FRANCE, Reuter: Two mountain guides today set off to climb Mont Blanc dressed in 18th Century clothes as part of celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the first ascent of Europe’s highest peak.
The guides will climb along the same route used by Michel Gabriel Packard, a doctor from this French. Alpine town and his guide Jacques Balm at, who reached the peak on August 8, 1786.
Aside from the addition of small crampons to their shoes, they are wearing clothes identical to those used 200 years ago and have no modem equipment such as ice axes.
The first ascent of Mont Blanc followed decades of failures and put to rest the myth that monsters inhabited the dangerous upper reaches of the ALPS.
But the peak bas lost none of its hazards and still maintains its reputations Killer Mountain, claiming 14 lives so far this month, Forty-five climbers died last year.
Unusually warm weather this summer has made the mountain particularly dangerous, with melting snow and ice triggering a series of avalanches on the French and Italian sides.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 15, 1986
