Climbing France's Mont Blanc is a lot harder this year

Mont Blanc is usually popular with tourists during the summer, but not this year. — Pixabay

In a year marked by drought and heatwaves, rockfalls and gaping crevices have made access to the top of Mont Blanc even more difficult and perilous – to the great frustration of amateur mountaineers.

Officially, none of the seven routes leading to the summit, at 4,807m, is closed, but access conditions at the end of July have deteriorated to such an extent that only the most experienced climbers are able to make the ascent, experts say.