British hiker falls 160ft to his death on Mont Blanc
British hiker falls 50 meters down Mont Blanc: man in his 50s dies while on ‘difficult track’ near glacier
- Brit in his 50s found himself near the Bionnassay Glacier in the mountains and the Eagle’s Nest outpost
A British man in his 50s was killed in an autumn Sunday while hiking at the foot of France’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc, police in the Chamonix region said Monday.
The hiker took a difficult trail near the Bionnassay Glacier, the smallest on the French side of the Mont-Blanc massif, at a spot known as Nid d’Aigle (Eagle’s Nest).
He fell about 50 meters and died instantly, rescuers said.
His identity has not yet been revealed.
At 15,771 feet, Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Western Europe and attracts 20,000 hikers and skiers each year.
But the mountain’s popularity poses a growing safety and environmental challenge, local officials have warned.
A British man in his 50s died on an autumn Sunday while hiking at the foot of France’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc (pictured)
Melting snow is believed to trigger avalanches, and the warmer temperatures of recent years have melted the ground ice and made the most popular routes more vulnerable to falling rocks.
Last August, authorities closed two popular mountain shelters used by Mont Blanc climbers due to potentially deadly drought-induced rockfalls.
Jean-Marc Peillex, a local mayor, said at the time that conditions were so dangerous that climbers had to pay a £12,640 bond to cover rescue costs.
In January, a British woman was killed after being caught in an avalanche while hiking with two other people on Europe’s highest mountain.
The accident happened Saturday afternoon on the Argentière Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the Mont Blanc mountain range.
The 45-year-old was found buried under snow and rescue services arrived too late to save her.