Climbers aiming to summit Mont Blanc, the tallest peak in the Alps, will now have to pre-pay over $15,000 to cover potential rescue and funeral costs in the French town of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains at the foot of the storied European peak.
The European heat wave has exposed the face of the mountain, causing rockfalls and opening new crevasses on the ascent. A surge in incidents where local authorities have had to rescue ill-prepared and novice hikers led the town’s mayor to seek the deposits in advance.
“It’s like these people think they are going to Disneyland or on the London Eye.