Shock has been caused in the mountaineering community of Patra by the death of 33-year-old climber Dimitris Kanta, who died while descending the Mont Blanc massif, in the French Alps.

The Hellenic Mountaineering Association (EOS) of Patras expressed its sadness at the death of the young mountaineer, who was a physicist, basketball athlete and alpinist.

In a post, the association called him an “active and loving man, a member of the mountaineering community with a passion for the mountains, freedom and exploration.”

In a post, the EOS Patras writes: “We were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Dimitris Kanta, who lost his life while descending the Mont Blanc massif in France.
Dimitris was an active and loving man, a member of the mountaineering community, with a passion for the mountain, freedom, and exploration.
The E.O.S. Patras expresses its sincere condolences to his family.
We will always remember him with appreciation and respect”

Fell into the void while descending

The unfortunate Dimitris Candace reportedly died after losing his balance and falling into the void while descending from the Goûter shelter at an altitude of 3,835 meters. This shelter is considered the last stop for climbers ascending Mont Blanc by the most popular route. The descent is considered equally important and often more dangerous, due to fatigue, changing weather and the crossing of the Grand Couloir, which is one of the most dangerous areas of the route.

Immediately, eyewitnesses alerted the Mountain Police of Samonis. The Civil Security’s Dragon 74 helicopter operated at the scene. But rescuers were unable to offer assistance. The 33-year-old Dimitri had already ended up.

A report on the tragic incident was published by Liberation, which said that the climber, a Greek national, “was carrying a ‘heavy backpack’ and probably made a ‘technical error'”. The French newspaper points out that this section of the route is called the “corridor of death” as more than 100 people have been killed and is known for daily rock slides in the summer.

Further details of the Liberation article:

Another man has been found dead in one of the most dangerous parts of the Mont Blanc massif. A 33-year-old man of Greek nationality died on Monday 4 August after a fall on the upper part of the Goûter corridor, the Chamonix Mountain Police (PGHM) told the French News Agency (AFP), confirming a report by France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

The man, according to PGHM, was carrying a “heavy backpack” and possibly made a “technical error”. His body was found late in the morning by rescuers after he had fallen several hundred metres. The unfortunate climber was descending alone and without a rope. His fall, authorities say, may have been caused by a “combination of factors” such as “fatigue,” a “heavy backpack” or a “momentary lack of attention.”

The Goûter corridor, located below the Goûter shelter (France’s highest, at 3,835 metres), is one of the most dangerous parts of the classic route to the summit of Mont Blanc. More than a hundred people have lost their lives on this dangerous section of the route, which is often called the “corridor of death” and is known for its daily rock slides in the summer. In June, a 24-year-old American woman also lost her life in the same spot.