With these dramatic clouds, the shardlike pinnacles of the Aiguille du Midi (Needle of Midday) resemble the spires of a ruined Alpine cathedral. This is just one of the many spectacular peaks of the Mont Blanc massif, the storied Alps range in eastern France that stretches across the border into Italy and Switzerland. It was here in France"s Chamonix valley that mountaineering became a sport in the mid-1700s. This dramatic peak was first summited in 1818, a feat that helped to popularize mountain climbing throughout Europe.
Atop the Needle of Chamonix
Today in History
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Sea Otter Awareness Week
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Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
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Summer’s in home stretch
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High trekking season in Upper Mustang
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The buzz about bees
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Ring of fire solar eclipse
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Sharp-dressed bug
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Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
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Celebrate International Women’s Day
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Porto Timoni beach, Greece
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Thomas Edison s bright idea
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Colle Santa Lucia, Dolomites, Italy
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Coming home to roost
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Ludwig’s palace
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World Theater Day
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