Doomsday Mountain Blocked By French Officials

Doomsday Mountain Blocked (Photo: Blippit)

Local officials in France have blocked access to the so-called "Doomsday Mountain."

Pic de Bugarach, the highest summit in the Corbières mountains in the French Midi, is now off-limits for public safety reasons to avoid a rush of New Age fanatics, sightseers and journalists, according to French officials.

Due to the mountain's unusual geology, a number of New Agers (called "esoterics" by local residents) believe that the mountain contains aliens living in a spacecraft. This group also believes that the upcoming end to the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar will result in some form of apocalypse. They believe that on December 21, 2012, the aliens supposedly living in the mountain will emerge to save them.

As a result, some members of the group have taken to living on or near the mountain, and The Independent reports that up to 100,000 people may be planning a trip prior to the believed apocalypse date. The mayor of the nearest town, Bugarach, said that over 20,000 visitors had arrived between January and July 2011, a significant increase over previous years. He also reported that a number of groups have been taking part in what he called strange rituals.

A French parliamentary committee had earlier expressed concerns that the esoterics may be planning a mass suicide or other significant events.