Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc is one of the most famous mountain peaks of our planet, located in the Western Alps, at the junction of two countries – France and Italy. Since the mountain massif runs directly along the border, the French and Italians have been arguing about the belonging of Mont Blanc for centuries, but have not yet come to a consensus. Currently, the mountain is actually divided between two cities: French St. Gervais-les-Bains and Italian Courmayeur. The unifying factor may be the fact that right under the mountain range stretches a tunnel connecting the two countries 11.6 kilometers long.
Video: Climbing Mont Blanc
” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen> Contents- Highlights
- History of the conquest of Mont Blanc
Tourism on Mont Blanc - Interesting facts
- Where to stay
- How to get there
Highlights
Leaving aside Elbrus and other Caucasus peaks, it is Mont Blanc that is the highest point in Europe: 4,810 meters above sea level. Despite its height, this mountain, which has long been a popular center of mountaineering and mountain tourism, every day is conquered by an increasing number of both professional climbers and untrained tourists, including even children. The most popular hiking route on the continent, the Tour du Mont Blanc, which runs around it, is proof of this.
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What is it that travelers love so much about Mont Blanc? Of course, its crystal white landscapes and ski resorts located at the foot. From the French side such a resort is Chamonix, and from the southern, Italian side – the already mentioned Courmayeur. A lot of active sports lovers, including not only mountaineers, but also snowboarders and skiers, are eager to visit this resort. If you are tired of resting on warm seas-oceans, eating exotic fruits or endlessly exploring palaces and museums in large metropolitan cities, and you want a really bright and extreme experience – welcome to Mont Blanc!
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The story of the conquest of Mont Blanc
In 1744, the famous traveler Peter Martel published travel notes about his mountain treks. It was in this work that the son of French immigrants who had moved to Geneva vividly and emotionally conveyed his impressions of Mount Mont Blanc, thus becoming the originator of the fashion for visiting this peak.
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As for the first conquest of the mountain, it dates back to August 8, 1786. The majestic Alpine beauty “bowed its head” before Jacques Balma and Dr. Michel Packard. The initiator of the historic ascent was the Swiss geologist, botanist and mountaineer Oras Benedict de Saussure. He even established a special prize to the one who would personally scout the best way to climb Mont Blanc.
.It is worth noting that among the conquerors who reached the summit, there were also women. The very first was Maria Paradis, who made the ascent in 1808.
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By the way, the leader of one of the expeditions to climb Mont Blanc, held in 1886, was … young Theodore Roosevelt, the future president of the United States of America. The conquest of Mont Blanc was perhaps the highlight of his honeymoon in Europe.
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Until the second half of the last century, one of the main obstacles that overshadowed the enthusiasm of not only the conquerors of the summit, but also ordinary vacationers, were the difficulties in overcoming the Alps, which required about 18 hours of travel, on which met various obstacles. This circumstance and predetermined the need to lay right under the mountain Mont Blanc the very 11-kilometer tunnel, which we mentioned at the beginning.
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Tourism on Mont Blanc
Given that the height of Mont Blanc reaches almost five kilometers, this mountain is of interest mainly to fans of winter sports and recreation: climbers, skiers and snowboarders. However, even those far from extreme entertainment tourists can fully appreciate the main peak of Europe, its beauty and attraction, and without making any effort to do so, but just walking at its foot and breathing a full chest of crystal clear air.
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To fully experience all the splendor of Mont Blanc and the opportunities that open up here, you can only in one case – if you are a fan of winter sports. Their fans from different parts of Europe and the world flock to Chamonix, spread out in the picturesque valley of the Arve River. It was in this village in 1924 that the very first Winter Olympics were held. Staying true to its past and, as they call it, continuing to keep the brand, the ski resort attracts travelers with developed infrastructure and quite affordable prices.
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The history of the Italian Courmayeur so significant events of its history can not boast of such significant events, but this circumstance is more than compensated by the service that this resort offers to vacationers. In addition to the excellent slopes for skiers and snowboarders, we can not forget about the magnificent botanical garden, located right on the highlands, and the local thermal springs.
.Mont Blanc’s calling card and its, let’s not be afraid of this definition, tourist asset are the numerous cable cars and elevators, observation decks and hiking trails. One of the elevators allows you to climb the Aiguille di Midi mountain range, which is 3,842 meters above sea level.
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The popular route, along which travel agencies organize regular excursions to the White Mountain – as the name Mont Blanc is translated from Italian and French – was laid in the XVIII century. Special complexity, however, it does not differ, but additional caution will not hurt anyone. Experienced travelers recommend to overcome it only to those tourists who have a good physical preparation. If you neglect this warning, you can easily get injured. Taking into account that there have already been such precedents, the authorities organize daily overflights of Mont Blanc by rescue service helicopters. In high season, the number of such overflights reaches 12 times a day.
.When does the season start and how long does it last? It starts in June and lasts for four months, i.e. until September inclusive. At this time, one of the ways to climb to the top of Mont Blanc is to take part in trekking tours, which involve, in general terms, moving or crossing the mountain (rugged) terrain. Such excursions usually take a week, so be prepared for an extreme experience for seven days ahead.
