Fatality above Chamonix: a fatal fall above Chamonix on the Whymper Couloir, on the Aiguille Verte.
Thu, 20 March 2014, early morning, an emergency call came from the Whymper Couloir, on the Aiguille Verte. A Chamonix-local in his 30s who was skiing down the Whymper Couloir, lost his balance and had a fall of more than 100 metres to his death.
The PGHM was alerted by a skier who noticed the accident. On arrival at the scene of the accident, the rescuers could only confirm that the man was dead.
The Whymper Couloir, named after Edward Whymper, a British illustrator and mountaineer, remains the easiest access route to the summit of the Aiguille Verte. A major summit of Mont Blanc, the Aiguille Verte, has several climbing routes. Generally the Whymper Couloir is used both for ascending and descending the Aiguille Verte. At the end of the season, this couloir is no longer safe for descending, so the alpinists usually use the Arête du Moine.
In this case, as a standard procedure, an investigation was opened to clarify the circumstances of the accident.
The PGHM rescuers strongly advise everyone to pay attention to every move made while climbing, skiing or snowboarding. A simple misplaced step can cost you not only your vacation, but also your life.
