THE ALPS
LEAVING MORE THAN FOOTPRINTS
"Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time."
This quote was the motto of the Baltimore Grotto and is part of the "leave no trace" mentality of naturalists.
This story is part of CGTN Europe's series The Alps: Timeless and changing.
The Alps is the highest and most extensive mountain range that lies entirely in Europe. Mont Blanc, meaning "white mountain" in English, is the highest peak in the Alps and is shared by France, Switzerland and Italy.
It is also the most fatal mountain in the world, with estimates suggesting it claims 100 lives per year, on average. However, global warming, which has begun to melt glaciers and cause avalanches on Mont Blanc, is creating even more lethal and unforgiving climbing conditions.
Global warming is not the only threat to La Dame Blanche, as it is known by locals. The summit is ascended by an average of 30,000 people each year, an increasing number of whom leave food waste, packaging and human excrement scattered along the routes where they camp and rest, rather than carrying it with them. The discharge of urine and feces often spreads down the mountain face, earning it the nickname Mont Marron (brown mountain).
Jean-Marc Peillex, the mayor of Saint Gervais and Christophe Delachat, from the Brigade Blanche mountain patrol, both lead lives centered around the mountain. Both share the same fears for the future of Mont Blanc, worrying about the legacy that will be left for future generations.
Brigade Blanche was set up by Peillex for the 2019 season, in an attempt to eliminate uncivil behavior on Mont Blanc and prevent overcrowding. The mountain patrol ensures those who attempt the Mont Blanc ascent have a reservation in either the Tȇte Rousse refuge, the Goȗter refuge or the Eagle's Nest refuge. Those who don't are asked to come back down from the mountain.
Prior to the creation of Brigade Blanche, there were no control checks carried out on mountaineers before the ascent. Upon arrival at the Nid d'Aigle, the starting point of the royal route to reach the "Ceiling of Europe," reservations must be shown and no more than 214 climbers are allowed per day, which corresponds to the number of places available in the camping areas. The patrolling of the Brigade Blanche has now made it near impossible to access a refuge without a prior booking but this doesn't mean the litter problem is all cleared up.
"People living in cities have forgotten mountain etiquette, when coming here," says Peillex.
"They're used to having people picking up their trash after them, people who serve them. So when they come here, they think that's the same. It's not. People don't have a mindset in harmony with our natural environment."
Delachat also says one of the main reasons there is a litter problem on Mont Blanc is because "people don't want to carry their rubbish," particularly when ascending the mountain.
"We are in a unique place, a lovely place, and a majestic place, so we have to protect it," he adds.
Litter is not just an issue in Mont Blanc but across the Alps. After years of dealing with this issue, people who live on the mountain range have decided enough is enough and have set up their own initiatives to prevent trash piling up.
One such drive is Le Stop Waste Tour Les Arcs project. Three hundred volunteers cleaned up 670 kilograms of waste, including plastic packaging, cigarettes and other food waste. The team of volunteers also cleared up a significant amount of disposable masks – a notable increase in which have been seen in natural tourist sites across the world, including the UK's Lake District, since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed droves of people out into nature.
One of the major difficulties in combating trash is the lack of power to enforce harsher controls over where people dispose of waste on the mountain.
"It's awful. Mont Blanc is part of the seven summits all around the planet. You know, the other ones are all under regulation. Mont Blanc doesn't have regulation," says Delachat from Brigade Blanche.
"People don't care about the environment and we are in 2020," he continues.
The Alps is the highest and most extensive mountain range that lies entirely in Europe. Mont Blanc, meaning "white mountain" in English, is the highest peak in the Alps and is shared by France, Switzerland and Italy.
It is also the most fatal mountain in the world, with estimates suggesting it claims 100 lives per year, on average. However, global warming, which has begun to melt glaciers and cause avalanches on Mont Blanc, is creating even more lethal and unforgiving climbing conditions.
Global warming is not the only threat to La Dame Blanche, as it is known by locals. The summit is ascended by an average of 30,000 people each year, an increasing number of whom leave food waste, packaging and human excrement scattered along the routes where they camp and rest, rather than carrying it with them. The discharge of urine and feces often spreads down the mountain face, earning it the nickname Mont Marron (brown mountain).
Jean-Marc Peillex, the mayor of Saint Gervais and Christophe Delachat, from the Brigade Blanche mountain patrol, both lead lives centered around the mountain. Both share the same fears for the future of Mont Blanc, worrying about the legacy that will be left for future generations.
