Hikers on the trail around Mont Blanc have been accused by French authorities of defecating in fields, feeding wild ibex by hand and demanding to know why mountain refuges do not have spas.
Officials are drawing up rules to control the Tour du Mont Blanc, a 105-mile circuit of the massif through France, Italy and Switzerland, after visitor numbers more than doubled in a social media-driven boom.
Other walkers have large, wheeled suitcases transported from refuge to refuge by taxi, while some are accused of claiming to have completed the Tour du Mont Blanc despite travelling significant stretches by car.
One accommodation manager said hikers who had just climbed 1,000 vertical metres had complained that his refuge did not have a lift. One guest asked whether there was a spa.
“Faced with these excesses, we are showing that the ‘anything goes’ approach is over,” said Jean-Marc Peillex, the mayor of Saint-Gervais and president of the Mont Blanc association of communes.
“We’re not banning access, but we are bringing it under control.”
From next summer wild camping will be prohibited on the Mont Blanc circuit – iStockphoto
More than 90,000 people walked the circuit around Mont Blanc this summer, compared with 36,000 in 2019.
The circuit, which involves about 32,800ft of cumulative ascent, has become the most popular long-distance trek in the Alps.
It is most popular with French and American hikers, while Britons, Canadians and Chinese tourists also contribute to the large international contingent. Three-quarters of walkers are now non-French.
Seven French municipalities along the route have agreed the outline of new rules with refuge owners, guides, campsites, transport companies and the government.
From the next summer season, hikers will be required to show that they have booked recognised accommodation. Wild camping will be prohibited and designated camping areas provided with toilets and water.
Authorities also want to stop the transport of large suitcases between stages, while continuing to allow the transfers of essential trekking bags.
A view of the Mont-Blanc massif mountains and the ‘Mer de Glace’, the largest glacier in France – AP/Laurent Cipriani
Mr Peillex said the aim was to restore the value of the trek and stop walkers proceeding “nose to tail” along mountain paths.
It is not his first clash with visitors to the massif.
In August, Mr Peillex caused a row after refusing a free state helicopter rescue for 32 climbers stranded at the Goûter Refuge on Mont Blanc. He accused them of ignoring warnings about dangerous rockfalls and insisted they pay €95 (about £80) each for a private flight down.
Mountaineering groups accused him of unfairly blaming climbers who had begun their ascent before refuges had been closed.
Similar controls already apply to the Mont Blanc ascent, where climbers must have a refuge reservation and are subject to police checks.