A French mayor is demanding that hikers climbing Mont Blanc pay a deposit of more than $15,000 in the event that they must be rescued or die. Jean-Marc Peillex initiated the fee after individuals ignored warnings about dangerous conditions, such as rockfall and high temperatures. As TheGuardian reported, the path is available to all climbers, with the mayor writing on Twitter that many “pseudo-mountaineers” have climbed despite the warnings. “People want to climb with death in their backpacks,” he said. “So let’s anticipate the cost of having to rescue them, and for their burial, because it’s unacceptable that French taxpayers should foot the bill.” Approximately $10,000 will go toward potential rescue operations and $5,000 toward potential funeral costs. Over the past two decades, more than 100 people have died on the route.
