La scoperta del Monte Bianco

Year: 2012 Pages: 248 “The discovery of Mont Blanc” by Horace Benedict de Saussure is one of the great classics of literature dedicated to mountaineering, with the novelty of a compelling reconstruction by Pietro Crivellaro which definitively resolves the case of the first ascent of Mont Blanc, a fundamental event in the history of mountaineering. For the first time, De Saussure's responsibility in the intrigue is documented, and it is revealed why the first climber, Doctor Paccard (ideally considered by historians Graham Brown, Gavin de Beer and Pietro Crivellaro to be the first true mountaineer), suffered in silence the false story. The “Voyages dans les Alpes”, proposed here in a version that can be enjoyed by a large audience, are the result of a meticulous and acute work of considerations linked to the explorations of the well-known sponsor, ante litteram, of the first ascent of Mont Blanc. Starting from 1760, the twenty-year-old De Saussure tirelessly explored, with the help of local guides, both sides of Mont Blanc animated by a great passion that was both scientific and adventurous. From Montenvert to Crammont, his observations and attempts would lay the foundations for the first ascent of the "giant" of the Alps, in 1786, by Paccard and Balmat; peak which - third in chronological order - he himself will manage to climb, leaving us the touching account of his unrepeatable experience. A text which, at the same time, is also a good opportunity for a historical comparison between environmental realities of great interest and fragility. The volume, enriched by the reproduction of some original plates from the main edition in 4 volumes (Neuchatel 1779-1786), contains an introductory essay by Pietro Crivellaro.