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compiled by: mintina

mont blanc bosses ridge route

photo courtesy: camptocamp.org

christophe profit, a well-known and experienced climber, has once again removed fixed ropes and iron stakes from a traditional route on mont blanc, committing the second such illegal act on the mountain. but the debate remains whether installing such equipment is the right or wrong thing to do in such circumstances.

it's obviously a commonplace topic, should high mountains be the exclusive domain of those climbers who have the physical ability, skills, and luck to survive the rugged terrain? or should mountains be tamed so that less capable climbers can (relatively) safely attempt the planet's most dangerous peaks?

the last time profit removed safety equipment from the face of mont blanc was in 2022, when he removed metal poles/iron pickets from the bosses ridge route. local authorities accused him of illegally moving equipment that did not belong to him, but he insisted it was a "moral protest" against the over-commercialization of (mountain exploration). profit pleaded not guilty, but was eventually fined €600 in july 2023.