Dents du Midi

The Dents du Midi are a multi-summited mountain situated in the Chablais Alps in the Swiss canton of Valais. They are composed of seven distinct summits and reach a height of 3257 metres . Highest mountain between Lake Geneva and the Mont Blanc Massif, they dominate the Val-d'Illiez and the Rhône Valley, from Martigny down to the lake. Together with the slightly lower Tour Sallière, they form a cirque around the Lac de Salanfe, an artificial reservoir. Geologically it makes up a part of the massif Haut-Giffre.

On the morning of October 30, 2006, a mass of 1,000,000 m³ of rocks detached themselves from the side of the Haute Cime and fell down the side to an altitude of about 3,000 m The event did not pose any danger for the nearby town of Val-d'Illiez but roads and footpaths were closed as a security measure. According to the geologists of the canton, the landslide was caused by thawing, assisted by the hot summers of the preceding years.
Shortly after midday on Friday 17 August 2012, another significant rockfall occurred below the Cathédrale, amounting to at least 100,000m³ of rock. Twelve hikers were rescued by helicopter, All were unscathed, as was a flock of sheep grazing nearby. Again, the fall was put down to exceptional heat locally.
Less serious falls continued over the next few days and hiking trails remained closed.

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