Three climbers die in 400-metre fall on Gran Paradiso's north face
The bodies of three climbers were found at about 3,600 metres on the north face of Gran Paradiso after they failed to return from a summit attempt on Friday. Two of the dead are Italian, while the third has not yet been identified.
The accident
Three alpinists who set off for the summit of Gran Paradiso early on 12 June never returned. Their bodies were later located at roughly 3,600 metres on the mountain's north face, a short distance from the 4,061-metre peak. According to Italian rescue services, the group fell into a void while ascending the north wall. One report estimated the fall at about 400 metres.
Rescue operation
A call was made to the Aosta emergency centre shortly after 19:30 on Friday evening, when the climbers had not come back. They had slept at the Federico Chabod refuge (2,750 m) in Valsavarenche and began their climb around 3 a.m. Helicopters from the Valle d'Aosta alpine rescue and the financial police in Entreves immediately launched a search, using a GPS signal activated by one of the climbers to pinpoint the location of the bodies.
- Climbers depart Rifugio Federico Chabod (2,750 m)
- Alarm raised after group fails to return
- Rescuers locate bodies at about 3,600 m on the north face
The Gran Paradiso
Gran Paradiso is located in the eponymous national park in northwestern Italy and is considered one of the most accessible 4,000-metre peaks in the Alps. Nevertheless, guides stress the need for excellent physical fitness, solid technical skills, and familiarity with high-altitude terrain. The ascent is graded as "Fairly Difficult Superior" to "Difficult Inferior."
Previous tragedy
Less than two weeks before this incident, another fatal accident occurred on the same north face. On 30 May, Andrea Villa, a 54-year-old climber from Como, fell 500 metres while unroped in front of his brother and another climbing partner. He died at the scene. The current victims, two of whom are Italian citizens, await formal identification by the Cervinia mountain rescue unit.
