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CLIMATE CRISIS

Hot summer forces climbers away from Mont Blanc

Rocks the size of fridges have been tumbling from Mont Blanc as summer temperatures soar, scaring away many hikers from Western Europe's highest mountain.

Hot summer forces climbers away from Mont Blanc
Athletes run during the Mont Blanc marathon on June 26th but hot weather is keeping summer climbers away. Photo: OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP

The heatwaves and drought-like conditions that have recently scorched much of the continent have exposed giant cracks and triggered rockfall, making the ascent to the summit more difficult and dangerous.

None of the seven paths leading to the top of the mountain, which dominates the Alps at 4,807 metres tall, is officially closed.

But conditions have deteriorated so much that only the most experienced climbers are able to reach it in late July, according to experts.

A lack of snow during winter has left glaciers at high altitude exposed and riddled with cracks, with large sections acquiring a grey or yellow tinge caused by the accumulation of sand particles from the Sahara.

Heat has done the rest of the damage, melting the fragile blankets of snow that made crossing crevasses feasible and sending gigantic boulders crashing down slopes.

In the southern French resort town of Chamonix, which lies by the foothills of Mont Blanc, the tourist season is in full swing.

Visitors travel in their thousands every day to reach the summit, the Aiguille du Midi, thanks to a cable car.

But relatively few head to a small cave carved into the ice that acts as a changing room and starting point for mountaineers preparing for their high-altitude trek to Mont Blanc or across the Vallee Blanche glacier.

Among the intrepid explorers were Evan Warden and his 14-year-old son David, who came from Scotland to tackle the glacier below the Aiguille du Midi — only to find the conditions “awful”.

“Everywhere we walked there was just constant rockfall and the crevasses constantly open up,” said David, who was visiting the Alps for the first time.

The pair scrapped plans to climb Mont Blanc via the “Trois Monts” route because the trip became too risky, explained Evan, who hopes to return next year.

“I’ve not seen this much rockfall here in a long time, that’s global warming definitely,” he said.

Norwegian couple Monica and Marten Antheun had waited three years to climb the mythical mountain. But the guided walk they reserved was cancelled owing to the unsafe conditions.

“The guides know the area and they know the conditions. That’s fine for us — we can do it later,” said a philosophical Monica.

Guide companies in Chamonix and nearby Saint-Gervais suspended climbs up Mont Blanc via the popular “Gouter” pass in mid-July due to potentially lethal rockfall crashing down what is known as “the pass of death”.

The sweltering temperatures of recent weeks have destabilised the mountain, according to Noe Verite, a warden at a shelter on the “Trois Monts” path.

He said the mercury at his post — perched at the dizzying height of 3,613 metres — recently reached six degrees Celsius in the middle of the night.

That prevented any ice from freezing over again and forced climbers using that route to turn back, he told AFP.

July is usually peak tourist season for Verite, but cancellations have piled up amid worsening weather conditions.

Rocks “as large as fridges” have battered the usual route to the peak, and only a hardcore group of climbing enthusiasts dare to take other paths such as “l’Innominata” due to their difficulty, he said.

Olivier Grebert, president of the Chamonix Guides Company, said only around a dozen people, mainly specialists, are making it to Mont Blanc’s summit, whereas up to 120 do so in normal times.

Cancelled bookings are postponed, refunded or reworked to other paths and the company has used the disruption to educate those who unwisely see climbing the mountain as an entertaining way of celebrating their 40th birthday.

“This ascent should be part of a climber’s career. Mont Blanc sometimes has a reputation of being an easy climb, but that’s not the case, especially this year,” said Grebert.

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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

How hot will it be in Paris during the Olympics?

A recent report has warned of the dangers of extreme heat for athletes - but what should spectators expect if they are in Paris for the Olympics or Paralympics?

How hot will it be in Paris during the Olympics?

The report labelled Rings of Fire – a collaboration between non-profit Climate Central, academics at Britain’s University of Portsmouth and 11 Olympians – warned that “intense heat at the Paris Olympics in July-August 2024 could lead to competitors collapsing and in worst case scenarios dying during the Games.”

Closer examination, however, reveals that the warning is based on previous heatwave scenarios in Paris, rather than any specific predictions for this summer.

Still, Paris can get pretty hot – so what should Olympics visitors expect this summer?

Seasonal norms

Held between July 26th and August 11th (Olympics) and August 28th and September 8th (Paralympics), there’s no doubt that the Games fall into the hottest part of the French summer.

Average temperatures in Paris for July and August are between 16C and 26C, falling slightly in September to 13C/22C. 

However, when the city is in the grip of a canicule (heatwave) temperatures can rise significantly – the highest temperature ever recorded in Paris was during a heatwave in July 2019 – it was 42.6C.

During a heatwave it’s not uncommon for temperatures to be in the high 30s and to sometimes hit 40C.

Heatwaves usually don’t last long – they are officially defined as days with hot temperatures which also see little fall in the temperature at night (the ‘tropical night’ effect) and it’s rare to have more than five consecutive days like this.

One extra thing to take into account is the ‘heat sink’ effect – the effect that makes cities hotter than the surrounding areas. This happens to an extent in all cities as the cumulative heat exuded from people, vehicles and machinery (especially air-conditioning units) raises the temperature.

It is especially pronounced in Paris, however, due to the geography which traps the heat and the fact that Paris is a city with very little green space – during a heatwave the city can be up to 10C hotter than the surrounding countryside.

Forecast for summer 2024 

The especially annoying thing about heatwaves is that weather forecasters can only predict them about a week in advance, so at present we have no way of knowing whether the weather will be normally warm or insanely hot during the Games period.

French weather forecaster Météo France has predicted hotter-than-average temperatures over the whole of the summer, but cannot predict individual weeks this far in advance.

So far the year has been unusually rainy with cooler than normal temperatures, although the sunshine has returned this week. 

So how should Games visitors prepare?

If you’re attending events within the city, be aware that not all the stands have shade so you should prepare for your event by using a high-factor sunscreen (factor 50 preferably) and take a hat that provides shade for your face and the back of your neck. Stay hydrated.

Loose-fitting, roomy clothing made from natural fibres (eg cotton or linen) will be the most comfortable.

Other than that – keep an eye on weather forecasts and warnings.

If a heatwave is predicted, weather warnings (ranging from yellow ‘be prepared’ to red ‘possible danger to life’) will be issued, along with advice on keeping yourself safe.

The city will also activate its heatwave plan if temperatures soar – this includes setting up brumisateurs (machines providing cooled water vapour) and showing a map of ‘cool rooms’ within the city. There are also provisions in place for elderly or ill people who are more vulnerable to high temperatures.

Even outside a heatwave period Paris has a network of drinking water fountains to enable you to stay hydrated.

Take the warnings seriously – every year people die due to heatwaves

READ ALSO The French government advice for staying cool in a heatwave

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