It was a deadly day for hiker at one popular mountain. Five hikers ended up perishing at the mountain in what turned out to be tragic but separate incidents. The mountain peaks of Mont Blanc, located in the French Alps, proved to be deadly on September 11.
Authorities confirmed a fifth hiker perished while hiking the mountainous trail. A 61-year-old ended up falling more than 100 feet to his death. His foot slipped while he was walking near a steep area. The incident happened near Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in the Haute-Savoie department of eastern France. Four other hikers died that day, according to CBS News.
In a tragic situation, four hikers previously passed away after getting trapped on Mont Blanc's highest peak. Two Korean and two Italian hikers died from "exhaustion." They spent days braving the harsh elements of the mountain. Exactly how they got trapped is unclear at this time. But they were unable to survive until help arrived.
Following all of the deaths, Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of the nearby town Saint-Gervais, condemned marketing for the mountain. He called for tourist hiking trips to end. He believed the perils of the mountain haven't been conveyed to hikers.
Hikers Die On Mountain
"Tour companies who have pretty young women selling Mont Blanc as if it was no more dangerous than the London or Paris marathon are responsible for deaths," Peillex said per The Times. "You can't make Mont Blanc less dangerous. There will always be falls of rock and seracs [blocks of glacial ice]. That's just bad luck, but you could stop people going up in extreme weather."
So far, 12 people have died at Mont Blanc this year. The mayor urges amateur and novelist hikers to turn away. The mayor said that you need plenty of experience to attempt the hike. He said, "People think Mont Blanc is technically easy but in reality it's a challenging climb that requires extensive mountaineering experience."
He continued, "Even if you think you're a really good climber capable of tackling Mont Blanc, you have to have the humility to take a guide. If you're not ready for it, the guide will tell you."
