A huge volume of rock has tumbled from the popular alpine classic the Arete des Cosmiques (AD 3), or Cosmiques Arête, in the Mont Blanc Massif above Chamonix, with a fair chunk of the area beneath the second abseil disappearing. The recent heatwave has caused instability across the range due to a combination of permafrost loss below 4000m and lack of support from melting glaciers.
Another rockfall occurred in the Cosmiques area on Friday 17th with a 10m long boulder falling to the glacier.
The mountain safety organisation in the Chamonix valley, La Chamoniarde, advised on Facebook: 'Huge stone falls are affecting Cosmiques ridge. The area is under surveillance. The route is extremely inadvisable.'
In other Chamonix news, the Chamonix-Planpraz cable car is out of service today until further notice, due to an anomaly in the pulley system discovered during routine maintenance. The Planpraz-Brevent lift remains open. The Planpraz area remains accessible by footpaths. For up to date information on the status of the lift, check here.
Comments
Blimey. How long till that big pinnacle goes, I wonder?
T.
Was this the pinnacle with the route Digital Crack on it ?.
No the two gendarmes are still intact. The gendarme that's now looking precariously balanced near the edge is the where the 2nd ab is, and the one further up is Digital Crack. Looks a lot more solid up there, thankfully.
I hope no one was on or under it at the time!
No, fortunately Digital Crack is on the Gendarme, the pinnacle I think Pursued by a bear is talking abut. http://www.chamonixtopo.com/alpine-climbing/digital-crack-aiguille-du-midi/