A mayor has defended his decision to charge 32 mountaineers who had to be rescued by a helicopter in the French Alps.
Jean-Marc Peillex, the mayor of Saint-Gervais at the foot of Mont Blanc, accused the group of being “opportunists and dangerous people” who should never have tried to ascend the mountain in the first place.
It came amid repeated warnings over rockfalls caused by droughts and heatwaves, making the Goûter route up Mont Blanc dangerous. The region closed two refuges at 2pm on August 11 due to the conditions.
But a day after, the Goûter shelter warden called to say that a large group of climbers had begun their trek before Peillex’s order was widely known.
They learnt of their fate only upon their arrival at 12,582 feet (3,835 meters).
Rather than use a state-funded rescue helicopter, Peillex instructed local private firm, Chamonix Mont Blanc Hélicoptères, to bring them down – but said they would have to meet the cost of €95 (£81) per person.
The incident sparked a row in a country where such rescue operations have long been free.
Peillex, the mayor of Saint-Gervais, said: “They deliberately refused to listen to the messages, recommending that people refrain from making the ascent or take into account the reality of the rockfalls, images of which were published on social media.
“It was therefore with full awareness that they climbed the Aiguille du Goûter, knowing that they would have to come back down.
“Everyone needs to understand that when the state pays for rescue operations, it is a blessed gift to insurance companies. It is time for this to end.”
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Charles Van der Elst, chairman of the French Federation of Alpine and Mountain Clubs, told Le Dauphiné Libéré newspaper that Peillex was being misleading and the mountaineers had done nothing wrong.
Peillex doubled down on X, formerly Twitter, responding: “The pointless controversy from [Van der Elst], completely out of touch and above all disconnected from the reality of the mountains.”
He then added: “Apparently, the climbers who got helicoptered back down look so proud of their stunt that they’re bragging about it on Instagram.
“I did the right thing by charging them for the ride.”
Four years ago in another row, Peillex said conditions on Mont Blanc were so dangerous that climbers should pay a €15,000 deposit to cover rescue and possible funeral costs.
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