Polish climber rescued after nearly 12 hours hanging on Mont Blanc

Midnight emergency on the Dent du Géant

Emergency rescue services across the Mont Blanc massif launched a cross-border operation after two Polish climbers encountered difficulties on the Dent du Géant. A distress call was sent around midnight, alerting alpine authorities that the pair had become immobilized on the rock face. The male alpinist ended up suspended from his rope in mid-air, hanging roughly 40 meters below the peak without the ability to move. Thick fog and adverse weather settled across the high-altitude terrain overnight, preventing any immediate helicopter intervention. The climber remained suspended in the open air for nearly 12 hours while emergency services coordinated an overland approach from the valley floor.

Ground mobilization and cable car support

With cloud cover preventing aerial flights, Italian emergency responders prepared an overland intervention during the early morning hours. The ground mission brought together alpine specialists from the Soccorso Alpino Valdostano and mountain rescue officers from the Guardia di Finanza (Sagf). To cut transit time up the approaches of the massif, operators of the Skyway Monte Bianco cable car opened the lift system at 07:00 under an exceptional schedule. This early opening transported rescue teams and technical equipment directly into the upper reaches of the mountain. The rescue squads then began climbing on foot toward the summit, aiming to reach the climbers from above.

Helicopter extraction in a weather window

Ground teams climbed for several hours through persistent fog while Italian and French rescue helicopters waited on standby at bases below. The tactical situation changed late in the morning when a temporary gap opened in the cloud layer around the Dent du Géant. Rescuers seized the brief clearing, deploying a helicopter from the French Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne (PGHM) stationed in Chamonix. The flight crew navigated the narrow weather window, reached the male climber suspended on the rock face, and hoisted him aboard. He was flown across the border to Chamonix for medical checks following his half-day suspension.

Ground evacuation of the second climber

The temporary clearing in the clouds lasted only a short time, closing before the helicopter could return to extract the second climber. As dense fog rolled back over the rock wall, the PGHM helicopter had to abort further flight maneuvers in the area. Ground teams from Soccorso Alpino Valdostano and the Guardia di Finanza pushed forward on foot to complete the mission on the mountain face. They reached the female Polish climber, who had remained stationary on the wall without sustaining injuries. Rescuers secured her onto safety lines and accompanied her down the standard descent route, bringing her safely to the base of the mountain.