Brigade Blanche was set up by Peillex for the 2019 season, in an attempt to eliminate uncivil behavior on Mont Blanc and prevent overcrowding. The mountain patrol ensures those who attempt the Mont Blanc ascent have a reservation in either the Tȇte Rousse refuge, the Goȗter refuge or the Eagle's Nest refuge. Those who don't are asked to come back down from the mountain.
Prior to the creation of Brigade Blanche, there were no control checks carried out on mountaineers before the ascent. Upon arrival at the Nid d'Aigle, the starting point of the royal route to reach the "Ceiling of Europe," reservations must be shown and no more than 214 climbers are allowed per day, which corresponds to the number of places available in the camping areas. The patrolling of the Brigade Blanche has now made it near impossible to access a refuge without a prior booking but this doesn’t mean the litter problem is all cleared up.
"People living in cities have forgotten mountain etiquette, when coming here," says Peillex.
"They're used to having people picking up their trash after them, people who serve them. So when they come here, they think that's the same. It's not. People don't have a mindset in harmony with our natural environment."
Delachat also says one of the main reasons there is a litter problem in Mont Blanc is because "people don't want to carry their rubbish," particularly when ascending the mountain.
"We are in a unique place, a lovely place, a majestic place, so we have to protect it," he adds.
Litter is not just an issue in Mont Blanc but across the Alps. After years of dealing with this issue, people who live on the mountain range have decided enough is enough and have set up their own initiatives to prevent trash piling up.
One such drive is Le Stop Waste Tour Les Arcs project. Three hundred volunteers cleaned up 670 kilograms of waste, including plastic packaging, cigarettes and other food waste. The team of volunteers also cleared up a significant amount of disposable masks – a notable increase in which have been seen in natural tourist sites across the world, including the UK's Lake District, since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed droves of people out into nature.
One of the major difficulties in combating trash is the lack of power to enforce tighter controls over where people dispose of waste on the mountain.
"It's awful. Mont Blanc is part of the seven summits all around the planet. You know, the other ones are all under regulation. Mont Blanc doesn't have regulation," says Delachat from Brigade Blanche.
"People don't care about the environment and we are in 2020," he continues.
There are plans for Mont Blanc to become a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its uniqueness and cultural importance. In order for it to be listed, the three governments of Italy, France and Switzerland must make a request, which would mean better protection and regulation for what is considered the birthplace of modern mountaineering.
However, Peillex, whose district of St-Gervais stretches almost to the summit of the mountain, says that while talks on the matter are ongoing, such measures could and should have been made decades ago.
"It's very contradictory. Some people say, 'we have to protect Mont Blanc, we have to place it on UNESCO's world heritage sites list,' but those are the same people who refused to make Mont Blanc a national park 30 years ago."
Peillex says the current situation of feebly trying to enforce rules and fining people who don't respect them, is due to those "who didn't do anything when they had the chance over several decades ago."
He states: "It's their responsibility, not mine."
Peillex says mentality is at the core of the problem. He explains there's a notion that because the mountain is so vast, people think if they "throw a sardine can or a Coca-Cola can" it is not going to have consequences, because "you can't really see it.
"People coming here react this way, 'it's not a big deal.' I personally think that's what we are going to give to future generations – a dirty, contaminated mountain," says the mayor of Saint Gervais.
However, Peillex, whose district of St-Gervais stretches almost to the summit of the mountain, says that while talks on the matter are ongoing, such measures could and should have been made decades ago.
"It's very contradictory. Some people say, 'we have to protect Mont Blanc, we have to place it on UNESCO's world heritage sites list,' but those are the same people who refused to make Mont Blanc a national park 30 years ago."
Peillex says the current situation of feebly trying to enforce rules and fining people who don't respect them, is due to those "who didn't do anything when they had the chance over several decades ago."
He states: "It's their responsibility, not mine."
Peillex says mentality is at the core of the problem. He explains there's a notion that because the mountain is so vast, people think if they "throw a sardine can or a Coca-Cola can" it is not going to have consequences, because "you can't really see it.
"People coming here react this way, 'it's not a big deal.' I personally think that’s what we are going to give to future generations – a dirty, contaminated mountain," says the mayor of Saint Gervais.
The pollution of tourists also affects those who live around Mont Blanc. Both trash and human waste (including urine, feces and vomit) are absorbed into the snow and contaminate the natural water tank they rely on in their daily lives. Essentially, those who pass through briefly are leaving a long-term negative impact.
