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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Angela Giuffrida

French mayor to ask Mont Blanc climbers for €15,000 rescue and funeral deposit

Alpinists during the ascent of Mont Blanc.
Alpinists during the ascent of Mont Blanc. Photograph: imageBROKER/Alamy

Climbers attempting to reach the summit of Mont Blanc from a popular path in France will have to pay a €15,000 (£12,640) deposit to cover costs in case they need to be rescued, or worse, die.

Jean-Marc Peillex, the mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, from where climbers can make it to the top of the highest peak in western Europe via the Goûter Route, imposed the measure in response to dozens defying warnings and engaging in what he described as “a game of Russian roulette”.

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