Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising 4,807.81 m (15,774 ft) above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and it is the eleventh most prominent mountain summit in the world. The mountain stands between the regions of Aosta Valley, Italy, and Savoie and Haute-Savoie, France. It gives its name to the Mont Blanc massif, bordering Switzerland and forming part of a larger range referred to as the Graian Alps. The location of the summit of Mont Blanc is on the watershed line between the valleys of Ferret and Veny in Italy and the valleys of Montjoie, and Arve in France, on the border between the two countries. Ownership of the summit area has long been a subject of historical dispute between the two countries.
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2017, it had a population of 8,611.
The Matterhorn is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, whose summit is 4,478 metres (14,692 ft) high, making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points and are split by the Hörnli, Furggen, Leone/Lion, and Zmutt ridges. The mountain overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt, in the canton of Valais, to the north-east and the Italian town of Breuil-Cervinia in the Aosta Valley to the south. Just east of the Matterhorn is Theodul Pass, the main passage between the two valleys on its north and south sides, which has been a trade route since the Roman Era.
Argentière is a picturesque skiing, alpine walking and mountaineering village in the French Alps, part of the commune of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, at an altitude of 1,252 m (4,108 ft).
The Aiguille du Midi is a 3,842-metre-tall (12,605 ft) mountain in the Mont Blanc massif within the French Alps. It is a popular tourist destination and can be directly accessed by cable car from Chamonix that takes visitors close to Mont Blanc.
The Mont Blanc massif is a mountain range in the Alps, located mostly in France and Italy, but also straddling Switzerland at its northeastern end. It contains eleven major independent summits, each over 4,000 metres (13,123 ft) in height. It is named after Mont Blanc, the highest point in western Europe and the European Union. Because of its considerable overall altitude, a large proportion of the massif is covered by glaciers, which include the Mer de Glace and the Miage Glacier – the longest glaciers in France and Italy, respectively.
The Bertol Hut is a mountain hut overlooking the Bertol Pass, south of Arolla in the Swiss canton of Valais. It is known for its precarious position on a ridge at 3,311 metres (10,863 ft) south of the Pointe de Bertol and is accessed by a number of fixed ladders and chains from the glacier pass. All accesses to the hut involve glacier crossing. On its east side it overlooks the large plateau of the Mont Miné Glacier.
Arolla is a village in the municipality of Evolène in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
The Tour du Mont Blanc or TMB is one of the most popular long-distance walks in Europe. It circles the Mont Blanc massif, covering a distance of roughly 170 kilometres (110 mi) with 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) of ascent/descent and passing through parts of Switzerland, Italy and France.
Col de la Forclaz is a mountain pass in the Alps in the Canton of Valais in Switzerland. It connects Martigny at 471 m (1,545 ft) and Le Châtelard (Finhaut). The road from Martigny to the Col has an average gradient of 6% but in parts is closer to 8%. After the Col, and Le Châtelard, the road leads to Chamonix in France via Vallorcine and the Col des Montets.
The Trient hut is a mountain hut in the Swiss alps, near the Swiss town of Martigny and the French town of Chamonix. The hut sits at an altitude of 3,170 m (10,400 ft), on a rock perched above the Trient Glacier. It can be reached on foot by mountaineers and strong hikers with experience of glacier travel. From the hut you can walk to the Albert Premier and Argentière huts in France, as well as the Cabane de Saleina (Switzerland) at the foot of the Aiguille d'Argentière. The hut is run by the SAC, the Swiss Alpine Club, and has 130 beds. It is a popular base for mountaineers exploring the area, e.g. Aiguille du Tour etc.
Michel Auguste Croz was a French mountain guide and the first ascentionist of many mountains in the western Alps during the golden age of alpinism. He is chiefly remembered for his death on the first ascent of the Matterhorn and for his climbing partnership with Edward Whymper.
The Albert Premier Hut, sometimes known as Albert 1er is located on the Haute Route between Chamonix, France and Zermatt, Switzerland. It is at 2,702 metres (8,865 ft) above sea level. It is a popular hut with day hikers because of the short hike and beautiful views, like those into Chamonix Valley. The hut is usually used less by hikers attempting the entire Haute Route, but is popular as a base for climbers attempting the Aiguille du Chardonnet and the Aiguille du Tour.
Tête Blanche is a mountain of the Pennine Alps on the Swiss-Italian border. Its summit is the tripoint between the valleys of Hérens, Mattertal and Valpelline, thus forming the linguistic tri-point between French, German, and Italian-speaking areas.
The Aiguilles Dorées are a multi-summited mountain of the Mont Blanc massif, overlooking the Plateau du Trient in the canton of Valais. They lie east of the Petite Fourche, on the range between the glaciers of Trient and Saleina.
Val Ferret is the name shared by two valleys separated by the Col Ferret, a pass on the border between Italy and Switzerland. The valleys lie southeast of Mont Blanc Massif. The Swiss valley drains northeast towards Orsières and on into the Rhône basin; whereas the Italian valley drains southwest towards Courmayeur and on into the Po basin.
The Saleina Glacier is a 6 km (3.7 mi) long glacier (2002) situated on the north-eastern edge of the Mont Blanc Massif in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It flows in a roughly north-easterly direction from the Aiguille d'Argentière, down towards the Val Ferret. The Saleina Hut sits above its right bank at an altitude of 2,691 meters above sea level.
The Vignettes Hut is an alpine hut, located south of Arolla in the Swiss canton of Valais. It lies at a height of 3,160 metres above sea level, at the foot of the Pigne d'Arolla and near the Col de Chermotane in the Pennine Alps. All accesses to the hut involve glacier crossing.
The Aiguille du Chardonnet is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in Haute-Savoie, France. It lies between the Glacier du Tour and the Argentière Glacier. The border with Switzerland runs just east of the summit. The East or Forbes Arete provides a popular and classic mountaineering route to the summit.
The Col de Chermotane is an Alpine pass located in the Swiss canton of Valais. With an elevation of 3,037 metres above sea level, the Col de Chermotane is the lowest pass between the valleys of Bagnes and Hérens. The pass lies a few kilometres north of the main chain of the Alps and is covered by the Otemma Glacier. It connects Chanrion to Arolla, both in the upper part of their valley.
