Climbing Mont-Blanc: Macron wants to end "the big no matter what"

“The roarers continue to pollute the royal road to Mont-Blanc. In his "open letter from a white vest to President Macron", the mayor (LREM) of Saint-Gervais (Haute-Savoie) denounced on September 1 the "delusions of unconscious" on the slopes of the roof of Europe . Organization of a concert by the singer Zaz at the top, recurrent incivility, ascent with a dog or a ... jacuzzi. The pinnacle was reached when a Briton left behind a rower whom he had decided to take to the summit. Stung by the mail from the Haut-Savoyard mayor, Emmanuel Macron decided to whistle for the end of recess.

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The President of the Republic will meet with the elected official this Thursday to announce the application to Mont-Blanc of a new protection order. "This prefectural order will better manage the pressure linked to the site's overcrowding in summer," said one of the entourage of the head of state. "The incivilities, which have been increasing in recent years, are no longer bearable and this decree will make it possible to enforce certain rules", we add to the Elysée palace. Fourth class tickets (Editor's note: 135 euros) could be issued in certain cases: deposit of materials, too large groupings or non-compliance with certain instructions.

Only allow mountaineering and ski touring

The gendarmes of the high mountain platoon will be responsible in particular for enforcing the rules and state agents will be sent as reinforcements between June and September, peak of the ascent season on the roof of Europe. "That's all I asked for," exults the mayor of Saint-Gervais, Jean-Marc Peillex. Especially since Mont-Blanc has so far only benefited from the protection status granted to classified sites. "Basically, you cannot move a stone or build something there without having the green light from the State but nothing prevents you from walking there naked with a bathtub on your back if you like", notes l 'elected.

Rather than prohibiting this or that practice at the top, the mayor of Saint-Gervais advocates another approach: "If you prohibit cycling there, there will always be a howler to say that you can ride a tricycle , notes Jean-Marc Peillex. Better to record that only activities related to mountaineering and ski touring are authorized. So no more paraglider meetings at the top or plane landings on the slopes. "We are finally going to restore the mountain to its original vocation", says the Savoy elected official.