Peak of despair.

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The climbers were heading for western Europe's highest peak in perfect weather conditions. But suddenly a block of glacier ice broke free and sparked a giant avalanche, killing eight of them in what a mountain guide described as "a scene from the apocalypse". "I saw a wall of ice coming towards us and then we were carried 200 metres," said Italian Marco Delfini, one of the survivors of the tragedy that struck on Sunday on the Mont Blanc range on the French-Italian border.Another survivor who fractured his ankle said his group was three-quarters of the way up the Mont Blanc du Tacul, one of the peaks in the range, when the guide suddenly shouted: "Run fast! Run fast!""There was absolutely no noise, it was very disturbing. We only had time to swerve to the right before being mowed down," Nicolas Duquesne said from hospital in the nearby town of Sallanches.The 30-year-old Frenchman - one of eight survivors who were injured in the avalanche - said he had to "swim" through the snow to survive.By yesterday the eight missing climbers - five Austrians, one of whom was a guide, and three Swiss - had still not been found, but rescuers said there was no hope of finding any of them alive.Three helicopters, dozens of rescuers and sniffer dogs had searched frantically but found only bags, socks, ice picks and other personal belongings.

The search was called off late on Sunday for fear of new avalanches.Yesterday rescuers were due to fly over the area where they disappeared to try to spot signs of them in the snow."If the snow melts, and this might not happen because we're close to the end of the summer, it's possible that the bodies will come to the surface. If that happens we'll go and get them," said a police official.The Mont Blanc range is popular with hikers but every year claims numerous lives.This summer season more than 30 people have died in the French Alps.

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