At about 1030 this morning the first of two major chunks of granite detached from what appeared to be the existing rock scar on the West Face of the Petit Drus, the iconic mountain towering above the Montenvers Railway station and Chamonix Valley.

Over the next hour or so the mushrooming dust cloud thinned out spreading a fine coating of granite dust over the Mer de Glace and the Le Praz / Les Tines area of the Chamonix Valley.

About an hour and a half later another, slightly smaller rock fall event occurred in the same area:

Local news is reporting that no one was involved or hurt in the rock fall and that it was as a result of the sustained period of hot weather. The extent of the damage to existing routes in that area remains unclear, but the rock fall certainly seemed close to the Gary Hemmings / Royal Robbins Chamonix Classic, 'The American Direct'. Further inspection seems to suggest that infact the rockfall took place almost entirely over the existing rock scar.

After the two large rock falls on 11/9/2011

Please post any further information as comments below. Safe climbing, Rob.