When we crossed this couloir years ago, the rule of defense was: if this situation gets you in the middle of the couloir, do not position yourselves horizontally (too much exposure area) but vertically along the trajectory of the falling rocks, put your head next to the wall, unclip the hip belt of your backpack and pull the backpack up and well over your head to protect virtually the entire area of your exposed body. Nasty part of this famous route.

She took a rock to her head pretty damn hard. That helmet saved her life I'm sure.

A number of rocks hit her, which is terrifying. But the number of rocks that DIDN'T hit her is amazing, given that it was raining rocks.

Well this was anxiety inducing. Well done for her keeping calm and hunkering down.

Wow, that was scary. Some of those rocks were big. Glad to hear she got out of it without serious injury.

At 2:40 she is hit twice in the head with two different rocks. Cannot imagine how scary that must have been. What heart, grit and determination to hang on like that and still manage to stay calm and not panic. I think this is the best video of this section of trail that I have seen. Well done hiker.

Passage du Gouter, the best times are around 9 am, and the worst, an avalanche every 20 minutes on average, it is around 6 pm, and especially to be avoided after a rainy episode !!! but now when you are a city tourist who has paid and don't want to give up because vacation time is running out, I have to intervene with my helicopter and my rescuers ... to think about

That was so scary to even watch. I hope she got away without any major injures or wounds.

I was there 12 years ago and we got stuck there for a couple of hours waiting for time windows where rock avalanche would stop. One avalanche was so hard with some rock being as big as half a car. I haven't panicked and looked in awe stones flying and smashing but once it stopped I realized that my body was trembling and shaking from the overtaking. I bet it took her long to stand up being in a kind of shell shock.

Was scared for her when she kept tucking and unprotecting the back of her neck, thankfully I think she got her pack fairly well positioned though. She was really lucky to only get that one hit to the helmet. Would it not be better to be face down, stretched out with head facing up the slope, with pack above head, to give the smallest possible target?

Times like these you say to yourself “ I am a little ant” she was very lucky I have seen people seriously hurt during a lot smaller rock slides. She did every right that she could do, the urge to try and and get back to safety is so tempting and in this case would of probably ended badly.

Oh my absolute god!!!!!!!! That must have been terrifying for that woman! She did so well not to completely panic. Bravo! That is why you wear a helmet!

incredible footage

She did so well! Cannot imagine the panic and anxiety while lying there. She did yell a few times that she was about to lose consciousness as she got hit at the back of the neck with rocks!

What the video isn't showing is the Boy Scout Troop at the top playing "King of the Mountain".

She did a great job! Just needed to pull her pack up a wee bit. Way to keep an eye on her climbing partners!

Vaya temple que has tenido, enhorabuena que estéis todos bien 👍

I think she stopped at the best spot she could. Few meters before or few meters after more massive rolling was going on. This tiny flat rock above her saved her life and guardian angel's was with her. Time of crossing was appropriate, better early in the morning when rocks are still frozen to the surface. August afternoon is worst time to pass it. I have made that route in both ways when it was almost dark, not a single rock has fallen, but we saw and heard from Tete Rouse some rolling stones in the afternoon. Better reduce risk if you can.

She handled that extremely well, considering.

REALLY tough to tell just HOW steep that incline, but steep enough to be knocked off the mountain that’s for sure! Scary stuff..

stay down woman, foetal position with pack as protection but stay down. thank god she did in the end.

Amazing videography

Bravo !!! Prendre le temps et être calme, c'est le mieux..... Bonne chance

Damn, the speed at which some rocks come flying is insane. At 1:09 a rock just comes flying past, barely visible.

Why are such helpless people allowed to be in such a risky and challenging environment? These people have perfectly adapted to the couchpotatoe lifestyle! They should have stayed there!

Perfectly executed. Lucky you !

the rocks could kill her at any moment, a genuinely terrifying scene.

What a scary situation. You can't do anything to help. Glad it didn't get worse. My heart was pounding. Just...WOW!.

I will never go to sleep with ambient rain noises ever again.

