Hikers bivouac on the Aigoual: surprised by the cold and snow, they must be rescued by the firefighters

A snow groomer was necessary due to difficult access conditions. SDIS30 – SDIS30

Une dameuse a été nécessaire en raison des conditions d'accès difficiles. Photo Sdis 30 – DR

The firefighters intervened in the early morning. Access was very difficult due to the weather conditions.

The firefighters from the Aigoual rescue center (Gard) were called in the early morning by two people who were bivouacking on the massif.

They had reached the summit yesterday at the end of the day via the path of 4000 steps and did not expect to find so much snow or so much cold. Access, by helicopter or by road, proved impossible, the quantity of snow and the height of the drifts being too great.

Need to request a snow groomer

The emergency services therefore called on the Alti Aigoual station which provided them with a snow groomer and thus opened the road to the observatory. The four firefighters intervened equipped with a forest fire tanker and a light off-road vehicle to rescue people in distress. The latter were able to be repatriated to the rescue center and will find their car in Val-d’Aigoual in the morning.