The Mont Blanc mountains is popular for trekking, hiking, skiing, and snowboarding. The name Mont-Blanc means White Mountain. The tallest mountain peak appears like a white pyramid of snow. Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and the highest in Europe after the Caucasus peaks.
About Mont Blanc
It is located in the French Alps on the border between Italy and France. It is actually owned by both countries under a bilateral agreement and is called Monte Bianco in Italy. Mont Blanc is so beautiful it just had to be shared. With approaches possible from France, Switzerland and Italy, it is a tripartite triumph of nature. A multinational massif.
The highest peak in Western Europe, it has seven main valleys feeding off it, all lying in its stupendous shadow. Mont Blanc’s summit at 4,810 meters is covered in snow and ice all year round, so when people talk about ‘doing Mont-Blanc’, they usually mean hiking the lower regions of it.
The Mont Blanc massif is being put forward as a potential World Heritage site because of its uniqueness and its cultural importance, considered the birthplace and symbol of modern mountaineering. It would require the three governments of Italy, France and Switzerland to make a request to UNESCO for it to be listed.
Geography of Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc is the roof of Europe. It towers over the heart of the Mont Blanc range of mountains and is the highest point of the Alps. Mont-Blanc is also the highest peak in Western Europe, which earned it the nickname of roof of Europe. It straddles across both France and Italy, south of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and northwest of Courmayeur.
Geology of the Mont Blanc Mountains
Snow, rock and ice. Mont Blanc is representative of the geology of the mountain range. It is located at the junction of two crystalline rock masses consisting of granite dating from the carboniferous period to the east and gneiss to the west. The summit itself, completely covered in snow, most definitely consists of gneiss.
Altitude of Mont Blanc
Wow, that’s high! For its tenth anniversary, the Mont Blanc measurement campaign, initiated in 2001 by the Upper-Savoy surveyors, established that the official elevation of the highest peak of the Alps was 4810.44 m on September 11, 2011.
Tour du Mont Blanc
The Tour du Mont Blanc is justifiably famous, but right across Italy, Switzerland, Austria and France there are remote mountain huts, hidden valleys, hanging glaciers and mountain cafés, which makes it one of the few places where you can fantasize about the ice cream and strudel awaiting you at the top of the pass with some hope that it will actually materialize.
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A cable car ascends and crosses the mountain range from Courmayeur to Chamonix, through the Col du Géant. It will take you directly to the Aiguille du Midi, and then there is the tramway from Saint Gervais which takes you to the Nid d’Aigl.
Best Time to Go to Mont Blanc
The best time to go to Mont Blanc for hiking and mountaineering is generally mid-June until mid-September. As with all mountain regions, the weather is unpredictable on and around Mont-Blanc. However, the good news is that weather watchers are on the case. With so many people wanting to enjoy the mountains for leisure purposes, there is a meteo machine at work to cater for them, with websites and apps galore. Most weather maps will show both the French and Italian sides of Mont Blanc, focusing on the Chamonix and Courmayeur respectively.
Most Mont Blanc mountain huts are open from mid-June until the first or second week in September, so this is as good a guide as you will get for the best time to go to Mont Blanc. It is advisable to reserve a bed, particularly in the high season of mid-July to mid-August.
Snowshoeing is lovely in January and February, when the Christmas crowds have dispersed. March and April it becomes the domain of the downhill skiers. We prefer snowshoeing and less impactful ways to see the white lady. October and November are not great for hiking as the days are getting shorter, and the weather more unpredictable.
Climbing Mont Blanc
The ascent of Mont Blanc is stuff of mountaineers. Mont-Blanc is the undisputed heavyweight of the Alps, and the highest peak in Western Europe by a margin of 500 feet. A huge white dome surrounded on all sides by thundering glaciers, huge alpine faces and some of the world’s most stunning alpine scenery.
The Mont-Blanc, long regarded as the culmination of a mountaineer’s career, has become over the years a bit of a consumer product. It has become necessary to restore its true value as an act of proper mountaineering to the ascent of this summit and redefine its different aspects: high altitude, physical commitment, essential skills, preparation. So that this ascent remains one of your most beautiful memories.
Caution
Mont Blanc is well known for its rapidly changing weather conditions and even if it’s hot and sunny they are still dangers. Warm temperatures can soften the snowpack, cause it to slide and expose the climbers to the dangers of avalanches.
The Mont Blanc Massif averages nearly 100 fatalities a year. A published estimate suggests there have been 6,000 to 8,000 alpinist fatalities in total, more than on any other mountain. Several classic climbing routes lead to the summit of Mont Blanc. This article helps you understand the two easiest routes to climb, two most common French routes – The Gouter aka Voie Royale & The Trois Monts.
This is one of those challenges of a lifetime, with the pinnacle of this highest peak in the Alps. Covered in snow and ice all year round, you do need climbing experience to take this one on. Before packing bags, you must know that climbing Mount Blanc would require a long list of equipment such as a long handle ice axe, harness, carabiners, crampons, raincoat and as well as plenty of layers to prepare you for the extreme cold and wind.
Enjoy your Travel!
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