Grim news from the Alps as nine climbers have died in an avalanche on Mont Maudit (4465m). A group of twenty-eight people, traveling as separate rope teams, were climbing Mont Maudit , which has been experiencing unseasonably warm weather. Authorities believe that the group reached an elevation of approximately 4000 meters when an avalanche hit the group around 5 a.m. this morning. Rescuers were dispatched immediately, but were met with a dire scene with nine climbers dead, eleven injured and four are still missing. This accident brings the death toll of the alps up to eighteen climbers killed in the last three weeks. For more information on the Mont Maudit accident click here
Two climbers fell to their deaths on July 5 while descending the Eiger. The Catalan Federation released a report explaining that Josep M. Salvat and Oscar Luceno were descending the Eiger after climbing the Mittellegi Ridge when both climbers fell. The details of the accident are still being investigated. More info here.
This news comes on the heels of another tragic accident that occurred on the Lagginhorn.
On July 3, at around 11:00 GMT, Five German climbers fell to their deaths while attempting to climb the Lagginhorn (4010m) in the Swiss Alps. The team tumbled several hundred meters off of the peak while on the descent. Reports indicate that the group of five was roped together. All climbers died on the scene. A sixth climber alerted authorities of the accident after descending from his own failed summit attempt. Police have not yet released the names of the team. Click here for more information.
There are also reports of a Dutch climber who was killed on Dent Blanche after falling 700 meters on July 7. More info here.
In addition to this, Leonard Doughton, an Irish climber, died after falling 198 meters while climbing on the Wetterhorn on June 23. More info here.
With eighteen climbers dead in the past few weeks we fear that this could only be the beginning of another tragic Alpine summer.