Two Lives Tragically Claimed While Rappelling on Mont Blanc Du Tacul

On August 21, two more climbers were killed while rappelling on Mont Blanc du Tacul due to an unexpected situation.

View of Mont Blanc Massif / iStock

On August 21, 26-year-old Mikel Etxezarraga and 27-year-old Markel Galdos attempted to rappel on the north face of the Gurvasutti Couloir when a piece of ice on Mont Blanc du Tacul collapsed, immediately displacing their anchor.

After the anchor came loose, their rope was no longer attached and the pair plummeted downward. French authorities noted that the pair fell approximately 100 meters.

A third member of their team, whose name remains undisclosed at this time, survived the accident and had minimal injuries. However, he is recovering from the shock following the tragic event.

Despite witnessing such horror, he was able to downclimb to another team of climbers for assistance. While the surviving individual did not have a cellphone on him, the team members he reached were able to call for help.

The team notified officials of the incident and their location. The bodies of Etxezarraga and Galdos were then recovered via helicopter on Wednesday afternoon and the surviving member was transported to a nearby hospital in Sallanches to treat his injuries.

Both victims were from Basque Country and were brought to Chamonix. Their family members have been notified of the catastrophe.

According to ExplorersWeb, this is the second fatality on Mont Blanc du Tacul this year. In early August, one climber was killed and several were injured after a serac, a large block of ice, fell on the team.

Mont Blanc du Tacul (4,248 meters) comprises part of Mont Blanc's massif in Europe. Within this massif, there are several independent summits that climbers have explored. Situated in the French Alps with mesmerizing views and a great challenge, climbers have been fascinated with this peak for years.

This particular summit sits directly between Aiguille du Midi and Mont Blanc, both of which are included within the massif.