Perched at 3,835 meters, the guardian of the Goûter refuge, Antoine Rattin, is delighted with this start to the season at Mont Blanc. “For the moment, the mountain is beautiful, the snow is there, the temperatures are reasonable”, he says between two network cuts. Further down, the Nid-d’Aigle refuge opened on June 10. Every day, 200 climbers will attempt to reach the summit of Europe via the normal route of Mont Blanc, located in the town of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (Haute-Savoie).
All hope for a season without accident or new controversy. On June 12, mountaineer Christophe Profit, 62, announced his resignation from the Chamonix guides company, because he did not feel supported in the conflict between him and Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais. -the baths. The summer of 2022, judging a passage that has become “stiff and icy” due to climate change, the legendary high mountain guide had removed the metal stakes installed by the municipality in consultation with the guide companies of Saint-Gervais and Chamonix.
Following the complaint of the city councilor for theft and endangering others, Christophe Profit was sentenced to a fine of 600 euros for theft on June 5. The Saint-Gervolains and Chamonix guides do not want to comment on the case. Christophe Profit prefers to return to the peaks away from noise.
A method regretted by local elected officials
The day after the mountaineer’s resignation, Jean-Marc Peillex spoke in a TVMountain video where which he relates his version of the facts and denounces the “mountain business”. For the past few years, with provocative press releases, the unlabeled mayor has not missed any opportunity to present himself as the great protector of Mont Blanc.. “He’s not even from here, Profit!” Do you change the wallpaper when you go to people’s house? », he launches us in a formula punctuated by a smile.
Jean-Marc Peillex, 69, is proud of these phrases that social networks will spin. But the actors of the mountain and the local elected representatives regret a method which tenses. “He needs to hit everyone. This is taking on unimaginable proportions when we should be pacifying the subject of Mont Blanc”, assures an elected official who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of losing department grants.
Many of them do not want to publicly criticize the one who is also vice-president of the departmental council and president of the community of communes of the Pays du Mont-Blanc. France Nature Environnement (FNE) has already paid the price. “I will not vote for grants to associations that take me to court”, announced Jean-Marc Peillex, in November 2021, referring to this federation which had two hotel construction projects located in wetlands condemned. In 2022, FNE lost the department’s subsidies.
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