Mt. Blanc is the
highest mountain in Western Europe. First ascent, on the 8th of
August 1786 by a local crystal hunter, Jacques
Balmat and a local doctor, Michel Gabriel
Paccard.
They claimed the prize money that
Horace Benedict de Saussure had offered in 1760.
People had been trying for years but the breakthrough didn't come
until the June of 1786 when Jacques Balmat was trapped out overnight
on the glacier, AND SURVIVED; thereby destroying local myths and proving
that a 2-day ascent was feasible.
Nowadays, in summer, their exploit is repeated by as many as 200 people
a day.
The speed record is held by the Swiss P.A. Gobet. He ran from the
centre of Chamonix to the summit and back in 5hr 10min !
Most mortals
take 2 days and use lifts and trains to cheat for the first few
thousand metres!
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Climbing Mont Blanc
A
beautiful and very complex mountain. It's most commonly climbed by
guided parties using one of two routes, the Normal route (Gouter route)
or the Three Monts Route (Cosmiques route).
The Mont Blanc
