American walker found dead on Tour du Mont Blanc trail

The body of an American hiker was found on the Tour du Mont Blanc trail on Friday (July 11).

The exact circumstances of the man’s death are not known and an investigation has been opened.

The body of the man, 70, was discovered by the Chamonix mountain rescue unit (Peloton de gendarmerie de haute montagne, PGHM) in the evening.

His body was found at the foot of Mont Lachat, which sits on the Tour du Mont Blanc trail, a well-known walking route that takes around four to six days to complete. 

The PGHM has not been able to trace any witnesses to the incident.

the PGHM told The Connexion that the man appeared to have died after falling from a trail on the mountain, but no further information was available.

Several deaths have happened near the mountain so far this year, and last month a young American fell to her death while climbing a notoriously dangerous route. 

On Friday, several incidents around the mountain required members from the PGMH to intervene, with many people airlifted to safety.