and 70, left on Saturday for a hike in the range straddling France and Italy but triggered an avalanche, the office of the Hautes-Alpes region said.

"We are pessimistic about the (fate of the) others", said Pierre Besnard, who heads the regional office.