Mont Blanc route ban for new climbers

FRANCE issued a decree yesterday restricting access to the summit of Mont Blanc over safety risks.

Climbers will not be allowed on the popular “Royal Route” of the country’s highest peak for the next eight days to prevent overcrowding.

However mountaineers who have already booked accommodation on the route will be permitted.

Authorities for the Haute-savoie region said the Gouter shelter’s overnight capacity of 120 people was frequently being exceeded, which presented “safety and public order” risks.