Mont Blanc - A Cool Retreat on a Summer's Day
August 23, 2016
Photographer: Carla Brito
Summary Authors: Carla Brito; Jim Foster
The photo above showing hikers on Mont Blanc (France) was captured from a cable car at the 12,605 ft (3,842 m) level of the mountain, on August 14, 2016. Mont Blanc at 15,777 ft (4,809 m) is the tallest peak in Western Europe. Even during the warmest summer months and in a warming climate, Mont Blanc is snow capped. In fact, approximately 40 sq mi (100 sq km) of glaciers cover the flanks of the White Mountain, though many have noticeably retreated in the past several decades. Recent heat waves in central Europe, exposing crevasses and increasing the risk of avalanches and rockslides, have closed some climbing routes. On this sunny, summer's day the air temperature at the cable car drop off point was 44 degrees F (7 C). I was surprised by how many people, perhaps more than one thousand, I observed during the ride enjoying the mountain -- a few to climb but most to hike and take in the amazing panoramic scenery.
Photo Details: Camera Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark III; Lens: EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM; Focal Length: 100mm; Aperture: ƒ/5.6; Exposure Time: 0.0016 s (1/640); ISO equiv: 50; Software: Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 (Macintosh).