Mont Blanc
Seen from Mont Blanc from Valmorel
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The Mont Blanc [ mõblɑ ] (Italian Monte Bianco [ ˌ montebi̯aŋko ], both white mountain ') between France and Italy, with 4810 m the highest mountain in the Alps and the EU. Whether this or the Elbrus ( 5642 m ) is the highest mountain in Europe in the Caucasus depends on the definition of intra- Eurasian border.
Location
The Mont Blanc is in the Mont Blanc Range, a mountain range of the Western Alps, which in turn is subsumed under the non-uniform Graian or the Savoy Alps.
Both France and Italy have interest in the mountain, where the boundary line on the Mont Blanc has long been controversial. So France claimed the summit region of Mont Blanc on the French department of Haute- Savoie, which also takes over the mountain rescue service and administration. On the other hand is represented by Italy considered that the limit is proceeding exactly on the summit. Thus, the Mont Blanc would be after an Italian perspective, both the highest mountain in France and Italy, according to the French point of view, however, the upstream Mont Blanc de Courmayeur would be ( 4748 m) the highest mountain in Italy.
In the north of Mont Blanc, the valley of the Arve is the tourist center of Chamonix. This place is also one of the most important bases for the ascent of the mountain. In the northwest are with Saint- Gervais- les -Bains, Les Houches two other important starting points for tours on Mont Blanc, in the southeast of the Italian town of Courmayeur in the Aosta valley.
Topography
The Mont Blanc is made of granite and has two very different faces: In the north it is rotund and almost completely glaciated, from the south, he appears as a prominent outcrop of rock with steep walls. To the northwest he sends the Bossesgrat toward the behind the saddle Col du Dôme Dôme du Goûter ( 4303 m) and the Aiguille du Goûter ( 3863 m), to the northeast the Connection Ridge unto the footmen Mont Maudit and Mont Blanc du Tacul. To the south run two wild rocky ridges that extend down over 3500 meters in altitude up to Italy's Val Veny Brouillardgrat (in the west ) and the Peutereygrat (in the east ), along with the shorter Innominatagrat and the three Frêneypfeiler ( from left to right Harlinpfeiler, central Frêneypfeiler, Gervasuttipfeiler ).
The Mont Blanc is heavily glaciated due to its altitude and high rainfall. The effluent from the Mont Blanc glaciers reach the Italian south side of the flat valley floor, with the particularity that its scope is hardly shrunk over the past 150 years ( Glacier / Ghiacciaio de Miage Glacier / Ghiacciaio de / della Brenva ). On the French north side of the Glacier des Bossons from the peak flows up to 1420 meters down (2007) and thus also reaches almost the valley floor. The resulting difference in altitude of 3390 meters, is the largest of a glacier overcome height difference in the Alps.
The highest peaks of the Alps is one of the ( topographic) most prominent mountains at all. His saddle height of 4697 m is surpassed only by ten summits around the world. Its 113 m high altitude prominence saddle ( nick reference ) is located near the northern Russian Kubenasees. If you want to achieve a higher and more prominent mountain on this saddle without dismounting again deeper, you get to Mount Everest, which is the same as Prominence master and Iceland Parent respect for the mountain Mont Blanc. The next higher mountains are, however, in the Caucasus. The Kjukjurtlju is dominance relation for mountain Mont Blanc.
Height
Since the summit consists of firn and ice, its amount and form natural fluctuations weather and seasonal nature is subject. Overall, however, it is relatively stable compared to other Firngipfeln.
The height of the highest rock point on Mont Blanc is by measurements of the Laboratoire de glaciology et de l' Environnement Géophysique ( LGGE ) of the CNRS Grenoble, together with the ETH Zurich in 2004 at an altitude of 4792 m. About this point, then a 14-meter thick firn and ice was measured.
The Firngipfel of the mountain, however, is not directly above this point, but to the west of where the Firnbedeckung is thicker. Its location changed due to the weather, so he wandered by about 26 meters to the east around the years 2007 to 2009. His height varies: So ( IGN) 4808.4 m were about in the first GPS measurement by the French surveying Administration Institute Geographical location nationally in 2001 measured. 2007 came to the Montblanc almost 4811 m, 2009 m 4810.45 were measured. The height of Mont Blanc is therefore listed as often different. In official maps for a long time was recorded a height of 4807 m, which has since been adjusted to 4810 m.
Geology, climate, flora and fauna
Highest mountain in Europe?
The question of whether the Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Europe, and thus one of the Seven Summits, depends on the course of not clearly defined Inner Eurasian border from: If the watershed of the main ridge of the Caucasus regarded as the boundary between the continents, the Elbrus are ( 5642 m) and several other Caucasus summit in Europe and thus represent the highest elevations of the continent, however, the dar. Manytsch depression is viewed as a boundary, these mountains are in Asia, with which the Montblanc would be the highest mountain in Europe. In most of the Elbrus climbers circles is seen as the highest mountain in Europe today.
Way to the summit
The today most frequented increase, the normal route, leading from the northwest side of the Aiguille du Goûter and the Dôme du Goûter to the summit. A common starting point of this route is the vantage point Nid d' Aigle ( Eagle's Nest ), the terminus of the funicular Tramway du Mont Blanc at 2386 m. As the bases refuges Refuge de la Tête Rousse Refuge du Goûter can be availed. From the Col du Dôme of the way across the bivouac Abri de Vallot ( 4362 m), below which a small observatory is located, and the Bossesgrat leads to the summit.
Another popular way is that of the reachable by cable car Aiguille du Midi ( 3842 m), and the tabernacle of the Cosmiques Refuge ( 3613 m) on the Mont Blanc du Tacul and Mont Maudit. This tour is usually conducted in the form of exceeding the Refuge du Goûter.
