Alpine peaks

Sporty summits

Named for the tallest peak in the European Union, the Mont Blanc massif consists of eleven summits straddling the tripoint of France, Italy and Switzerland. The first recorded ascent of Mont Blanc itself was in 1786, by a team based here in the Chamonix region of France—a feat that pioneered mountaineering as a popular sport. More than a century later in 1924, Chamonix made another mark on history as host of the first-ever Winter Olympics, a snowy success that gave winter sports a big boost on the global stage.