History and Culture
Not only are these mountains exceptionally beautiful and of inspiring quality for climbing, the history and culture here add to the pleasure and intrigue of your visit.

Visit the Willisch Iron works in the Zermatt Valley and order a personally hand forged ice axe for you from a 4 th generation ice axe maker, Mr. Willisch. These axes are still seen on the Matterhorn in the hands of the local Zermatt mountain guides.

The culture of climbing began here, and Chamonix and its environs remain the epicenter of Alpinism to this day. The explorers Windham and Peacocke first visited the Chamonix glaciers in 1741. The reports they sent back to Geneva and London quickly attracted the first tourists and alpinists. In 1760 Horace-Benedict de Saussure came from Geneva to see Mt. Blanc close up. He left entranced by the mountain and offered a reward for the first climber to reach its summit.



It was more than a quarter-century later, however, that de Saussure's challenge was met. Dr. Michel Paccard and Jacques Balmat, a local Chamonix doctor and an eager hunter and crystal-gatherer reached the summit of Mt. Blanc on August 8, 1786 . Thus began alpinism as we know it. Local hunters and crystal-gatherers like Balmat acted as the first mountain guides and teamed up with British aristocrats and adventurers all over the Alps.

Being one of the most explored ranges in the world has its advantages. There are a multitude of routes to choose from for all different climbing abilities, frompure beginner to seasoned mountaineer. The choice of climbing style and terrain is equally wide: snow, ice, rock, granite, limestone, glaciated, non-glaciated—or a combination of these. Whether you prefer cruising high above the glacier on dry, sunny golden granite in rock shoes, or scratching up a north face in crampons and swinging tools there is truly something for every one.

Alpine climbing combines perfectly with civilized living. The day-climber is whisked high into the mountains by a tram in the morning and delivered back to town in the afternoon, before the thunder clouds have had a chance to build up. The evening brings a hearty raclette or fondue at an outdoor café as the sun sets behind the Mt. Blanc range and the “alpenglow” shimmers on its peaks. Rather than waste time and effort on long approaches and knee bashing descents, day-tours can focus on quality alpine routes each day.