A Polish ski mountaineer has been killed after falling into a crevasse in the Grand Mulets sector on Mont Blanc after a snow bridge he was crossing collapsed.
The man was at the tail end of a group comprising three other compatriots. They were descending at around 3,200 meters altitude when they noticed he was missing. The Chamonix Mountain Police (peloton de gendarmerie de haute montagne) were informed on Monday evening and immediately started a search and rescue operation. The man’s body was found on Tuesday but poor weather prevented a helicopter from landing special equipment required to bring the body to the surface.
This is the second fatal crevasse fall over the weekend on Mont Blanc. In both instances the victim wasn’t spotted as missing until later. This highlights the need for good group management, especially in the high mountain environment. Skiers may even rope themselves together where the terrain is particularly dangerous. It is also worth noting that in this age where the rescue services are little more than a mobile phone call away the helicopter was unable to go to the scene because of bad weather. Earlier in the month a stricken climber had to be rescued by guides on foot after a four hour delay. A delay that may prove fatal.
The Grand Mulets is popular with ski mountaineers descending from Mont Blanc but has been the scene of many dramas and is unpopular with mountain guides. On the 20th of April, 2002 four skiers were killed by a serac (ice block) fall as they were climbing to Mont Blanc.