Peillex has been fighting for stricter controls on Mont Blanc for decades. In 2019, a new rule was introduced that meant that anyone hiking the "Normal Route" must carry identification and proof of a reservation in one of the huts there, which have proper facilities for correctly disposing of litter unlike randomly pitching a tent.
The Goûter Refuge, which is usually the final stop en route to the peak, and thus attracts crowds of people who pitch their tents there before the last part of their ascent, also clamped down on free camping. Those passing through now risk a fine of $338,000 and two years in prison for setting up their own tents, as announced in April 2019 by the Prefecture of Haute Savoie.
In February, French president Emmanuel Macron also announced he would enforce tougher consequences for littering on Mont Blanc, after Peillex said he failed to protect the peak from "wackos," following the outrage sparked by a man leaving a rowing machine at the summit.
Despite these enforcement efforts, overcrowding still remains a problem for Mont Blanc. Over recent years, societal changes have led to a rising number of amateur hikers ascending the mountain on a quest for the perfect social media photo. Parties and events on Mont Blanc have also resulted in boats, jacuzzis, gym equipment and other conspicuous objects being dumped on the peak.
Peillex, the mayor of Saint-Gervais and Delachat and Delachat, from Brigade Blanche, both highlight that regulation alone is not enough to solve the issue. In order to prevent more litter from piling up on Mont Blanc, they say there needs to be a transformation in people's attitudes.
"It's a legacy for children," says Delachat.
"It's not a stadium here, it's a place of pleasure for the people, for the families who work here, so when you listen to the politicians, please listen to us also.
"Please, please help us to keep this place clean."
Mont Blanc is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world and for this reason it is considered threatened. Intense tourism, global warming and exploitation of its resources are all contributing to the vulnerability of the mountain.
The trash left scattered there is a stark reminder that whether we are in our local park or climbing the second-highest mountain in Europe, we should take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints.
The pollution of tourists also affects those who live around Mont Blanc. Both trash and human waste (including urine, feces and vomit) are absorbed into the snow and contaminate the natural water tank they rely on in their daily lives. Essentially, those who pass through briefly are leaving a long-term negative impact.
Peillex has been fighting for stricter controls on Mont Blanc for decades. In 2019, a new rule was introduced that meant that anyone hiking the "Normal Route" must carry identification and proof of a reservation in one of the huts there, which have proper facilities for correctly disposing of litter unlike randomly pitching a tent.
The Goûter Refuge, which is usually the final stop en route to the peak, and thus attracts crowds of people who pitch their tents there before the last part of their ascent, also clamped down on free camping. Those passing through now risk a fine of $338,000 and two years in prison for setting up their own tents, as announced in April 2019 by the Prefecture of Haute Savoie.
In February, French president Emmanuel Macron also announced he would enforce tougher consequences for littering on Mont Blanc, after Peillex said he failed to protect the peak from "wackos," following the outrage sparked by a man leaving a rowing machine at the summit.
Despite these enforcement efforts, overcrowding still remains a problem for Mont Blanc. Over recent years, societal changes have led to a rising number of amateur hikers ascending the mountain on a quest for the perfect social media photo. Parties and events on Mont Blanc have also resulted in boats, jacuzzis, gym equipment and other conspicuous objects being dumped on the peak.
Peillex, the mayor of Saint-Gervais and Delachat, from Brigade Blanche, both highlight that regulation alone is not enough to solve the issue. In order to prevent more litter from piling up on Mont Blanc, they say there needs to be a transformation in people's attitudes.
"It's a legacy for children," says Delachat.
"It's not a stadium here, it's a place of pleasure for the people, for the families who work here, so when you listen to the politicians, please listen to us also.
"Please, please help us to keep this place clean."
Mont Blanc is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world and for this reason it is considered threatened. Intense tourism, global warming and exploitation of its resources are all contributing to the vulnerability of the mountain.
The trash left scattered there is a stark reminder that whether we are in our local park or climbing the second-highest mountain in Europe, we should take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints.
Credits:
Images of litter: geologie-montblanc.fr. Images of people picking up litter: Le Stop Waste Tour Les Arcs. Archive images of Mont Blanc: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich.
Interviews: Ross Cullen. Video producer and article: Catherine Newman. Video editor: Pedro Duarte. Animator: James Sandifer.
CGTN EUROPE 2020