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Not to be overlooked is the fact that there are several other noteworthy places in the vicinity of Mont Blanc. In addition to the already familiar French-Italian tunnel under the mountain, we can name the Big Saint Bernard Pass and the Saint Bernard breeding kennel, the Grand Balcon Sud (Great Southern Balcony) ridge, the Alpine Museum, the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) and, of course, the Chamonix Valley, known for its parks and reserves – Merle, Epoie Rouge and others.
.If you are lucky enough to be in the Alps in July, be sure to taste raspberries, blueberries and other berries, which are ripe just in this month. Especially their taste can be appreciated by the youngest tourists. Do not be surprised: climbing Mont Blanc is available for children from 5 years old. And although for family tourists there are some different routes than for ordinary groups, good mood and the most pleasant emotions are guaranteed for moms, dads and their little ones. You will be surprised even more, but children on Mont Blanc are even engaged in rock climbing, and starting from the age of 3. Not to mention rafting, visiting amusement parks and the alpine zoo, traveling on the mountain streetcar and swimming in the lake.
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Of course, we cannot ignore the “sea of ice” on the northern slope of the Mont Blanc massif – the majestic Mer de Glace plateau. This complex valley glacier in the French Alps is 12 kilometers long and feeds the waters of the Arve River. Its cover is 400 meters thick. If you admire the Mer de Glace from the height of the cable car, its panorama strikes even the most sophisticated imagination.
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Interesting facts
Mont Blanc, like most mountains on our planet, is not a solitary mountain, towering majestically over a massif of striking beauty.
.Some nearby peaks are certainly inferior to the White Mountain in terms of fame and popularity, but in terms of height they are almost identical. For example, Roche de la Tourmet is 100 meters lower than Mont Blanc, while Mont Blanc de Courmayeur is only 60 meters lower. Other mountains in the range that are famous among mountaineers are Grande Jorasses, which is so steep that it is considered one of the most difficult in the Alps to climb, and Aiguille du Midi, famous for its cable car and stunning sunset views.
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It would be wrong to say that only athletes and tourists are interested in the Mont Blanc mountain range. Various scientific researches are also carried out here, and not without success. Not so long ago, for example, archaeologists found under the thickness of ice remains of a prehistoric man, whose age is estimated at 5 thousand years and even more.
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As we have already said, Mont Blanc is not considered particularly difficult to climb, but, and this sad fact must be recognized, according to statistics of mortality among climbers breaks records. Until the middle of the XVIII century, these places, to judge by ancient maps, were called “Cursed Mountains”, and, apparently, not in vain. For all the time of development of the mountain massif, its slopes have claimed the lives of several thousand desperate climbers. This is a reality that cannot be ignored.
.The victims of Mont Blanc were not only brave conquerors – the mountain did not spare even the airplanes flying near it. In the last century there were two major airplane crashes here. They both occurred with the participation of Air India airplanes – the coincidence of circumstances turned out to be mystical. The first airliner crashed on the slopes of Mont Blanc in 1950, the second – in 1966. 200 people, including crew members, became victims of these disasters. Among the dead was the famous Indian physicist Homi Jehangir Baba, who played a significant role in the development of his country’s atomic science.
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Another disaster happened on March 24, 1999. But no longer in the air, but in an automobile tunnel. Suddenly, out of the blue, a truck caught fire, the smoke from which quickly spread through the enclosed space. This led to a lack of oxygen and, as a consequence, the engines of all the vehicles in the tunnel stopped, including the fire trucks that came to the rescue. The fire raged for more than two days – 53 hours! In the terrible scorcher under the mountain, 39 people died.
.Mont Blanc can not only scare, but also surprise. To make sure of this, let’s remember one of the plot lines of the French melodrama “Amelie”, released in 2001 – about the discovery of postal correspondence in one of the liners crashed on Mont Blanc. The heroine of the movie, played by the famous Audrey Justine Tautou, then used the found letters for personal purposes. The plot of the movie was prophetic: a group of climbers in December 2012 found a flight Air India, crashed in 1966. And inside the plane they found – what do you think? – diplomatic pouch.
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Where to stay
The village of Chamonix or, officially, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is home to the registration office, so it’s best to stay directly in this popular ski resort located in the French department of Haute-Savoie.
.At the registration office you can find out all the necessary information: cable car and public transportation schedules, information about sights around Mont Blanc.
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How to get there
A popular saying among tourists goes: the French Alps begin with Chamonix. The village is located just at the foot of Mont Blanc, so that’s where you should go. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights, so it is better to get through Switzerland, namely Geneva, which is only 88 km away from the ski resort.
.Having landed at Geneva airport, you can take a transfer bus flight or rent a car. The cost of the ticket is 28-30 euros and the travel time is no more than two hours.
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Wealthier tourists prefer to get there by cab. GPS coordinates: 45.924049, 6.863035.
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