The Mont Blanc Guides

Take a moment here to look more closely at the trompe-l’oeil facade that covers the entire side of the building. This 180-square-meter mural, created in 2010 by street artist “A-Fresco,” pays tribute to those who shaped the history of mountaineering in Chamonix. You’ll meet 20 historical figures posing around the first Guides Bureau from 1821. So, let’s make some introductions! Ladies first! Look up to the top floor. Alone at her window stands Marie Paradis, the first woman to climb Mont Blanc, guided by Jacques Balmat on July 14, 1808. On the second floor, on the left balcony, meet the first two men to attempt the ascent of this snowy giant in 1786: Michel-Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat. Beside them, mountaineer Henriette d’Angeville, the second woman to reach the summit in 1838. On the right balcony are two scientists: physicist Horace Bénédict de Saussure and astronomer-geographer Joseph Vallot, who both climbed the mountain to conduct experiments that were groundbreaking for their time. On the first floor are the great figures of the 20th century. Far left is guide Straton, alongside Alfred Couttet, nicknamed “Couttet Champion,” a pioneer of skiing and climbing techniques. At the center stands Louis Lachenal, who made history in 1950 by climbing Annapurna — the first 8,000-meter peak ever conquered. With hands in his pockets and tousled hair, you’ll recognize Roger Frison-Roche, guide and explorer, but also author of the famous novel “First on the Rope.” And on the far right is René Claret-Tournier with 530 ascents of Mont Blanc to his credit, accompanied by difficult route specialist Armand Charlet. As for the man you see hanging under the balcony, that’s Gaston Rébuffat, the mountaineer-filmmaker. Finally, at ground level, in front of the bureau, you’ll find some historical figures like Michel Croz, legendary Chamonix guide of the 19th century, who died during the first ascent of the Matterhorn. Or François Devouassoud, pioneer of international mountaineering, who accompanied the first expeditions in the Alps, but also in the Caucasus and Himalayas. If you want to know more, look for the explanatory panel on the square. It locates each character and gives you a short biography. Each of them contributed in their own way to writing the legend of Chamonix and inspiring mountaineers around the world.