Blog #9

Just before being able to get inside the shelter, a lightning strikes the ground only a few meters away from us. The ground starts shaking and Sébastien falls on the ground. It takes us a few seconds to realize what just happened. I panic; I shake and remember some meaningful moments of my life. I have the impression that I am going to die. The echo is still resonating very loudly. Charlotte and Marie are shouting. Raph goes next to Séb. “He’s still alive! Come help me!” I run to him and we carry Séb inside the shelter. We call airglacier but they can’t come rescue us because of the thunder. We have to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. After some minutes that feel as long as hours, Séb opens his eyes. He is very weak and pale.

An hour later, the thunders are gone and airglacier comes to rescue Séb. He’s going to the hospital in Sion. Fortunately it was nothing too bad and he can leave the hospital after some examinations.

From now on I’m not going to hike anymore, even though it has some extraordinary sensations and scenery, I find it too dangerous and this accident proves it.

We all run and protect ourselves in time. A few seconds after being in the shelter, a lightning strikes the ground some meters away of the shelter. At that moment, the earth starts to shake. It shakes violently and the rock that was supposed to protect us is now falling on our heads! The exit is closed by a huge rock and we can’t get out anymore. We are stuck inside the rock. Some big parts fall on us and we can’t move at all anymore. I shake. I can’t feel my legs anymore because of the rock that fell on them. I think that we are going to stay stuck in this place and die here. The time seems to have stopped. Luckily Marie is able to take her phone out and call airglacier to rescue us. There is very little network and we don’t know precisely where we are. After a very long time and once the weather got better, some guides and rescue dogs are able to come save us. It still takes around thirty to forty-five minutes for them to take all the rocks away and help us getting out of there.

I decide that this adventure was the first one and the last one for me in the mountains. I could have died! I’m glad I could see these wonderful places but I don’t want to take that much risks anymore.

We all get inside the shelter. The thunders are stuck over our heads and stay there for hours. We can’t get out; it is still too dangerous. Every time a lightning strikes the ground, a very loud sound echoes inside the shelter and makes the ground shake. I have the impression that I am going to be stuck inside this rock forever. It is dark outside now and we still can’t get out. Around ten p.m., the thunders are eventually gone, but we can’t finish our hike in the night. We don’t have the equipment for it. We have to stay here for some more hours, waiting for the sun to come back. It is such a long night. It is not comfortable at all and I don’t feel very secure. After what happened, I have the impression that now, anything can happen.

At six, it is eventually sunny and we can finish our hike. My back hurts, the rock was too hard and bumpy. Next time I take part in such an adventure, I’ll do it with a real guide! I don’t want to get stuck again.