Industry News
A 53-year-old French backcountry skier died on April 28 after falling near the summit of the Dufourspitze, Switzerland’s highest mountain, authorities confirmed. The climber was part of a two-person team that departed the Monte Rosa Hut early Monday morning, aiming to reach the 4,634-meter (15,203-foot) summit of the Dufourspitze, located in the Monte Rosa massif near Zermatt, Switzerland. Approximately 80 meters (262 feet) below the summit, at an altitude of around 4,605 meters (15,108 feet), the climber fell for reasons that remain at this point unclear.
Rescue teams from Air Zermatt and the Cantonal Valais Rescue Organization responded swiftly to the incident. Despite their rapid deployment, they were only able to confirm the ski mountaineer’s death upon arrival. The Valais prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fall.
The Dufourspitze, named in 1863 after Swiss General and cartographer Guillaume-Henri Dufour, is renowned for its challenging ascents and is considered one of the most demanding climbs in the Alps. The mountain, part of the Monte Rosa massif, is entirely within Swiss territory and is the second-highest peak in the Alps and Western Europe, after Mont Blanc.
Mountaineers typically begin their ascent from the Monte Rosa Hut, navigating glaciers and steep ridges that require advanced alpine skills and acclimatization to high altitudes. The ascent from the Monte Rosa Hut takes about 4-7 hours and involves climbing over two sections of snow and ice, and two sections of mixed mountaineering with rock climbing
