Mont Blanc in the French Alps is the highest mountain in western Europe. The French sometimes call it "La Dame Blanche", The White Lady. Its summit lies at 4807 meters (or about 15800 feet) above sea level. Hiking / climbing to Mont Blanc using the "easiest" summer route is normally a two-day project. One starts the physical part of the venture at Nid d'Aigle at 2372 m, as far as this you can go by train. Then you take a nice walk along a scenic path to the Refuge de Tete Rousse, at 3187 m. From here on not everyone wants to come along.First, it gets steep. Then you have to cross a notorious avalanche area called the Grand Couloir. Here it is somewhat like Russian roulette. Sometimes a rock comes, sometimes not, and they're fast! After that it gets even steeper as you walk/climb a few hundred meters up to the Refuge de l'Aiguille du Gouter at 3817 m. If you lose some item (like your helmet!) here, it is likely that it moves quite far by itself. At the Refuge de l'Aiguille du Gouter it is customary to spend the night. You can get helicopter- borne steak for dinner here, and Pastis for aperitif, if you like. But toilet paper you'd better bring yourself! Also, don't drink too much before you go there. The path to the outhouse is icy, and it runs along (tilting slightly in direction of) the edge of a cliff, about 300 m straight down at this point.... If something goes wrong, your family can forget about suing the French Government or the Club Alpin Francais for any kind of liability, that's not the way things work here.