Friday 25th August 2017, the prefect of the Haute Savoie, Pierre Lambert, announced a reinforcement of the security control at Tete Rousse Hut during this season, to ensure compliance with regulations.
Therefore, the gendarmes of the Chamonix PGHM settle down at the Tete Rousse Hut, at 3,167 meters altitude, to check the equipment of the mountaineers and dissuade those ill-equipped to climb the Mont Blanc.
This announcement follows the deaths of two trail men, who departed to climb the Mont Blanc, and to the municipal order issued by the mayor of Saint-Gervais, Jean-Marc Peillex imposing a minimum level of equipment and clothing to climb the Mont Blanc via the Goûter couloir.
According to Dauphine, since 2012, during the summer season, three days per week, a PGHM team makes "prevention, counseling and sometimes repression" on the normal route to the summit of Mont Blanc.
The prefect of the Haute Savoie said that "the primary role of the PGHM is to ensure mountain rescue, but also can repress which means check the equipment and constrain people to descend, if they don't respect the minimum level of equipment".
"Until the end of the summer season, the control can be strengthened from one to two weeks, to put an end to these unacceptable practices and give a strong signal. Now, it could be from three to five days a week" he said.
