A young French climber narrowly escaped death when a violent rockfall struck him on Mont Blanc, Western Europe's highest peak, and his helmet camera captured the terrifying moments as he believed his life was ending.
Loris Bianco, a 22-year-old resident of Gap in the Hautes-Alpes region, was descending from the summit with a companion approximately two weeks ago when disaster struck in the Couloir du Goûter—a passage grimly nicknamed the "Corridor of Death." The footage he recorded has since gone viral on social media, drawing over a million views and sparking debate about mountaineering safety amid worsening climate conditions.
The incident unfolded at an elevation of roughly 3,340 meters (nearly 11,000 feet) along one of the most treacherous sections of the standard route to Mont Blanc's summit. This narrow corridor has earned its ominous reputation due to frequent rockfalls that pose constant danger to climbers.
Before the rockfall began, Bianco and his companion had stopped to assist a group of foreign hikers, including climbers from Mexico, helping them navigate the hazardous passage and find shelter in a protected spot. This act of kindness delayed their own descent, causing them to pass through the danger zone outside the recommended safe hours.
When the rockfall commenced, Bianco found himself trapped between two rocks as tons of debris began cascading down the slope. Boulders—some as large as automobiles—tumbled directly toward the climbing route. In the half-minute video excerpt he later shared (from what he described as a five-minute ordeal), Bianco can be heard repeatedly screaming: "I'm going to die, damn it, I'm going to die!"
"I was convinced I wouldn't survive. I was waiting for the rock that would kill me," Bianco recounted afterward. He managed to press himself against the rock face and curl into a protective position, sustaining only a minor injury to his hand from a stone. Eventually, he, his companion, and the group they had helped reached a mountain refuge and alerted the PGHM (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne), the specialized high-mountain rescue unit. No one suffered serious injuries.
After Bianco posted the video on Instagram, reactions were mixed. Many praised his composure under pressure and his willingness to help fellow climbers, while others accused him of recklessness, with some sending hostile messages. Bianco emphasized that he has been climbing for four years, received training from experienced guides, including his father-in-law, a professional mountain guide, and was fully aware of the risks involved. "Those wishing me dead are not guides," he noted.
The incident occurred against a backdrop of extreme weather conditions during the summer of 2026. Heat waves and drought have accelerated the melting of permafrost, the natural "cement" that holds rock formations together, leading to a sharp increase in rockfall frequency. Authorities have temporarily closed refuges along the normal route and issued warnings about elevated risks. Experts note that such phenomena have become increasingly common in recent decades as climate patterns shift in alpine regions.
