MONT BLANC: We Didn’t See THIS Coming! 🤯❄️

MONT BLANC: We Didn’t See THIS Coming! 🤯❄️

Welcome to Chamonix, France. Today we are 
going up to the Mer de Glace Glacier. So, it should be a very fun journey. We were 
going to go up to the top of Mont Blanc, but for some reason it’s closed today. I have 
no idea. But there is the mountain way up there. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Take a walk. Take a walk. [Music] Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in 
Western Europe, rising to a staggering 15,771 ft. It straddles the borders of France, Italy, and 
Switzerland, and attracts over 20,000 climbers every year. But what most tourists don’t 
realize is that this peak has one of the highest death tolls in the Alps. Roughly 100 
people die here annually due to avalanches, sudden storms, and a notorious stretch called 
the Gouta Quoyer, nicknamed the corer of death because of the constant falling rocks. Despite 
the risks, this mountain has become kind of a right of passage for mountaineers all around the 
world. And it’s not just about climbing. Skiers take on the Valet Blanch, a 12mile off-piece 
route that starts from the Egil Dumi, a cable car station perched at 12,605 ft. The run goes 
through towering ice walls and massive creasses, offering views that look straight out of 
her survival documentary. Mop block has been a stage for both triumphant ascents and crazy 
survival stories. One particularly crazy incident occurred in 1999 when two British climbers after 
conquering the formidable Northface of Lewits, a peak adjacent to Mount Blancc became trapped 
by a violent storm. Exposed to relentless snow and crazy winds, they actually endured 4 days 
in freezing conditions, teetering on the brink of survival. Their rescue was really a testament 
to the unforgiving conditions and nature of Mont Blancc itself and the resilience required to 
navigate its challenges and a lot of it is just like luck I guess if you don’t get toppled 
by rocks or an a one of the craziest things that I’m personally afraid of is falling into a 
creass and it seems like that is something you can’t really predict. Me and Sophia both want to 
climb really challenging mountains in the future, but when there’s this aspect of avalanches 
or rockfall and you really can’t predict it, that’s where it gets really scary. One other story 
I will tell has to do with some tragic outcomes. In 2009, renowned British climber Rob Gauntlet, 
who previously became the youngest Brighton to summit Everest, embarked on an ascent of Mont 
Blanc with three companions. Unfortunately, Gauntlet and his friend James perished during 
the climb, underscoring the unpredictableness and often lethal conditions that can arise even the 
most experienced mountain climbers can’t predict. [Music] As you can see, there isn’t really much of a 
glacier left, knowing that this whole field used to be a glacier. It’s basically 
all just rock at this point. Yeah. So, pretty sad to see, but I can’t wait 
to see what is left of it. Our [Music] journey began with the historic Montenever’s 
Railway, a charming red cog wheel train that has been transporting visitors since 1909. Departing 
from Shamine at an elevation of 3,396 feet, the train ascends to the Montenever station 
at 6,276 feet in approximately 20 minutes. The fair for this round trip, including access to the 
gondola and ice cave, is 39.50uro for adults and 3360 for children and seniors. For those planning 
a visit, the SE operates daily with varying hours depending on the season. As of April 9th, 2025, 
the operating hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p. p.m. with the last sent up to the station at 4:30 
p.m. and the last descent down to Sham at 5:00 p.m. Trains run every hour and every 30 minutes 
depending on traffic. It’s advisable to check the official website for the most current information 
as schedules can change due to weather conditions or maintenance. Upon reaching Montembers, we 
boarded the newly inaugurated Mardiglass Gondola, a 23 million euro investment unveiled in December 
of 2023. This state-of-the-art lift replaces the previous system, significantly reducing the 
physical demand on visitors. The gondola descends from approximately 656 ft to the glacier surface, 
offering panoramic views of the surrounding alpine landscape. Getting off the gondola, we face a 
descent at around 170 steps to access the renowned Grot de Glass or ice cave. Carved a new each year 
due to the glacier’s movement approximately 230 ft annually. The cave features a mesmerizing 
array of ice sculptures and illuminated chambers providing surreal experience beneath the 
glacier surface. Basically, what we didn’t know, we’re back at the entrance of Martiglos. And 
martiglass basically just means sea of ice. And it basically retreats about 300 ft per year. So 
that means that they have to dig a new cave every single year for visitors to see. And if you, you 
know, look at that stone up there, that’s where the glacier used to be. So it’s definitely crazy. 
300 ft per year. So basically they need to just keep digging new sections due to it like being 
unsafe because obviously if the ceiling was really thin then you know stuff could like cave in. So 
they just have to keep going deeper to keep the structural integrity of this place. The glaciers 
rapid melting has led to significant changes in the landscape. For instance in 1958 visitors 
access the ice cave via just three steps. By 2019, this had increased to 580 steps due to the 
glacials retreat, which is the complete reason why they added that $23 million euro gondola in 
2024, just because originally you could go up and just take three steps and you’re there. But now 
you have to take a 10-minute gondola ride all the way down just to get to the bottom of this glacier 
when it used to be way up there. Clearly we know that drilling into ice and drilling into glaciers 
especially does give you access to like you know years of data especially with like how the 
glaciers were melting, how they were moving. We see a lot of like rocks and dirt and so much going 
on within these glaciers but around 4 months per year workers spend drilling in a new cave in this 
glacier seems really counterintuitive. putting all of these different things in here talking about 
climate change and how the glaciers rapid decay is going and then yet you just installed the 23 
million euro gondola and and that installation and that huge project clearly just means that they 
plan on continuing trilling into this glacier. So you see what I mean? It looks like there 
might be a new project right there that’s clearly deeper and there’s all these like 
excavating tools. So yeah, just really sad, but this is such a cool place. Overall, 
it’s crucial to note the impact of climate change on the Murda Glass. The glacier has been 
retreating at an alarming rate, losing more than 328 ft in length since 1991. Some projections 
suggest that without significant intervention, the glacier may no longer be visible from the 
Monteor station all the way up there by 2050. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey, hey. [Music] [Applause] 
[Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Hey, heat. Hey, heat. 
[Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] Do the mountain dance. Do the mountain dance. 
Do the mountain dance. Dude, you’re definitely not supposed to fill up the water. You’re 
not supposed to fill the water up there. I don’t know what made me think. I don’t know what made me think that was okay to do. 
That’s such an American thing to do.

