Wednesday 17th May 2017, late in the afternoon, an amateur South Korean mountaineer (26) has fallen in a crevasse, in the Dôme du Goûter (4,304m), during the ascent of Mont Blanc (4,808m).
The man departed Wednesday morning with a friend, also an amateur South Korean mountaineer, to climb the Mont Blanc.
The two mountaineers departed, at 8am, from the Tête Rousse Hut (3,167m) where they spent the night, before starting the ascent, by the classic route, the Gouter Route.
According to Le Figaro, the accident occurred at around 5pm, at about 4,000 meters above sea level, when the man fell into a crevasse, in the Dôme du Goûter sector.
His climbing partner, unharmed, alerted the Chamonix PGHM.
The PGHM rescue team arrived quickly on the scene by helicopter, but sadly, the victim died despite attempts to revive him.
According to the preliminary investigations, it is a "lack of security" at the origin of this accident. The victim has been suffocated by the rope tied around his chest.
According to Le Dauphine, the man fell into the crevasse and was retained about 10 meters below the surface by his climbing partner, but «the tension of the rope compressed his ribs and rib cage, causing the man's death" told the PGHM.
Also "The area is still very snowy, this period is not ideal for the ascent of Mont Blanc on foot", said the PGHM, skis being preferred.
According to Radio Mont Blanc, the climber wasn't wearing a shoulder harness. It seems he had forgotten his harness in the valley. Therefore, he didn't respect the typical method of roping up.
To climb Mont Blanc without prior experience and without a mountain guide, is unconscious. Unless you are an experienced mountaineer, to climb the Mont Blanc without a qualified High Mountain Guide is a big mistake, and you have a high risk of dying.
There is no excuse to not hire a High Mountain Guide in Chamonix, because there are many High Mountain Guides that live in the Chamonix valley and there is always availability.
Page on Chamonix.net dedicated to High Mountain Guides.
