The Mont Blanc Massif is a true classic, an iconic mountaineering work of art. In it, Gaston Rebuffat - one of the finest mountaineers of his generation - presents his 100 greatest climbs in the Mont Blanc range, the finest and most accessible alpine climbing area in the world. This celebrated large-format guidebook remains the classic coffee-table guide to the greatest range in the Alps. As inspirational as it is informative, this book contains both beautiful photos and clear topos, thoroughly exciting writing and concise route directions. Its inspiring commentary has encouraged countless novice mountaineers and its wide spread of routes has sent numerous experienced alpinists out on new climbs. This latest edition contains many additional historical notes and photos and also advice on previous training areas that are no longer useful as a result of climate change. An alternative route is added to replace the celebrated Bonatti Pillar of the Dru that collapsed in June 2005. That the book remains as popular as ever, 20 years after the author's death, is a testament to Rebuffat and clear proof of the book's enduring relevance.

Author Biography

Gaston Rebuffat was born in Marseille, France in 1921 and died of cancer in Paris in 1985. He was one of the greatest French climbers in the mid-20th century. He began to climb aged 14 on his home crags, the soaring limestone cliffs at the Calenques along the Mediterranean shore and Mont Sainte-Victoire. Every summer he migrated north to climb in the Alps above Chamonix. Rebuffat became the first climber to ascend the six great north faces of the Alps. He was also a key member on the 1950 French expedition that climbed Annapurna, the first 8,000-metre peak ever climbed. Over his 50-year climbing career, he made over a thousand first ascents, including many in the Mont Blanc massif. Besides being a prolific climber, Gaston Rebuffat became a foremost mountaineering writer, despite having a very minimal formal education He wrote 20 books, wrote a regular climbing column for Le Monde newspaper, started his own publishing house in Geneva, and wrote and narrated several award-winning films.