Mont-Blanc 
Mont-Blanc (4,807m/15,772ft), the highest peak in the Alps, over which the French-Italian frontier runs, was first climbed in 1786 by a village doctor named Michel Paccard with Jacques Balmat of Chamonix, and in the following year by the scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure with Balmat and 16 porters. To experienced climbers with a guide the climb offers no particular difficulties, but it is extremely strenuous.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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From Les Houches the climb takes 10-12 hrs, taking the cabin cableway to the Pavillon de Bellevue and the "Tramway du Mont-Blanc" to the Glacier de Bionnassay and continuing on foot to the Chalet-Hôtel de Tête-Rousse (3,167m/10,391ft; 2 hrs). From there it is 3 hrs to the Refuge de l'Aigle du Gôter (3,817m/12,524ft), and another five hours to the summit. The fantastic panorama which can be enjoyed from the summit rewards the effort of the climb.
Of great importance to tourist traffic is the Mont Blanc road tunnel, constructed in 1958-1964. It begins above the hamlet of Les Pèlerins at an altitude of 1,274m/4,180ft and runs through the mountain for a distance of 11.6km/7.25mi to Entrèves (1,381m/4,531ft). The tunnel (toll charge), which is open all year round, shortens the distance from northern and central France and western Switzerland into Italy during the period when the high Alpine passes are closed (October- June) by several hundred kilometers.
Of great importance to tourist traffic is the Mont Blanc road tunnel, constructed in 1958-1964. It begins above the hamlet of Les Pèlerins at an altitude of 1,274m/4,180ft and runs through the mountain for a distance of 11.6km/7.25mi to Entrèves (1,381m/4,531ft). The tunnel (toll charge), which is open all year round, shortens the distance from northern and central France and western Switzerland into Italy during the period when the high Alpine passes are closed (October- June) by several hundred kilometers.
