Mont Blanc is the highest peak in the Alps, at 4808 meters above sea level,
It is located at the junction of the Haute-Savoie department of France and the Valle d'Aosta region of Italy.
Recently, Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in Haute-Savoie, France, announced plans to introduce a new measure:
People who want to climb Mont Blanc need to pay a deposit of 15,000 euros in advance to cover the possible rescue and funeral costs.
The deposit is divided into two parts, of which €10,000 is used for mountain rescue costs and €5,000 is used for funeral expenses.
Peyx said that every year, many tourists go from the local Gut route to climb Mont Blanc.
Regardless of the level and experience of the climb, anyone can enter this route.
However, in fact, many people are not suitable for mountaineering, and they are not well prepared.
But still blindly take risks, so that climbing Mont Blanc is like playing for your life.
Recent high-temperature heat waves in the summer have made conditions in the mountains more dangerous.
Due to the frequent rockfalls, local guides were closed in mid-July, and the local government strongly advised people not to climb the mountain as much as possible.
However, dozens of "brainless" climbers ignored these warnings.
On July 30, five tourists from Romania, wearing shorts sneakers and straw hats, also planned to climb Mont Blanc.
Fortunately, the police found out in time and stopped them to persuade them to return.
After this, Peyeks came up with the idea of having climbers pay a deposit.
"People climb mountains with a desperate mentality, so let's predict the cost of providing rescue and burial, because it is unacceptable for French taxpayers to pay for it."
"They're just like people who want to commit suicide. So let's be prepared and ask them to pay for the rescue and funeral costs that may be incurred. ”
Every year mont Blanc suffers many victims.
Statistics show that
Between 1990 and 2017, 102 people died on the road between the Redhead Lodge on Mont Blanc and the Hut in Gut.
Most people need to spend about 3 hours to complete this stretch of hike.
The biggest causes of death are falling, being hit by rocks, and being stranded in the mountains due to bad weather or getting lost.
In the past two years,
Twenty hikers were killed in the mountains and about 50 were rescued in this area.
On August 5, 2017, a Hungarian parent came to climb Mont Blanc with 9-year-old twins.
In the end, it was the French side that sent helicopters to rescue the mother and children at an altitude of about 3800 meters.
The children's fathers and family and friends continue their attempts to reach the summit.
The rescue was free, and there was no deposit paid in advance at the time.
However, the person concerned climbed Mont Blanc with a 9-year-old child, obviously too reluctantly.
The mayor at the time was furious at the free rescue of the "brainless" climbers.
"Some people seem to think of Mont Blanc as an expo or a Disneyland."
"I'm tired of using the taxes I pay to rescue people who are not at all dangerous."
From Courmayeur, which is located on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, there are also routes to reach the summit.
However, the utilization rate of this road is relatively low.
The French side plans to collect a deposit to deter blind climbers,
In this regard, Roberto Rota, the mayor of Courmayeur, Italy, said that he would not follow suit.
"This mountain is not property.
As administrators, we are limited to pointing out whether the current route conditions are suitable for climbing, but it is not realistic to collect a deposit. ”
"If there is an objective risk, then a decision can be made to close the hiking route."
As for whether a deposit such as rescue should be charged to climbers, foreign netizens commented:
"It should be a refundable deposit, so it's not so outrageous."
"If you don't need rescue, you can definitely refund the deposit."
"For all similar hazardous activities, this should be done (deposit charged)."
"All rescues should be charged.
For those stupid people with poor equipment, the charge should be doubled. ”
"It's a brilliant idea.
We should do the same for those who climb the British mountains. ”
"I agree with the (French) mayor.
Why should citizens pay to rescue or bury these idiots. ”