High season and good weather, two factors that scare the PGHM of Chamonix. Yesterday was no exception to the rule, with 14 rescues for the PGHM! - a fall at the Domes de Miage; - an eye injure at the Mont Blanc; - dislocated knee over the Argentière hut; - bone fracture for a climber in the Aiguille du Plan; - various falls in the Valley: hiking, mountaineering & mountain biking; - rescue of a climbing party in the Pilier Gervasutti due to a rock fall. A 200m fall in the Couloir du Gouter! At 5.15pm, the warning was given by a mountain guide. He had just seen falling alongside him, a backpack and the body of a climber. 200 meter drop! This happened (again) in the Couloir du Gouter, normal way to Mont Blanc. According to the captain of PGHM, "it is difficult to know the exact cause of this fall, since there was no direct witness". The climber (a French person) was with a companion, but they were using no rope. "He probably slipped on a stone" says the PGHM. The only thing can do is recommend the greatest precaution for lovers of altitude in these days of high temperatures. For example, last Friday at the summit of Mont Blanc, at 8:00am, the temperature was around 6°C! Le Dauphiné
