On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, French authorities reported the recovery of four hikers who had been missing since the previous Saturday on Mont Blanc, France’s highest peak. The victims, two Italians and two South Koreans, had reportedly succumbed to the severe weather near the summit of Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in Western Europe.
The bodies of the four climbers were found by the Chamonix-Mont Blanc search and rescue team at an altitude of around 15,400 feet on the French side of the mountain. Authorities believe the hikers likely died from hypothermia or exhaustion after being stranded in extreme weather conditions for several days.
The Italian victims were identified as 41-year-old Sara Stefanelli and 53-year-old Andrea Galimberti. Their bodies were found on the Mur de la Cote, a steep icy slope leading to the summit. The South Korean climbers, a man and a woman in their 40s and 50s, were found slightly lower, at an altitude of approximately 14,764 feet.
Two other Korean hikers were rescued alive on Sunday morning at an altitude of around 13,400 feet following a challenging rescue operation.
Rescue attempts had been hindered since Saturday due to poor visibility and dangerous conditions. Several attempts were made by helicopter, including one on Tuesday morning, but each was forced to turn back. The Italian Search and Rescue Team from Valle d’Aosta arrived at the peak on foot Tuesday morning, but were unable to locate the missing hikers.
It was not until early Tuesday afternoon, when visibility improved, that a helicopter from the French Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne (PGHM) de Chamonix Mont-Blanc managed to fly and locate the four climbers.
The weather on Mont Blanc had been especially severe in recent days, with temperatures as low as 5°F, wind speeds reaching 93 mph, and nearly 20 inches of new snow. These conditions not only presented immediate dangers to the climbers but also covered their tracks, making search and rescue efforts even more challenging.
Galimberti was a seasoned climber, while Stefanelli had recently finished a mountaineering course. Just six days before their tragic Mont Blanc expedition, the pair had successfully climbed the Matterhorn.
In an unrelated incident on the same day the bodies were found, a 61-year-old Danish hiker fell to his death in the Mont Blanc massif. The man was navigating a steep area near Saint-Gervais-les-Bains when he slipped and fell approximately 98 feet, according to the PGHM mountain police service in Chamonix.
Mont Blanc, towering at 15,774 feet, is a favored destination for climbers but is also recognized for its hazards. It is estimated that between 6,000 and 8,000 climber deaths have occurred on the mountain, mainly due to altitude sickness, rockfall, and avalanches. This recent incident underscores the risks involved in high-altitude mountaineering, even for experienced climbers.
An investigation into the incident has been initiated by local authorities. The mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, where the Italian climbers started their ascent, noted that while it is recommended to hire a guide for climbing Mont Blanc, it is not compulsory. He stressed the importance of improving the information available to climbers to help avert future tragedies.
