In western Europe, MONT BLANC is the highest peak at 15,781 feet (4,810 meters) above sea level. For centuries, this Alpine behemoth, shaped as a dome and gouged by glaciers, has captivated mountaineers and thwarted travelers. A mountain that borders three countries—France, Italy, and Switzerland—sits at the border of these countries.
A historic event that is often considered the birth of modern mountaineering was reached in 1786 when Frenchmen Michel-Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat scaled Mont Blanc, an otherwise insurmountable peak. The mountain has been a challenge for centuries, and adventurers have been trying to figure out how to conquer it, while others have simply tried to reach it. It is considered to be the most legendary route between Martigny, Switzerland, and Aosta, Italy, with an 8,100-foot (2,469 m) pass at the highest point of the passage: the Great St. Bernard Pass. The passage has a unique history.
This 49-mile (79-kilometer) route was used as far back as the Bronze Age, but only a few months of the year are snow-free. Avalanches, severe weather, and marauding bandits were among the threats that faced travelers. Bernard of Montjoux, an Augustine monk, established a hospice and monastery at the top of the pass in 1050 (the route is named after him). The monks discovered that their large, reddish-brown-and-white watchdogs had excellent senses of smell and direction between 1660 and 1670, so they began using them. Travelers in distress can be found and rescued with the help of “Bernard dogs.”.
There have been many changes since then. Motorists can drive the route through a tunnel beneath the pass when the sinuous, but spectacular pass road closes in winter. Today, helicopters are used for rescues instead of dogs for emergency personnel. St. Bernard dogs were kept in residence at the hospice at the top of the pass until 2004.
Summer is still a good time for the friendly giants to visit the monastery. The Mont Blanc mountain range has some of the world’s best extreme skiing, with more than 20,000 climbers trying to summit it each year. However, Mont Blanc isn’t just for adventure enthusiasts.
There are plenty of activities for everyone, from gentle hikes to multiday tours around Mount Blanc. St.-Gervais-les-Bains is located in France, and Courmayeur, located in Italy, are two of the quaint villages that dot the mountain’s slopes. Since 1816, Chamonix, France, has served the mountaineering crowd as the world’s most popular year-round resort. During the first Winter Olympics in 1924, this cobblestone village even hosted the games.
