Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Israeli climber dies on Mont Blanc, French police say
Illustrative: Visitors hike on a trail leading to the Lac Blanc area in the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve which faces Mont Blanc, above Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, on July 31, 2023. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP)
A 55-year-old Israeli climber has died when he fell on an access route for Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe, French police say.
The accident occurred mid-morning, at an altitude of over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet), the authorities say.
The climber was part of a group, who were not roped together, when he was dislodged by falling rocks. No one else was injured.
Rockfalls are common on the passage along the Gouter Route, the most popular route to reach the Mont Blanc summit, often occurring later in the season when the mountain is drier.
Last summer, all ascents via the route were suspended because of the rockfall risk.
