The ascent of mountains as a form of leisure activity, or as egotistical self-assertion, is a relatively recent activity, dating from the second half of the eighteenth century, and notably marked in the historical record by the year 1786 when Jacques Balmat and Michel Paccard recorded the first ascent of Mont Blanc (4807m). Earlier recorded ascents of mountains are relatively rare: Petrarch’s ascent of Mont Ventoux (1912m) in 1336 is described in a celebrated letter to Father Denis; Leonardo da Vinci ascended Mont Bò (2260m) in the Piedmontese Alps in 1511 to make meteorological measurements; Popacatapetl (5452m) in Mexico was climbed for military and colonial purposes in 1520 by Diego de Ordas on the orders of Fernando Cortés. Such scientific and military missions aside, the general…
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Citation: Clark, Robert. "Mountains and Mountain Climbing". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 February 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1654, accessed 25 April 2024.]
