Hot Rock, Cold Ice! The manner in which the Mont Blanc valley alpinist community experiences and deals with climate change in the mountains

Abstract

This study is the result of extensive fieldwork in Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France. It looks at the manner in which the alpinist community of the Mont Blanc valley experiences and copes with climate change in the mountains. Both professional mountain guides, and amateur alpinists are interviewed on how they feel about, how they deal with and how they feel about climatic changes in the Alps. Direct environmental consequences are presented, as well as personal feelings, and future expectations.