Horace Bénédict de Saussure and Jacques Balmat

Here stands the most iconic statue in downtown Chamonix. This famous bronze sculpture shows two explorers pointing towards the Mont Blanc. But do you actually know who they are? Many people think these are the first two men to climb the famous mountain, but that’s not quite right. While the man in the hat pointing toward the horizon is indeed Jacques Balmat, his companion isn’t Doctor Paccard, who actually made that very first expedition with him. Instead, it’s Horace Bénédict de Saussure, a Swiss scientist and professor at the University of Geneva. A passionate mountain lover, de Saussure first came to Chamonix in 1760 when he was just 20 years old. He made himself a promise then and there – to climb to the summit of this eternally snow-capped peak, which at that time fueled local superstitions and wild stories. In the meantime, he focused on studying botany, minerals, microscopy, and glaciology. Twenty-seven years later, his dream finally came true. Accompanied by 18 guides, including Balmat, he too was led to the summit of Mont Blanc – exactly one year after that very first ascent. Up there, he calculated the altitude and came up with 4,775 meters. That’s incredibly close to the modern measurement of 4,807 meters – quite remarkable for the time! By the way, Mont Blanc’s altitude actually shifts by a few meters constantly. So why does he deserve a statue right in the heart of the town? You can read on the base: “To Bénédict de Saussure, grateful Chamonix.”The idea for this statue came from a gentleman named Chenal, a politician from Savoy, who left 4,000 Piedmont pounds in his will in March 1834, asking that Chamonix honor the man who had done so much to make the town famous — notably through his writings. His book Travels in the Alps, translated into several languages, was a real bestseller that attracted countless curious visitors and cast a lasting spotlight on the valley. Still, it wasn’t until 1883 that the French Alpine Club took on the project, and it took four more years before sculptor Salmson’s work was finally unveiled in the town center. Today, frozen in bronze, Balmat and Saussure continue gazing toward the summit that made them famous. This statue embodies the pioneering spirit that shaped Chamonix – the meeting of the local mountain guide and the visionary scientist. More than just a monument, it tells the story of human conquest that transformed an isolated valley into the world capital of mountaineering, reminding the thousands of visitors who photograph it each year that great adventures always begin with a finger pointed toward the impossible.