The mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, where climbers can climb Mont Blanc, Europeʼs highest mountain, has imposed a €15,000 bond on each climber to cover costs in case they need to be rescued or if they die.
The Guardian writes about it.
In mid-July, local guides suspended work on the route, which is accessible to climbers of all skill levels due to heavy rockfall. The local administration strongly advised people to avoid the climb. Strong, prolonged heat made conditions on the mountain even more dangerous.
In a statement, Jean-Marc Peillex said dozens of "pseudo-climbers" had ignored the warning. He described how five Romanian visitors tried to climb "in shorts, sneakers and straw hats" and had to be rescued.
"People want to climb with death in backpacks. So letʼs anticipate the cost of having to rescue them, and for their burial, because itʼs unacceptable that French taxpayers should foot the bill," the mayor said.
The peak can also be reached by a trail from Courmayeur on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, although it is much less used. The mayor of this town, Roberto Rota, said that he does not plan to restrict access.
The debate over the safety of climbing has been heightened this summer by the heat and after 11 people died in early July when a huge mass of ice broke off a glacier on the north side of the Marmolada, the highest peak in Italyʼs Dolomites. Mayors of towns surrounding Marmolada have closed key access points, but some climbers have tried to circumvent the ban.