For ages Mont Blanc was officially called “les montagnes maudit”(cursed mountains) where one of the major summits, Mont Maudit retains that name. Lately the mayor of Saint Gervais Les Bains, the administrative commune of Mont Blanc, Jean Marc Peillex, has been feeling cursed himself in dealing with all the crazies on the slopes.
With the last month’s scandalous antics of two outrageous fathers bringing their kids on the mountain, he has thrown his arms up in disgust, saying the situation has become “intolerable”. “Sick and tired” of having to risk the lives of the rescue team in trying to prevent as many deaths as possible on deadly Mont Blanc.
These snow covered peaks and slopes resembling immense jagged mountains, looking like they were spread with pure white icing are defyingly beautiful jutting up against a clear blue sky. Pristine and peaceful from afar, they are a magnet, attracting climbers and skiers who envision conquering the tallest mountain in Europe.
Mont Blanc is also considered the deadliest of mountains, due to the tragic fact that approximately 40 to 50 people a year die throughout the year climbing or skiing her immense slopes. Why?
Some of the most difficult slopes to climb? Most dangerous unstable weather patterns? Most avalanche prone? Perhaps, all three, but additionally because Mont Blanc seems to attract hordes of inexperienced climbers and glory seekers, who have absolutely no business being there in the first place.
M. Peillex has seen his share of weirdos, but the last few weeks, have taken the cake! He has long angrily denounced the incredible stupidity of those who venture out thinking that Mont Blanc is like a long rigorous hike, but now shakes his head in disbelief with recent irresponsible abusive “fathers” caught trailing along young children up these icy slippery slopes.
“Mont Blanc is not an amusement park” is his latest infuriated warning. Patrick Sweeney, an American father was caught in an avalanche in July , with his two children, a son aged 9 and daughter aged 11, all of whom miraculously survived.
Self described as an “adrenalin junkie”, this very reckless man wanted to set a world record in having his children be the youngest ever to reach the top of Mont Blanc, which in my mind constitutes child abuse! He reportedly wanted to sensationalize and promulgate his careless moment of glory by selling films of his ascent.
M Peillex filed child endangerment charges against him, noting that a Ukrainian fell 200 meters to his death recently in the same area. He went on to explain that in France he would risk having his children removed from his care, and that in filing the charges was in hopes of keeping him from returning.
Last week, mountain police/patrol caught an Austrian father at 3200 meters, heading up with his five year old son towards the summit! Apparently he was argumentative about his rights to take his son up, and was very reluctant to comply with turning back. Last spring a father was fortunately prevented in hiking up with a toddler on his back.
Besides the sheer lack of physical endurance, children under the age of 16 are much more vulnerable to high altitude sickness and oxygen deprivation on such immense heights. Additionally, temperatures at that altitude can easily be minus 20 centigrade with winds up to 150 kl/per hour.
Mont Blanc is notorious for sudden changes in weather patterns that can obliterate blue skies with blizzards that can reduce vision down to only meter in front of you. Risk of avalanche warnings are posted each day for various areas, but they are also unpredictable and are often caused by other climbers or skiers.
Besides avalanches, the risks and dangers of falling pose tremendous threats of sudden death. The slopes are really glaciers made of solid ice that moves creating multitudes of crevasses, that might be covered with fresh snow and ice. Though they appear solid, they can often give way under one’s weight.
Along with ice pics, to enable secure footing, hiking up these glaciers require “grampons”, which are traction devices of spikes that attach to the shoe. They require getting use to, which is a problem as few climbers outside of Europe employ them, especially not children!
In addition to glory seeking fathers, the mayor is constantly confronted with rescuing weekend “alpinists” who have had little or no experience climbing in the alps, but are convinced that it is just a matter of will and might.
Mont Blanc can be a death trap in waiting for novices, as even experienced long time alpinists or guides often lose their lives. Yet the paths are often crowded with hundreds of naive want to be climbers, who have taken a few guided lessons to conquer Mont Blanc, who has no mercy for the uninitiated.
Recently a Polish man, who having made it up to a refuge, decided he was “too tired” to descend. He called the mountain patrol requesting that he be airlifted down, and when refused, called a private helicopter service, which had to turn him down too, because only the mayor can authorised helicopters landings and only in case of needed emergency rescues.
Once again M. Peillex, at his wit’s end, had to confront this lazy man that “there is no taxi service off Mont Blanc”. If in imminent danger, the patrol will do all that they can to save lives, which few consider or even appreciate is free of charge on the French side.
On the Italian side, they reserve the right to charge recovery fees, around 3,200 euros, if felt the rescue was prompted by lack of adherence to safety precautions. The mayor of Saint Gervais les Bains would like to do the same, feeling he ends up getting the bulk of incompetent climbers and skiers.
The above irresponsible fathers are pure and simple dangerous narcissists, who would even consider putting the lives of their children at risk, for the glory of saying they “did” Mont Blanc! Along with the Polish climber and many other thrill seekers, they blatantly exhibit a sense of entitlement, another narcissistic trait, in not considering the danger involved in rescuing them.
They are generally adrenaline junkies, who are always on the pursuit of any challenges where they can get their “fix”. Dangerous mix not only for other serious experienced climbers meeting them on narrow paths, but for the brave rescuers, who risk their own lives in trying to save these daredevils.
As I described in a post published on Mar 12, 2013, Mont Blanc is a deadly magnet for thrill seekers, who crave adrenaline rushes. That along with the concurrently produced feel good neurotransmitter, dopamine, creates an addictive like process, much like cocaine and speed.
Many fail to make reservations in the already overcrowded refuges, seen in photo, putting strain on available supplies and personnel, who for humanitarian reasons, would not refuse them shelter. Some even have the audacity to not pay their bills, such as the man too tired to climb down.
The above current shenanigans that Monsieur Peillex has had to put up with, might be the last straw. His thinking that warning all climbers that they may be charged in getting them off Mont Blanc, would definitely cut down on these very expensive and dangerous rescues . What do you think?
Addendum: It has only been two days since I published this post, but today six climbers perished on Mont Blanc, some found in a crevasse. It is not know if an avalanche was involved or that their cords broke. They all had some experience and were taking a training course to perfectionate their skills.
Why is it that man seeks joy largely through his own conquests, deeds or his own abilities? Why is it so hard for us to understand the greater need and fulfillment of maintaining the right relationship and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship?
Thank you James for such a profound comment that underlines a sad truism of man’s egostistical nature. You are a gem in the human landscape that has the eyes to see what others are blind to. Emotional relationality to those around us, including our relationship to nature and seeing the spiritual connectedness that binds us universally is sadly undermined in our society. When man’s obsessive self absorption and needs to glorify himself predominates and exceeds sincere concern and empathy for others, then you have the pathological markings of a narcissistic personality.
The narcissist is basically an emotionally empty individual, except for anger, rage and jealousy, desperately trying to seek and maintain a persona of being admired that serves to insulates himself from his own chronic devaluation and lack of self esteem.