(CNN) Climbers scaling Europe's highest peak, Mont Blanc, without having booked a room in one of its shelters could face two years in prison and a €300,000 ($335,000) fine under new rules to limit overcrowding. Authorities said "huge visitor numbers" on the mountain had led to concerns over "sanitary risks" like water availability and waste disposal problems. A public information campaign launched last summer to dissuade crowds from attempting the climb had proved "ineffective," regional administrator Pierre Lambert told AFP, prompting authorities to tighten restrictions this season. Mountain guide Adrian Ballinger told CNN that the recent spike in deaths on Mount Everest was, in part, down to a lack of experience among both climbers and tour operators. He told CNN that while many see Everest as the "ultimate challenge."

Source: CNN June 01, 2019 10:30 UTC