At 4,808 metres, Mont Blanc is the highest peak in western Europe and the prize that put Chamonix on the map. Around 20,000 people attempt the summit each year from the French side, making it one of the most climbed high-altitude mountains in the world. But it is not a hike — it is a serious mountaineering objective requiring crampons, ice axe, and the ability to navigate glacier terrain in poor visibility.
The standard route from the French side goes via the Goûter hut, accessed by the Nid d'Aigle tramway from Saint-Gervais and then a long climb over the Grand Couloir (a stone-fall hazard), up to the Goûter refuge at 3,835 metres. Summit day starts at 1 or 2am. A guided ascent with a Chamonix mountain guide costs around €600–800 per person for a two-person party. The climb requires two days minimum and good weather — summit attempts in poor conditions regularly end in tragedy. If the idea of the full climb is out of reach, the approach hikes and the views from the Goûter tramway are spectacular in their own right.