A 36-year-old Taiwanese man died on the morning of Thursday, 27 June 2024, while climbing the Frendo spur with a friend, on the north face of the Aiguille du Midi, high above Chamonix.
On the lower section of the route, the two men chose to climb without a rope, in a snowy passage where it was difficult to find cracks to fit protection. As the climb progressed, one of the climbers suddenly lost his protection and fell. He was not able to stop his fall. The fall was fatal.
The other climber alerted the Chamonix High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon (PGHM). A Dragon 74 helicopter of the Securite Civile, was despatch from Les Bois, arriving on location within 5 minutes.
The body of the fallen mountaineer was found several hundred meters below
The Securite Civile team located the body of the deceased climber several hundred meters below the other climber, who was alive, but in a state of shock and in need of assistance.
He was hoisted aboard the Dragon 74 and transported to the base in Les Bois.
The Securite Civil rescue unit published a notice to all alpinists to take particular care at this time, because of the freeze thaw activity between night and day, which dramatically increases the risk of rockfall and the failure of secured protection that might detach from the rock face, particularly nuts and pitons.
The Securite Civile asks all mountaineers to carefully consider their objectives, even if it means lowering their ambitions.
Le Dauphiné
