Others missing. Search continues in “icy and snowy conditions that are clearly very difficult.”
Nine climbers have been killed and nine others injured in an avalanche near the French Alpine ski resort of Chamonix, officials say.
A further two climbers were still missing as search and rescue workers from France and Italy combed the snow-covered slopes near Chamonix hours after the 28-strong group of climbers and guides were hit by a wall of ice and snow.
French officials described it as the worst Alpine tragedy for many years.
The tragedy struck just after 5am as a group of climbers began a dawn ascent on Mont Maudit (Accursed Mountain) in the Mont Blanc range at Chamonix, at an altitude of just over 4,000m. In all, 28 climbers were roped together in several groups.
Rescuers said they had searched the entire avalanche area and found no trace of the missing climbers.
Manuel Valls, the French interior minister, said rescue teams had been working in very difficult conditions.
“The mountain doesn’t always give up its victims,” he said, “but the search will obviously continue in icy and snowy conditions that are clearly very difficult.” (italics added)
See entire article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/12/mont-blanc-avalanche-britons?newsfeed=true
See also:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=39031
Thanks to Kenneth Lund and Alex Tanase for these links
6 Responses to Nine dead – nine injured – in Mont Blanc avalanche
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the article I read on this said the officials were warning guides and climbers to be careful due to an “an unusually snowy Spring”…the day of the Avalance the area was hit by Monsoon type rain that all fell as snow above 3,000 meters on the mountain. Due to the huge overhangs of ice and snow from the “unusually snowy Spring” the new snow made them too heavy and a section about 15ft long broke off and fell and started the Avalance that killed these people.
A college buddy of mine lost a friend who fell one spring in the 1960s while they were climbing Mont Blanc. Terrible! How much extra summer snow did it take to have made a whole avalanche in 2012? I bet folks went climbing because they thought there’d be LESS snow in July, esp. with “global warming.” My guess–there’e actually enough snow now to last year-round…another Ice Age glacier.
Bravo on that one !!
My guess–there’e actually enough snow now to last year-round…another Ice Age glacier.
The actual scene this year was Mont Maudit, French for “Cursed Mountain.” Yep.
Savoie is getting hammered this year. A Year Without Summer, just like the US West Coast states.
The article and comments are absolutely ridiculous.
The avalanche happened at over 4000m, where it is absolutely normal to have snow cover, given that the climbers were on a glacier when the avalanche struck.
It is absolutely normal for sharp frosts to occur at night under such circumstances (I’ve slept on Mt Blanc at 3700m and trust me, it was way below zero).
The temperatures this year have been normal.
This accident signifies nothing but that mountaineering is a sport not without risks.