The route via the Refuge des Grands Mulets ( 3051 m) and the Col du Dôme is often celebrated as the descent variant or a ski tour in the spring. A variant via the north ridge of the Dôme du Goûter.
Another way of France to that of Les Contamines-Montjoie with exceeding the Domes de Miage, the Aiguille de Bionnassay and the Dome du Goûter overnight in the huts of the Refuge and Refuge Conscrits Durier, a noted increase from the Italian side via the Miage and the Rifugio Francesco Gonella ( 3071 m).
In addition to these relatively slight ascents there are several partially extremely difficult rock and Eiskletterrouten.
History
Preliminary investigations
The Mont Blanc was first mentioned in 1581 as Les Glaciers. In 1606 he was listed with its glaciers for the first time in a map. In this he is referred to as " Montagne Maudite " ( Accursed Mountains ), a name that later went over to the neighboring summit of Mont Maudit. First surveys in 1727 showed a height of 4276 m, in 1745 he was designated by the Geneva researchers as Europe's highest mountain.
1741 became the Mont- Blanc massif through the explorations of Richard Pococke and William Windham first Europe-wide notoriety. However, serious summit attempts did not come into being because of the mountain in the popular belief was still considered " Cursed Mountain" and be entering an extremely dangerous in folk tales dragons, ghosts, and punished for their pride cities were under its glaciers suspected.
1760 came the Geneva naturalist Horace Bénédict de Saussure first time to Chamonix and praised a reward for the first ascent of Mont Blanc. The focus of interest at that time were scientific issues and less athletic goals. Marc Théodore Bourrit then tried several times to reach the summit, but failed. His travelogues, however, contributed significantly to the growing reputation of the mountain. Until 1774 further tests, including Saussure himself took place, with different increases of the (later) French side, but also on the valdostani people from been tried. 1775 reached a group with the doctor Michel -Gabriel Paccard and the crystal viewfinder Jacques Balmat, both from Chamonix, the first time the 4000 m high Grand Plateau northwest of the mountain. To 1783 was not followed by serious attempts in 1784 reached the mountain guide Jean -Marie Couttet and hunters Cuidet Dôme du Goûter. In the following years has been vigorously debated whether the route of Saint- Gervais on the Aiguille du Goûter or the increase of Chamonix over the Bossongletscher was better. On the Saint- Gervais- route the first alpine refuge of the Alps was built in 1785 at the Pierre Ronde.
On June 8, 1786 rose two groups, one of Saint- Gervais and Chamonix, at the Col du Dôme, the saddle between Mont Blanc and Dôme du Goûter and met there. Jacques Balmat, who had joined the unasked group of Chamonix, was isolated in an attempt to find another way across the Bossesgrat from the others and had to deal with rudimentary equipment at 4000 m altitude near the Grand bivouac plateau. Until then, all summit attempts had been tried by relatively low altitudes, because they had maintained nights on the glacier, also for reasons of superstition, not possible; Balmats successful first Glacier bivouac at high altitude refuted this opinion.
First ascent
On August 7, 1786, Jacques Balmat and Michel -Gabriel Paccard departed from Chamonix and stayed at the Gîte à Balmat, a rock formation near the Bossonsgletscher to about 2300 m. The next day they went from 4 clock in the morning on the glacier break Jonction, the Grands Mulets, the Grand Plateau and the northern flank of the Mont Blanc. At 18:23 clock as they reached the summit first.
The derived from the Saxon Upper Lusatia nobles Adolf Traugott von Gersdorff and Karl Andreas Meyer to Knonow who were at this time on a research trip in Chamonix, were eyewitnesses to the first ascent. Both produced drawings of Erstbesteigungsroute. Gersdorff held beyond a detailed report in his travel diary firmly. These significant for the history of alpinism products are now kept in the Museum of Cultural History Görlitz and the Oberlausitzischen science library to Görlitz.
Today, the first ascent of Mont Blanc as one of the birth times of modern alpinism and expression of dwindling fear of the people against the dangers of the mountains and a ( partially transfigured ) turn to nature in the Rococo is seen.
Other ascents
1787 rose Balmat with another group for the second time on the mountain, on August 3, he led in the course of the third ascent Horace Saussure on the summit, which also conducted scientific experiments there.
Marie Paradis in 1808 ascended the first woman to the mountain, but was thereby partially supported by Jacques Balmat. Through its own efforts could finally reach the summit Henriette d' Angeville.
On July 18, 1861 mountain guide, Johann Josef Benet ( 1824-1864 ) stone house managed jointly with Leslie Stephen and FF Tuckett with Melchior Anderegg and Peter Perren, the first ascent of Mont Blanc on today's normal route, which had been committed to the Col du Dôme in 1784 by Cuttet and Cuidet.
In the 60s of the 19th century, the sporting aspect won at the climbing in importance. Thus, the record for the route Chamonix -Mont- Blanc Chamonix was reduced (via the Gouter route) 1865-1868 of 16 hours to 8:48 hours. The current record of Kilian Jornet in the year 2013 is at 4:57 hours, the record on skis presented Stéphane Brosse and Pierre Gignoux 2003, 5:15 hours.
Gallery
North face of Mont Blanc, taken at Col de l' Index ( 2420 m)
Montblanc seen from the Brevent from
Seen Dôme du Goûter from Gare des Glaciers from
Mont Blanc from from Wallis
The Mont Blanc seen from the Kalkhochfläche of " Désert de Platé "
The eastern flank of the Mont Blanc, Mont Maudits and of Mont Blanc du Taculs of the terrace on the summit area of the Aiguille du Midi
The Mont Blanc photographed from an airplane, west side