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‘To pay funeral costs’ – Why Mont Blanc mayor wants to charge climbers

The mayor of one of the villages in close proximity to Mont Blanc wants to make climbers pay a €15,000 deposit before ascending the mountain to 'anticipate their rescue and funeral costs' as the mountain becomes more dangerous due to rising temperatures.

Published: 4 August 2022 13:10 CEST
'To pay funeral costs' - Why Mont Blanc mayor wants to charge climbers
Alpinists walk on the famous "Couloir du Gôuter" on the Mont-Blanc range near Saint-Gervais, eastern France in 2017. (Photo by PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP)

The mayor of the French village of Saint-Gervais, located at the foot of Europe’s tallest mountain, has warned visitors they might be climbing with “death in your backpack.”

Having made several pleas to visitors, hoping to discourage them from climbing the famous mountain this summer, Mayor Jean-Marc Peillex, has put forward plans to make climbers pay a €15,000 deposit to climb Mont Blanc via the Goûter route.

The sum corresponds to “€10,000 for the cost rescue, and €5,000 for the cost of a funeral” as it is “impermissible that the French taxpayer be the one to cover such costs,” said Peillex in a public statement on August 3rd.

The mayor is correct that the mountain has become more dangerous amid rising temperatures. The normal route – Goûter – has become considerably less safe, with rockfalls and landslides disrupting the iconic path up Mont Blanc due to drought and heat. 

While access has not officially been closed, many guides are avoiding certain routes this summer, including the Goûter. 

The Goûter route often welcomes a less experienced group of climbers, while other accesses to the summit, like the Italian routes, are typically more dangerous and require higher technical abilities. That being said, ascending Mont Blanc in general is not an easy climb. 

READ MORE: Climbing Mont Blanc: 10 reasons to think twice

The mayor wants visitors to respect and listen to the mountain, saying in a video in mid-July that it “is not the moment” to attempt climbing the mountain, as it is “angry.”

Peillex has also referred to ascending Mont Blanc during this summer’s conditions as “playing Russian Roulette”‘

According to the mayor, there have been several dozen “pseudo-alpinists” seeking to climb Mont Blanc this summer. Mountain rescue teams have counted at least 50 people who have defied local authorities’ recommendations.

In his most recent announcement to the public, the mayor used the example several Romanian tourists attempting the climb in “shorts and sneakers.”

Pilleux also wants to see ski lift companies agree to close access to certain lifts during dangerous periods, such as heatwaves, to help keep people off the mountain during these times.

Even in normal conditions, Mont Blanc is one of the deadliest mountains to climb in the world, with many underestimating the difficulty of ascending Europe’s tallest peak. The leading causes of death on the mountain are falling, being hit by falling rocks, or becoming lost or caught in dangerous weather.

Between 1990 and 2017, 102 people had died between the Tête Rousse Hut and the Goûter Hut, a stretch that takes most people about three hours to hike, according to the New York Times.

The Times also reported that “of the 387 accident victims who needed emergency services, 84 percent were amateurs unaccompanied by a professional guide.”

READ MORE: Hot summer forces climbers away from Mont Blanc

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TRAVEL NEWS

Which airports will be worst affected by France’s ‘enormous’ strike?

Sixty percent of flights will be cancelled during this week's 'enormous' strike of French air traffic controllers - here's a look at which airports will be worst affected.

Published: 23 April 2024 21:38 CEST
Which airports will be worst affected by France's 'enormous' strike?

On Thursday, April 25th, the largest union representing French air traffic controllers has called a one-day strike in a protest over changes to working conditions and a new navigation system.

The SNCTA union, which represents over 60 percent of air traffic controllers in France, told the French press on Monday that they expected “record turnout” – and has threatened another strike over the holiday weekend of May 9th, 10th and 11th. 

Another union, UNSA-UTCAC, had also filed a strike notice for Thursday, increasing the likelihood of disruption.

The strike is going to be “very strongly supported”, said Pascal de Izaguirre, the head of FNAM, an umbrella group of French aviation industry unions.

“The impact will be enormous,” he said.

So where will the impact be the worst?

Individual staff members had until Tuesday to inform bosses of their intention to strike – staffing numbers are then used by the French civil aviation authority the DGAC to work out how many flights can safely take off and land from each airport.

Airports are then given a percentage of how many flights they must cancel – precisely which flights are cancelled is up to airlines to decide. Airlines usually try to prioritise long-haul flights to minimise disruption.

Anyone scheduled to fly in and out – or over – France on Thursday should check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

The DGAC has announced that up to 60 percent of flights will be cancelled on Thursday. A full list of disruptions will be released soon, but French TV station BFM reports that;

  • Paris Orly airport – 75 percent of flights cancelled
  • Paris Charles de Gaulle – 65 percent of flights cancelled
  • Toulouse Blagnac – 60 percent of flights cancelled
  • Nice – 70 percent of flights cancelled

The strike itself as a 24-hour one, but it’s likely that there will be knock-on effects into Friday.

Compensation

Some airlines offer free cancellation or rescheduling of flights on days that strikes are called – individual terms are down to the airline (eg whether travellers get money back or vouchers to use at a later date).

If your flight is delayed or disrupted by strike action you may be entitled to compensation, depending on whether your airline in based in, or took off from, an EU country.

READ ALSO What are my rights if my flight is disrupted?

Overflights 

Because the strike is by air traffic controllers, it will also affect flights that pass through French airspace on their way to another country, known as overflights.

These make up a significant percentage of the flights handled by French air traffic controllers on a daily basis – in the case of overflights they are more likely to be delayed or diverted as airlines seek alternatives routes that go around France, rather than over it, but there may be some cancellations.

Travellers should check with their airline.

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