📺 New here? Watch our FULL 97-DAY BACKPACKING SERIES across Europe!
➡️ Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3-HRmvMN2u3u1w3Cu3Wru5GCIjE-r4gi&si=PWzn2MkIUKNxnIax

Mont Blanc. The roof of Europe. The kind of place that doesn’t just take your breath away — it holds it hostage. In today’s cinematic travel episode, I head to one of the most legendary mountains on earth, where three countries collide and the air tastes like sky. We ride one of the highest vertical cable cars in the world, walk across metal platforms thousands of feet in the air, and stare straight into the heart of the Alps from Aiguille du Midi. This isn’t just sightseeing — it’s a full-body experience.

Chamonix sits at Mont Blanc’s feet, but today we go above it all — through swirling clouds, over ancient glaciers, and into some of the most extreme elevation I’ve ever filmed. I’ll show you the exact steps to reach the summit platforms, share a few wild facts about the Mont Blanc massif, and talk about how this place shaped the entire mountaineering world. Whether you’re planning a trip to France, Switzerland, or Italy — or you just want to experience what it feels like to be 12,600+ feet up — this is the Mont Blanc dream, in full 4K.

🌍 The 3 BEST Products I Used During 3 Months of Backpacking Europe

👟 Brooks Glycerin Max (Women’s)
These saved my feet on 20K-step days. Ridiculously cushioned, breathable, and perfect for walking-heavy cities or trail days.
👉 https://www.brooksrunning.com/it_it/donna/scarpe-da-corsa-su-strada/glycerin-max/120436.html?dwvar_120436_color=118

🧥 REI Co-op Rainier Jacket (Men’s)
Super lightweight, folds up small, and fully waterproof. From misty mountains to sudden city storms, this jacket was clutch.
👉 https://www.rei.com/product/227570/rei-co-op-rainier-rain-jacket-mens

🎒 Osprey Fairview 55L Backpack
Carry-on size, detachable daypack, and built like a tank. Ideal for hostel-hopping and train travel across Europe.
👉 https://www.osprey.com/it/osprey-fairview-55-f22?srsltid=AfmBOooVna9jl5GWrY0i-JOdT-SlhoYE8nBJz98DA_hXkpPlnmR3G9GK&size=One+Siz

📍Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:34 Riding Montenvers Train
1:07 History of Mont Blanc
2:11 Mont Blanc Survival Stories
4:22 Entering the Ice Cave
4:44 History on the Montenvers Train
5:17 Recent Price and Time of Train
5:43 Mer de Glace Gondola Info
6:13 Tour Mer de Glace
6:34 History of Mer de Glace
9:03 Impact of Climate Change

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