These first two weeks of August have been busy times for the PGHM (mountain rescue) with 11 deaths (including one missing person presumed dead) and many near-death experiences, bringing this summer's total to 21. A young Chamoniard, Clément Ladaré, and his climbing partner, Paul Langlet fell on their descent of the Courtes. A fall on the Arete des Bosses normal Gouter route up the Mont Blanc currently in hard wind-buffed snow, killed two people. Other than an unfortunate heart attack in July, these two are the only deaths on Mont Blanc this year. There have, however, been a couple groups (Romanians, an Austrian, and the Croatians of last week) who were not able to make it back to a refuge, but survived their unplanned night out. There were also two fatal accidents on the nearby Pointe Percée and Dent d'Oche. These "hikes" still require a certain knowledge of climbing techniques and equipment.
