Rockfall kills two climbers on Mont Maudit, snow slab claims skier on Mont Blanc in same morning
A rockfall on the Kuffner arête swept a roped pair of climbers to their deaths early Saturday, and a skier died after a snow slab released on the Brenva spur, mountain rescue services reported.
Two separate accidents on the Mont Blanc massif killed three people on Saturday 13 June 2026, according to rescue authorities.
Rockfall on Mont Maudit
Around 6 am, two alpinists, a man and a woman in their thirties, were climbing the Kuffner arête on Mont Maudit (4,465 m) when a rockfall struck their rope team. The falling stones carried them 300 metres down the face. Another rope party alerted the rescue, but the Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne (PGHM) of Chamonix could only confirm both climbers dead at the scene. The victims were described as living in the region.
Snow slab on the Brenva spur
A 56-year-old skier, also a resident of the area, perished when a snow slab detached on the Brenva spur (4,100 m), on the Italian south face of Mont Blanc. The PGHM of Chamonix coordinated the recovery with Italian rescue teams.
Busy day for mountain rescue
France 3 reported that the mountain gendarmerie unit carried out eleven operations in the mountains on Saturday alone. No further details on the identities of the victims have been released.
