*UPDATED* Mont Blanc traps three Ukrainian climbers
Three Ukrainian mountaineers have been trapped in a snowdrift on the Mount Blanc since Thursday spending Sunday night, their fifth night outside.
Bad weather including strong winds has prevented rescue teams to successfully extract the stranded climbers.
The three Ukrainian climbers left Wednesday morning on a ski tour up the col de la Brenva, by Thursday the three men found themselves stranded at 4303 meters due to deteriorating weather conditions. Fortunately the team were well equipped and in good health so decided to set up bivouac.
"The weather conditions were extremely difficult again on Sunday, with cloudy weather and strong winds. But these seasoned mountaineers have high morale and improved weather conditions are announced for late Monday morning" should make a rescue possible says the PGHM in Chamonix.
*UPDATE*
Around 13:30 on Monday, a PGHM helicopter managed to take off in the direction of the Col de Brenva towards the Mont Blanc to rescue the stranded climbers. Rescuers found the three men at 4300m in good heath although somewhat famished!
