British Mont-Blanc climber sparks French mayor鈥檚 anger
A British climber who abandoned his rowing machine on the Mont-Blanc mountain in France during a charity summit attempt has prompted a local mayor to call for harsher sanctions on 鈥渨acky鈥� climbers.
Matthew Disney, a former British Commando, climbed Mont-Blanc on Saturday August 31, while carrying a rowing machine weighing 26 kg and measuring 2.50 metres long.
Mr Disney had planned to carry the machine to the top; row on it at the summit, and then carry it back down.
The climb was part of a much wider fundraising project by Mr Disney, who has already completed the same rowing machine feat on the three highest peaks in Scotland, Wales, and England (commonly known as the 鈥淭hree Peaks鈥� challenge).
He is raising money in support of the UK armed forces and military veterans鈥� charities - Rock 2 Recovery and the Royal Marines Charity - and has already raised more than 拢15,000 (鈧�16,425).
He had previously been described as 鈥渆xtremely enthusiastic鈥� and 鈥渞eady to overcome any challenges鈥�.
But Mr Disney became exhausted on the descent from Mont-Blanc, and abandoned the rowing machine in the 鈥淰allot distress area鈥� on the mountain, at an altitude of 4,362 metres, before completing his descent without it.
Now, Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of the local commune, Saint-Gervais (Haute-Savoie, Auvergne-Rh么ne-Alpes), to President Emmanuel Macron in protest, and said that recovering the rowing machine would cost the town more than 鈧�1,800.
Mr Peillex said: 鈥淭he machine is still up there. [I pledge] to send the bill to the British embassy,鈥�
This map of Mont-Blanc shows the Vallot area, just underneath the summit (Photo: )
In his letter to President Macron, Mr Peillex said: 鈥淸I request] a vote, without delay, on regulations that will allow us, in 2020, to severely punish all the 鈥渨acky鈥� [climbers] who violate the peace of Mont-Blanc, as a means to restore [this peace].鈥�
Some measures to monitor access to Mont-Blanc are already in place, and these have already prevented 鈥渁 good number of offences,鈥� .
Yet, he called for measures 鈥渢o go further鈥�, and said that it was still possible for people to 鈥渃heat鈥� and get past the controls. He called for more regulation on access to Mont-Blanc, and demanded the right to punish climbers who 鈥渃ontravene鈥� the rules.
The mayor has said that if he does not hear back from President Macron within one month, he will call on the Conseil d鈥橢tat - the highest public administration court in France - to make Mont-Blanc a protected area.
