Mont Blanc

The highest peak in the Alps and the birthplace of alpinism, Mont Blanc holds a special place in mountaineering folklore. It was the first mountain climbed for no reason other than the challenge of doing it (plus, it must be admitted, a financial reward), and as such, most historians pinpoint Mont Blanc as the peak where mountaineering was \'invented\'. A Genevan scientist, Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, was fascinated by the mountain and offered a large reward to anyone who could make it to the summit. On 8th August 1786 two local Chamonix men, Jacques Balmat and Doctor Michel-Gabriel Paccard relieved him of his cash by reaching the top via the North Ridge of the Dôme du Goûter. Two years later, de Saussure himself made the third ascent and in 1808 Marie Paradis became the first woman to summit. Balmat, Paccard, de Saussure and Paradis are all rightly revered in Chamonix, and some of the town\'s central streets and squares bear their names. The statue of Balmat pointing out the route to the summit to de Saussure is one of Chamonix\'s best known landmarks and Paccard has his own statue 50m away.The full history of the mountain is fascinating and well worth reading up on if you need some inspiration, or just enjoy good, and often terrifying, tales of derring-do. The two most popular routes by far are the Trois Monts Route, from the Aiguille du Midi, and the Goûter Route, which starts from the top of the Nid d\'Aigle train. These two routes are described in detail in this chapter, as is the Royal Traverse over the Aiguille de Bionnassay, a longer and more serious undertaking which ranks as one of the best multi-day adventures in the Alps. We have also included five huge routes from the Italian side of the Mont Blanc Massif - the so-called \'wild side\' of the range - including the Peutérey Integrale, the longest route in the Alps and a much sought-after tick. The Grand Mulets Route has become increasingly dangerous due to the recession and opening of the glaciers. Nowadays is only followed in spring on skis.


Order Climb Buttress Stars Grade
1
Trois Monts Route Trois Monts Route 3 PD+
1
Goûter Route Goûter Route 3 PD
1
Royal Traverse Royal Traverse 3 AD+ 2
1
Pope Route Southwest Face 2 PD+
1
Innominata Ridge Frêney Face 3 D+ 3+
2
Tournette Spur Frêney Face 3 AD+ 3
3
Central Pillar of Frêney Frêney Face 3 ED1 5c
1
Bonatti-Oggioni Red Pillar of the Brouillard 3 ED1 6a
1
Aiguille Noire de Peutérey Peutérey Ridge 3 TD+ 4
2
Peutérey Integrale Peutérey Ridge 3 ED1 4

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