Mountain Rescue: Where Money Doesn't Matter

One sector operates outside normal economic logic: mountain rescue. The PGHM (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne) performs roughly 1,000 rescue operations annually, from twisted ankles to complex technical extractions. These elite professionals—part police officer, part paramedic, part extreme athlete—save lives regardless of ability to pay.

"We've rescued billionaires and homeless wanderers," states Captain Marie Fontaine. "The mountain doesn't check credit scores, neither do we."

Rescue services blend professionals with volunteers. The Chamonix chapter of the Société de Secours en Montagne includes guides, ski patrollers, and citizens trained in rescue techniques. When alerts sound, volunteers leave paying work to save strangers, embodying values that transcend economic calculation.

This ethos faces pressure as rescue numbers increase. Climate change creates unstable conditions. Social media inspires unprepared adventurers. Helmet cameras encourage risk-taking for views. Each rescue costs thousands in helicopter time and personnel, funded by taxpayers regardless of rescued parties' nationality or preparation.

"We debate charging for preventable rescues," admits Mayor Laurent Petit. "But where's the line? Bad judgment? Bad luck? Bad weather? Once we start calculating, we lose something essential about mountain solidarity."