Deadly Spell in the Alps With Nine Fatalities Last Weekend
16th June 2026
The accidents involved a skier & eight climbers and happened in the Mont Blanc Massif, the Aosta Valley and other peaks. NEW
The accidents involved a skier & eight climbers and happened in the Mont Blanc Massif, the Aosta Valley and other peaks.
There were multiple call-outs for the emergency services from Friday through to Sunday.
The weather was generally stable with clear skies.
Recent snow melt and rockfall have increased the danger on technical climbing routes.
Warming temperatures are loosening permafrost and have left routes more unpredictable in early summer according to the authorities.
A 44-year-old skier lost his life after a severe fall on the Brenva Spur on the Italian side of Mont Blanc.
His ski partner, who survived, witnessed the fall and alerted the authorities.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by rescuers.
In the Mont Blanc massif, a 26-year old woman and her 24-year-old brother from Savoie fell on the Kuffner Ridge of Mont Maudit.
A mountain guide in the area heard rocks falling and contacted emergency services.
Rescuers found the pair and pronounced them dead.
A separate group of three climbers fell in the same area but survived and were assisted by rescuers.
Three experienced mountaineers from Trentino fell about 400m on the north face of Gran Paradiso in Italy’s Aosta Valley.
The climbers set out from Rifugio Chabod but didn’t return and their families raised the alarm when they failed to make contact at the end of the day.
Their bodies were recovered the following day.
It is understood they were well equipped and familiar with the route.
Another climber died after a fall near Pic Tyndall on the Italian route of the Matterhorn, where his partner survived the incident.
On Sunday, June 14th two climbers fell about 100m in the Sojo d’Uderle area on the Vicenza side of Monte Pasubio in the Italian Alps.
A third climber in their group was rescued while still roped to the face.
Authorities stress:
- Proper preparation and equipment
- Thorough route research
- Realistic assessment of personal limits
See more on Explorersweb and Le Dauphine
Chamonix in the Summer. Image © PlanetSKI
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