Stay-at-home mountaineers who prefer to embark on expeditions in a temperature-controlled environment with an assortment of snacks close by are spoilt for choice these days thanks to Street View.
Google’s intrepid team of tireless globetrotters have, over the years, explored some of the great mountains of the world, Everest, Kilimanjaro, and Fuji among them.
The latest to receive the Street View treatment is Mont Blanc, which, at 4,808 meters (15,777 feet), is Western Europe’s highest peak.
Street View called on world-renowned alpine photographers, skiers, mountaineers, climbers, and runners to help gather the incredible 360-degree imagery, which superbly showcases this breathtaking mountain in all its snowy glory.
“Run on the summit with Kilian Jornet – he holds the speed record for ascending and descending Mont Blanc in just 4 hours 57 minutes,” Street View’s Sandy Russell writes in a blog post announcing the new content. “Ice climb up a serac with record-setting alpine climber Ueli Steck, or go knee deep in powder alongside 14-time ski mountaineering champion Laetitia Roux and famed guide Patrick Gabarrou.” French climbing legend Catherine Destivelle also features, as does filmmaker and free skier Candide Thovex.
Sofa loafers keen to reach the peak can join expert guide Korra Pesce, who led Google’s camera-equipped Street View Trekker up and down the Goûter Route of Mont Blanc, a mountain that straddles the border of France and Italy.
Russell notes that the mountain’s glaciers have been impacted in recent years by climate change, “so this Street View imagery also serves as a digital record of Mont Blanc as it appears today, so future outdoor enthusiasts and scientists can look back at this time capsule to see how the mountain has changed.”
We have to say, if you’ve never had a chance to experience one of Street View’s mountain climbs, then be sure to start with Mont Blanc. The imagery is both stunning and varied, and offers everyone with an Internet connection the chance to take in the amazing views from the rooftop of Europe. Go check it out.
