Since the beginning of June, due to the excessively high temperatures recorded, the melting of the ice has been premature in the high mountains, draining certain "couloirs": such as the Aiguille du Goûter (3863m).
Obligatory passage point of the normal route of ascent of Mont Blanc, the Couloir du Goûter has been subject to rockfall for several days, even at unusual times.
Evidence is this video taken a few days ago
Rockfalls nearly hit mountaineers as they climbed Mont Blanc. The phenomenon is facilitated by the severe drought.
Video by Prateek Gianchandani on 15 July 2022, in the morning.
Mountaineers temporarily are invited not to use the Goûter couloir
According to Le Dauphine, due to the current exceptional climatic conditions and the phenomenon of drought that the Haute-Savoie department has been experiencing for several weeks, significant rockfalls occur in the normal route of ascent of Mont Blanc, during day and night, and in particular at the busiest times, namely early in the morning.
For several weeks, mountain practitioners have noticed repeated rock falls in the Goûter couloir. A 73-year-old man from Annecy died there on 22 June.
A situation that prompted the prefecture of Haute-Savoie and the mayor of Saint-Gervais to ask mountaineers to "temporarily" postpone the ascent of Mont-Blanc.
High Mountain Guides: temporarily suspended their operations on the normal route of Mont Blanc
"The guide companies of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc have agreed to temporarily suspend the ascent of Mont-Blanc by the normal access route. This wise decision should be welcomed,” indicates the prefecture of Haute-Savoie and the town hall of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in a press release issued on Thursday 14 July 2022.
In this press release, the prefecture recalls that the Mont-Blanc massif offers many other medium and high mountain routes and therefore invites all those who aspire to climb Mont Blanc by the Goûter, to contact the professionals of the guide offices.
For more information, you can contact:
- The High Mountain Office: 190, place de l'église-74400 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc: +33 4 50 53 22 08.
- The Company of Guides of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains: 43, rue du Mont-Blanc-74170 Saint-Gerbais-les-Bains: +33 4 50 47 76 55.
- The Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Guide Company: 190, place de l'église - 74400 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc: +33 4 50 53 00 88
- The PGHM of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc: 69, rue de la Mollard-74400 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Source
Source: @Le Dauphiné Libéré