The big chunk at around 00:57 that passed by and smashed just below her was really something. If that hit her it would have been a liveleak video

luckily the protective helmet and a little luck ... they saved her. I'm happy for her

There are two mothers I don't mess with, Mother Nature and Mother-in-laws.

Ignore non-climbers comments👌 many armchair QB's talking trash

Nice to see her alive. But to be honest, she was slow as hell. I needed in same conditions about 20 to 30 seconds to cross this part. She was looking back and up but didnt go through in one fast single push. Looked like she was tired or nervous because her movements looked slow... glad shes ok

Nasty part of the route, really steep in places and always rockfall. My mate was so happy to have made it across he put our tent down to catch his breath. The tent fell down the mountain lol. Lucky theirs a hut a few hundred feet above here, we reached the summit the next day.

My friend went hiking a steep mountain when a goat falling down towards him and they both survived the fall.

She was extremely lucky, because she lay down on a spot without any cover whatsoever and some of these rocks were big enough to kill her instantly. She did the right thing to turn her backpack in front of her. She could have (right in the beginning, when she had few spare seconds) move herself few meters uphill, there was a big pile of rocks there. They would be much better cover. Never mind, im genuinely glad the girl went through this adventure without any injuries.

Actual rock'n roll there

This video rocks!

Holy schnikies, that's like being in a shooting gallery, and you're the target.

Man oh man. I just ached for the person out there. 😥 So glad she was alright. Soooo close. Ugh!

🤣 AKA the bowling Alley… I remember legging across here with boulders flying past me, it was actually very exhilarating. A member of our team in the group behind us got hit by a boulder on the climb down from the hut prior to reaching the bowling alley. She had to get air lifted off and was in hospital for two weeks.

This climb did not seem especially risky---until the rocks appeared. It demonstrated how the unpredictability of mountain climbing hazards makes the sport so dangerous.

You have to admire the courage of the climber. What a brave individual ... of course I'm referring to the one holding the camera!

Sooo. Did she followed to the top or turned back after rock fall?

Nothing says" hey jackasses you shouldn't be here" better than a good ol rock slide

After summiting in 2016, I wasn't feeling well and we were moving slow, so my wife and I tried to stay an extra night at Gouter, but there weren't any spaces (as usual), so we had no choice but to go down. By time we made it to the coulair in the late afternoon it was acting like in the video, including massive car-sized boulders. We considered sleeping on the trail to avoid crossing until morning, but would have frozen to death (didn't have property camping gear with us given that camping isn't allowed) and it was going to be getting dark soon, so we had no choice but to play Russian roulette (and got lucky). I suspect that many end up in a similar situation; it's calm when going up early in the morning, but then like this when coming down in the late afternoon when people have no choice but to cross it. Given the number of people on this route, and the number of injuries/deaths in this spot, it's beyond me why a suspension bridge hasn't been built across the coulair. 🤷‍♂️

So what is the calculation? Is it better to face 20 minutes of rockfall or a mad 1 minute scramble trying to get out? Seems if you’re out there long enough one of those big rocks is gonna get you eventually. You’ve got no more or lees chance being hit scrambling, though clearly you’ve got more armour hunkering down.

at 0:32 she pushes some rocks with her feet. Immediately after rocks start raining down on her. What triggered this rockfall?

Sure I’ll bo rock climbing with you guys. Sounds like a hoot and what could go wrong?

Danger.... Amazing brooo. Suport your channel, I am from indo

Hey, who doesn't want to take a relaxing climb in the "CORRIDOR OF DEATH"?

Wahnsinn. komme gerade von Reddit. Ich hoffe es geht euch allen gut. Ich hatte echt Angs beim zuschauen.

Wow that was crazy. Smart for just staying put and trying to get as small as possible under the backpack. I would have ran lol

Amazing that anyone could survive that.

Is there no way around this couloir?

I have been there, at a bad time in the evening. After the hut had been closed for a week. Arriving there, a dozen of rocks of various sizes literally came WHOOPING by, tumbling through the air. I only dared to move on after it stayed quiet for some minutes afterwards. People under-estimate the danger, until they may have seen a video like this, or seen the death toll. It remains the most crowded route because it is the shortest. As a result it will continue to have the highest death toll. But do remember even the other standard routes have dangers, like avalanches on the north sides of Tacul and Maudit.

