The Death Couloir - Mont Blanc

Let’s not resigns ourselves to fatality. Solutions exist. Together we can do more to decrease risks on the normal route to Mont-Blanc.

The Mont-Blanc rising to 4 809 meters is the highest peak in the Alps. It is also one of the deadliest summits in the world. To conquer the summit, the mountaineers must go to the “Grand couloir du Goûter” unavoidable on the normal route. I was dubbed, not without cause, the death couloir. Particularly dangerous because of the frequent rockfalls the death couloir and the Goûter edge were the scene of 102 mortal incidents between 1990 and 2017, nearly 4 deaths yearly.
newtboysays...

Can we not try to make EVERYTHING “safe” please!?

I would bet half the climbers went for the risk and danger. There are plenty of hikes that are safe…if people want a safe climb, go to one.

Rate the daily danger level, sure, and allow adults to choose their acceptable risk level. Inform visitors that rescue workers will not put themselves in danger to save you, and even list the average cost of a rescue/recovery that you will be billed for. Require liability waivers.

Don’t lowest common denominator nature, you will fail even if you succeed.

StukaFoxsays...

Therein lies the problem: most people HUGELY over-estimate their 'Acceptable risk level'.

- "This crumbling cliff edge above a 1,000 foot gorge is the PERFECT place for a selfie!" (one of the saddest deaths in WA was when one of the best skiers in the state decided to look over the edge of a cornice. It gave way and she fell almost a thousand feet to her death.)

- "100f and 0% humidity? What a perfect time to go for a 10 mile, uphill hike with only a can of Coke and some salty beef jerky!"

- "10 essentials? Beer, pot, lighter, cellphone, hat, earbuds, that little map they give you at the visitor center, more beer and is that 10?"

- "I can read a map just fine! This off-trail hike through a rugged part of the park will be breeze!"

- "I can get signal anywhere in this enormous national forest!"

- "Aww! What a cute little baby bear!"

- "Can we get an Uber at the bottom of this ravine?"

- "Let's go swimming! This raging river of snow melt will be the perfect place to cool off!"

etc etc etc

newtboysaid:

Rate the daily danger level, sure, and allow adults to choose their acceptable risk level.

newtboysays...

No problem whatsoever with waivers. Are you worried that too many brain dead slugs will Darwin themselves? Why? Do you foresee some future shortage of morons?
The problem is trying to make everything safe for morons….how are we supposed to cull them if you remove ALL evolutionary pressures.
Idiocracy was a documentary from the near future.

Besides, if they’re dumb enough for all that, they’re dumb enough to know that if they can’t see the danger, the danger can’t see them, so just walk the cliff edge with your towel wrapped around your head, for safety.

If I want to risk my life climbing an active rock slide, that should be my and the recovery team my estate hires’s business. The idea that suicide is against the law is moronic to me….the only crime that is prosecuted only against those who fail at committing it. Suicide by overt stupidity or intentional high risk lifestyles not only doesn’t bother me, I fully support it as long as it doesn’t involuntarily endanger others.

BTW, the skier death doesn’t sound sad one bit to me, she died doing what she loved, and part of that love was undoubtedly of the danger level of skiing out of bounds, the rush of skiing with a 1000ft drop as the punishment for crashing (or stepping too far). I would think she probably really enjoyed 99% of her last day. Definitely the kind of horrific, quick death I hope for. Way better than prolonged disease or decline.

StukaFoxsaid:

Therein lies the problem: most people HUGELY over-estimate their 'Acceptable risk level'.

- "This crumbling cliff edge above a 1,000 foot gorge is the PERFECT place for a selfie!" (one of the saddest deaths in WA was when one of the best skiers in the state decided to look over the edge of a cornice. It gave way and she fell almost a thousand feet to her death.)

- "100f and 0% humidity? What a perfect time to go for a 10 mile, uphill hike with only a can of Coke and some salty beef jerky!"

- "10 essentials? Beer, pot, lighter, cellphone, hat, earbuds, that little map they give you at the visitor center, more beer and is that 10?"

- "I can read a map just fine! This off-trail hike through a rugged part of the park will be breeze!"

- "I can get signal anywhere in this enormous national forest!"

- "Aww! What a cute little baby bear!"

- "Can we get an Uber at the bottom of this ravine?"

- "Let's go swimming! This raging river of snow melt will be the perfect place to cool off!"

etc etc etc

StukaFoxsays...

No, I'm all in favor of Morons--

However, I'm not in favor of the amazing people in SAR putting their lives on the line to recover the smears lefts on rocks that used to be these people. Living in WA, we have a lot of "really wants to kill you" wilderness here, including North Cascades Nat'l Park and Olympic Nat'l Park. Every single year, someone's predated body needs to be pulled out of the middle of one of these places by either a helo crew or the poor bastards who have to hike a bazillion miles to pack out what's left of Chuckles.

The number of SAR people who've died here is sobering. Every single one of them could have just walked away, but they went into danger's way to save people too stupid to save themselves. Sometimes their reward is to be spit on, like the ranger at Yellowstone who was berated by the father of a kid who dived into a hot spring after his dog (by "kid", I mean adult kid, not Timmy). The father wanted his kid's body recovered, no matter what. The ranger had to explain that the kid completely dissolved about five minutes after he fell in. The father then refused to speak to the ranger any further.

This shit doesn't happen in a vacuum. Someone's going to have to look at these human bird droppings and see that shit in their sleep for the rest of their lives.

newtboysaid:

No problem whatsoever with waivers. Are you worried that too many brain dead slugs will Darwin themselves? Why? Do you foresee some future shortage of morons?

newtboysays...

Or not. Seems they’ll be covered in rocks naturally within days. Leave them. No SAR, you get to feed wildlife or become scenery. Just like Everest. A few bodies might make a good deterrent for anyone on the fence or over confident.

Reminds me of when I was in New Zealand. Our flight out of Milford was cancelled for low clouds, and some Japanese tourists took the plane sightseeing around Milford fjord. They crashed into the fjord, hundreds of meters deep. The family wanted to send robots to recover the bodies, but I couldn’t fathom (no pun intended) why. For a fraction of the cost the entire family could visit them in New Zealand every few years for eternity….no brainer!

I’ll never understand you humans.

StukaFoxsaid:

No, I'm all in favor of Morons--

However, I'm not in favor of the amazing people in SAR putting their lives on the line to recover the smears lefts on rocks that used to be these people. Living in WA, we have a lot of "really wants to kill you" wilderness here, including North Cascades Nat'l Park and Olympic Nat'l Park. Every single year, someone's predated body needs to be pulled out of the middle of one of these places by either a helo crew or the poor bastards who have to hike a bazillion miles to pack out what's left of Chuckles.

The number of SAR people who've died here is sobering. Every single one of them could have just walked away, but they went into danger's way to save people too stupid to save themselves. Sometimes their reward is to be spit on, like the ranger at Yellowstone who was berated by the father of a kid who dived into a hot spring after his dog (by "kid", I mean adult kid, not Timmy). The father wanted his kid's body recovered, no matter what. The ranger had to explain that the kid completely dissolved about five minutes after he fell in. The father then refused to speak to the ranger any further.

This shit doesn't happen in a vacuum. Someone's going to have to look at these human bird droppings and see that shit in their sleep for the rest of their lives.

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