International Day of Mountaineering is celebrated on August 8
227 years ago, two brave adventurous French men climbing Mont Blanc, were not even aware that the day of the conquest of the summit will be a celebration for all climbers, according to unn.com.ua.
Interest in the top of Mont Blanc among travelers appeared in the mid-18th century. People came en masse to conquer it, but all attempts were unsuccessful.
The massive desire to conquer Mont Blanc reached apotheosis in the early 1760's, when Horace Benedict de Saussure, a Swiss geologist, botanist and mountaineer, having failed to reach the top, appointed a huge bonus to anyone who will do it first. So, in 1786 traveling physician Michel-Gabriel Packard and hunter Jacques Balma reached the mountain top.
Since then all climbers celebrate their holiday on August 8 - the day when the highest peak of the Alps was conquered.