Stuck in no man's land, with no where to go but wait for the bombardment to stop. Scary stuff.

or be in a line that is secure on other side then can move rather safely fast down and to side, or secured on both sides and with a metal loop around it mabye lower on going to side. , simple tools drill powder patrons metal pole can make a hole in ground for safety in few places. or fasteners for structure that shields . could be stone used for that held by rope or wire to fastener .

Back in the '80s, I crossed that couloir four times. Didn't know it had a bad reputation until a few months ago when these videos starting pooping up here on KZfaq! I never experienced anything like this. Maybe I crossed early enough in the morning to avoid the danger.

This is the deadliest point in the Alps! He was very good at handling the situation

What causes the rocks to start tumbling from above?

See the pathway, before to go, listen the sound of Rocks, and in doubt do not go!

2:43 Ouch

Why that happens? Every days rocks are falling?

OMG! Thank god she was ok. Many large rocks just missed her. Im proud of her just waiting it out. How was her neck injury?

Brother!!!! O santo desse cara é forte! Se alguém souber qual é o santo dele, pfv compartilhe aí, pq vou ascender uma vela pra ele. É a mesma coisa que se esquivar de todos os golpes do "meteoro de Pegasus".

Wow. That sure looks like fun. The position she is crouching is entirely exposing the top of her vertebrae at her neck. She would have been better off laying flat and placing her knapsack in front of her head.

Such a dangerous yet beautiful mountain. Read the stats. Scary.

What a gutsy lady. Respect due.

I know a surefire way to avoid such danger - can you work out what it is?

Why would you take your head away from protection when rocks are still falling??

Co sie po tym wszystkim mysli?

Jak dlugo ,taki zwal kamulcow moze trwac?❤

Terrifying to be be stuck out there waiting for a boulder to take you out 😯

she ok ?

What would’ve caused the rock claps?

some of those 'small' rocks looked to be the size of her head. That was gnarly.

Sometimes when you are looking for excitement and adventure you get more than you bargained for.

Hello Katrina, I am working on a documentary about Mont-Blanc for French TV. I would like to know if we could use your video. Many thanks, Mélissa

Now that looks fun! I would totally pay a shit load of money to experience this!

You are very LUCKY😯

When you cross the couloir you need to run, this person was particularly slow. I cross it early in the season loaded with snow and also late on the season which is uncover and very expose, a lottery. Im glad this person is fine

Well that’s terrifying!

True Climber's Experience. Epic.

Chance is pretty good she got some whiplash from those two hits. And a bit of a rattle. 🎉

Posting at 1:00 mark: the sound of the rocks is awesome!

Why do this?

That was horrifying

I considered to be excessive care from the guides to put a lot of attention to this crossings on the way up, then on the way down one of the ladies of my party felt from the cornise right before this pass, the helicopter took her to the hospital but we had the time to see at all the rooks speeding down the hill . 2006

There was some big ones, sooo so lucky!!!

A rope access colleague of mine a couple of decades ago was installing rock netting and had his arm taken clean off in a situation like this. I guess it's the closest feeling to being on the wrong side of a machine gun range, you are just so helpless and can't do anything to improve your situation, just hope you don't get hit.

THIS is why you should wear a helmet even on easy ground on an Alpine route! The helmet ISN'T there to protect your head in a fall, it's mainly there to protect you from falling rock. Unfortunately I've seen people killed in rock falls in the Alps, these people were incredibly lucky!

When the camera zooms out and you grasp the gradient...😖

The important thing is to put that on camera...no matter what

I have a friend who died here, she was with a mountain guide. I don't see the interest of doing such an uninteresting and dangerous route. If I wanted to do the Mont Blanc I would do one of the routes on the Italian side and instead of coming down by the couloir du Gouter I would go back by the route des Aiguilles Grises.

horrible. why does it happen, what's making the rocks fall?

Quante volte sono passato in quel canale.....

What time was it?

I was watching until the backpack moves into the picture from the right and for a split second I thought it was a huge rock mass heading toward the climber and I nearly had a heart attack.