Mont Blanc: Engineering at its Peak

52' HD

Megastructures

At the end of the 19th century, mountaineers and explorers dreamed of conquering the Mont Blanc massif, long considered inaccessible. Over time, engineers and scientists also grew fascinated by the highest point in the Alps and were determined to put the massif and its summit within easy reach of the public. Thus began an epic series of construction projects that slowly transformed Mont Blanc’s stony demeanor into a friendly face that welcomes visitors. In the space of 50 years, engineers had created extraordinary infrastructure. The Aiguille du Midi cable car covers a 2,800-meter vertical drop in just twenty minutes. The Montenvers railroad, with its gradient of over 9%, is the gateway to France's largest glacier. But the conquest of Mont Blanc did not stop there. One of civil engineering's greatest challenges played out on the Alps: The Mont Blanc Tunnel, the longest tunnel in the world at the time. It took twenty years to build this road link between the steep valleys of France and Italy. From the birth of the massif over 200 million years ago to the most recent construction projects, come discover how one of France's most beautiful sites came to be, and how engineers of all eras have harnessed the natural majesty of the Mont Blanc Massif.

Production: RMC Production, RMC Films, RMC Découverte

Director(s): Vivien Floris

Language(s): English, French

Request more infos