Mont Blanc on the map of Europe is located right on the border of France and Italy. Inside it was built a tunnel with a length of eleven and a half kilometers. Through it, communication is carried out between these two states. The summit is part of the Western Alps and is a very popular tourist destination. This is especially true for skiers, for whom a whole resort has been built - Chamonix. Literally translated from French, the name "Mont Blanc" means "white mountain".
Sizes
The height of Mont Blanc is 4810 meters. It stretched for about 50 kilometers in length and 30 in width. Its total area is a little over two hundred square kilometers. The mountain system of the same name, which includes the peak, occupies an area that is comparable in size to half of Luxembourg.
Location
The question of where Mont Blanc is located, or rather on the territory of which state, has been quite controversial for a long period of time. From 1723 until the Napoleonic wars in Europe, its entire territory was considered asproperty of the Kingdom of Sardinia. On March 24, 1860, an act was signed in the Italian city of Turin, according to which the peak was on the border between Italy and France. This document is recognized today by the governments of both states. The Mont Blanc coordinates are 45 degrees and 50 minutes north latitude and 6 degrees and 51 minutes east longitude. It is in this place that the state border between the countries now passes. Now most of the mountain is located on the territory of the French city of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains.
Conquest of the summit
The first historical memories of the ascent to the summit date back to August 8, 1786. Then she was subdued by Michel Gabriel Packard. The traveler made the ascent in tandem with assistant Jacques Balma. It should be noted that this was preceded by several unsuccessful attempts. As for the first woman to conquer the "white mountain", on July 14, 1808, Maria Paradis became her. An interesting fact is that she carried out her campaign with the same Jacques Balma, who subsequently participated in several more similar expeditions. Such activities of his were noted by King Victor Amedeus the Third. Now on the territory of Chamonix there is even a monument to Jacques Balma.
Tourism and mountaineering
Currently Mont Blanc is considered one of the main European centers of tourism and mountaineering. In terms of the number of annual visits among all objects of natural origin, it ranks third in the world. Manyprofessional climbers and amateurs dream of climbing this peak. As noted above, at the foot of the famous French ski resort of Chamonix is located. On the opposite side is its Italian counterpart - Courmayeur. It should be noted that the constant interest in this place, in addition to extreme lovers, is also expressed by scientists who specialize in a wide variety of activities. For example, one of their most significant achievements is the discovery of mummified human remains of prehistoric times, which occurred in 1991. According to the researchers, they lay under a layer of snow and ice for about five thousand years.
Climbing Mont Blanc
Mount Blanc, where there are many different beauties, is very attractive to many tourists. However, it is not so easy to conquer. If a person wants to climb to the top, he must be well prepared physically. Moreover, you cannot do this on your own - here you need the support and help of professional climbers. Even in this case, the conquest will take about twelve hours of time. Many guides recommend climbing here at least for the sake of skiing down, thereby getting an unforgettable experience for a lifetime.
Aiguille du Midi
Despite the fact that Mount Blanc is a very attractive and picturesque place, not everyone can climb it, because not everyone has mountaineering skills. The most impressive viewopens from the peak of Aiguille du Midi, which is located in the heart of the massif. There is also a special observation deck. However, it can take up to five hours to get here and back down.
The whole journey starts from the center of Chamonix, where the cable station is located. In twenty minutes by funicular from here will be the first stop. The place is located at an altitude of 2317 meters. It is from here that almost all climbing expeditions start. The next section of the cable car is the steepest on the planet. At an altitude of 3842 meters, an observation platform was built, which has the same name. It is quite chilly here, so it is recommended to take warm clothes with you first. Next, you should move to the neighboring peak through a bridge hovering between two rocks, and then climb another 42 meters in an elevator.
It should be noted that the cable car operates throughout almost the entire year. The exception is the period from early November to mid-December. In addition, it is closed during strong winds and other adverse weather conditions.
Mont Blanc tunnel
In 1814, the King of Sardinia received the first request to build a tunnel inside the mountain. However, construction started only in 1959 and lasted for eight years. The total length of the tunnel is 11.6 kilometers. One part of it is on French territory (at an altitude of 1274 meters), and the other is on Italian territory (at an altitude of 1381 meters). On March 24, 1999, a great tragedy happened -inside it, a truck caught fire, causing a large fire. The temperature reached one thousand degrees, so many of the stuck cars melted in the literal sense of the word. Among the dead were 39 people. In addition to them, more than thirty others suffered. After an investigation that lasted for about a year, the facility underwent renovation.
Now the passage through the tunnel, which penetrated Mount Blanc, is paid and costs about forty euros. Not everyone uses it as a road, preferring a detour in their travels. The length of the "hook" in this case is 130 kilometers.
Tragic reputation
Very unpleasant statistics are associated with this peak, which often scares away many tourists and climbers. The fact is that it ranks first in the world in terms of such an indicator as lethality. According to information received from various sources, several thousand people died on the slopes while trying to conquer the peak. No other peak on the planet has so many deaths. According to official statistics, ten to one hundred people do not return from here every year.
Besides this, twice in history, Mont Blanc has been the cause of plane crashes. The first case occurred in 1950. Then the pilot of an airliner owned by an Indian company could not correctly calculate the route for landing at Geneva airport, as a result of which the plane hit a slope at an altitude of about 4600 meters. The result of the tragedy was the death48 people. Another plane crash occurred in 1966. The situation was largely repeated: the board of the same company from India crashed in approximately the same place. This time, 117 people died, including both passengers and crew members.
