Quotas set for climbing France's Mont Blanc

Starting from the summer of 2019, a daily maximum of 214 climbers will be allowed to tackle the Royal Route.

It was decided after a meeting between mountain police, the French mountaineering federation and guide associations.

Those who try to make the climb without a permit face fines of €135. The decision is a step up from rules in place this climbing season, in which police began requiring aspiring climbers to have a reservation booked at one of the refuges on the route.

Sixteen climbers died while attempting to scale Mont Blanc this summer, with the hot weather increasing the risk of avalanches and rockfalls as glaciers melted.

Officials said the number of climbers has led to tensions on the route, with some unprepared for the climb, or unfamiliar with how to behave on a mountain.