Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Climbing The Matterhorn In Flip-flops

Are popular climbs in the Alps too crowded? This article discusses various ideas for limiting the number of people who climb in the Alps. But one thing they don’t want to do is charge climbers for permits. Even though there is a very casual attitude to the potential dangers:

“The alpine rescue services regularly complain bitterly that they have had to pluck people off the mountains who really had no business being up there.

Mont Maudit, near Chamonix, file pic

On Switzerland's Matterhorn, in recent years, tourists have been rescued whose footwear turned out to be only gym shoes or flip-flops.

‘There is a danger in what we call the herd mentality,’ said Mr Hasler. ‘One or two people alone might look around, and turn back, but when people see lots of other people up there, they think they are safe.’”

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