Mont Blanc climbers denied a free rescue helicopter

What happened. On 11 August 2026, the mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Jean-Marc Peillex, closed the Goûter and Tête Rousse huts on the classic French Mont Blanc route because of rockfall risk in the Grand Couloir. Extreme summer heat and drought had left this normally snow-covered section dangerously unstable.

32 climbers at Goûter. The group was already at the Goûter hut (3,835 m) when the closure took effect. On the morning of 12 August they abandoned their summit plans and asked for a free helicopter evacuation by the high-mountain gendarmerie (PGHM) or Sécurité civile.

The mayor refused. Peillex turned the request down: in his view there was no medical emergency, the Grand Couloir had calmed, and a foot descent was feasible. After consulting the PGHM commander he allowed only commercial flights by Chamonix Mont-Blanc Hélicoptères, at the climbers’ own expense. Some paid for the helicopter; others walked down without incident.

Goûter route

Why it matters for travellers. Together with bans on camping and bivouacking, this effectively closes the busiest approach to Mont Blanc until conditions improve. Peillex is also calling for changes to French mountain-rescue rules so public funds cover only genuine emergencies, not evacuations after ignored warnings.