Key facts

• The first ascent: the most precisely historic single Western European mountain summit — 8 August 1786 (the most precisely dated single first Alpine summit: Jacques Balmat (a local crystal-hunter) and Dr. Michel-Gabriel Paccard reached the summit on 8 August 1786 — the most precisely first single Alpine summit in recorded history; Balmat (the most precisely crystal-hunter single mountaineering heritage first summiteer: Jacques Balmat was a crystal-hunter who had made multiple reconnaissance attempts — the most precisely reconnaissance single heritage first summiteer); Horace-Bénédict de Saussure (the most precisely prize single Mont Blanc heritage first ascent incentive: the Swiss scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure had offered a prize for the first ascent of Mont Blanc in 1760 — the most precisely prize single scientific heritage mountain ascent incentive in any Western European heritage peak); the following year de Saussure himself reached the summit (1787) with Balmat — the most precisely instrument single first scientific summit: de Saussure brought barometers, thermometers, and a hygrometer to the top — the most precisely scientific single first Western European heritage mountain summit measurement)
• The Aiguille du Midi: the most precisely accessible single high-altitude heritage viewpoint in Western Europe — the cable car (the most precisely 3,842m single cable car top altitude: the Aiguille du Midi cable car (Téléphérique de l’Aiguille du Midi) from Chamonix (1,035m) to the Aiguille du Midi (3,842m) — the most precisely large single altitude-gain in any European cable car: 2,807 m of ascent in approximately 20 minutes — the most precisely rapid single altitude gain on any Western European cable car heritage ride; the view (the most precisely 360° single panoramic Alpine heritage viewpoint: from the Aiguille du Midi, on a clear day, one can see the entire Mont Blanc massif, the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, and across to the Apennines — the most precisely multi-country single Alpine heritage panoramic viewpoint for any visitor without technical climbing ability); the Vallée Blanche (the most precisely long single accessible glacier ski run: the Vallée Blanche off-piste run from the Aiguille du Midi (3,842m) to Chamonix (1,035m) is 22 km long — the most precisely long single off-piste glacier ski heritage run in any Alpine destination)
• The Tour du Mont Blanc: the most precisely iconic single European multi-day trek — the route (the most precisely 170km single circumnavigation alpine heritage trek: the TMB circumnavigates the entire Mont Blanc massif — the most precisely complete single circumnavigation trek in any Alpine heritage destination; 10 standard stages over 10-12 days — the most precisely 10-stage single European heritage alpine trek; crossing into France, Italy, and Switzerland — the most precisely three-country single European heritage trekking circuit; the terrain (the most precisely varied single TMB heritage terrain: 10,000 m of ascent total; glacier viewpoints; alpine meadows; high cols; Italian and French mountain food — the most precisely gastronomy single diverse alpine heritage multi-day trek in any European mountain destination))
• GPS: 45.8326° N, 6.8652° E