"There is a mountain there" - just that alone can create such a moving view.
What it taught me was the value of "being there" and the strength to live.
A letter from my sister's family 📮🌿
It is the highest peak in the European Alps, located on the border between France and Italy.BuddhaMont Blanc Italy: Monte Bianco).
My sister's family went to a place where they could see Mont Blanc during their autumn vacation.
The photos that arrived showed an endless world of silvery white.
The mountain ridges, bathed in light, shone brightly as if blending with the sky.
How beautiful...
I couldn't help but stare at it ✨️💕✨️
By the way, among these mountains, Mont Blanc is where the arrow is pointing.
Time to recharge with energy from nature✋️🔥!!
May the refreshingly clear sky bring you all energy✨️✨️
What looks like a river is actually a glacier 🧊 Mysterious...
Chamonix Mont Blanc Tourist Office Official Website
I found an official Japanese tourist website, so I'll include a link here 👆️
Just watching this tourism bureau video is fun!
Aiguille du Midi observation deck
The observation deck that my sister's family went to wasAiguille du midi.
The cable was a two hour wait.
It takes about 20 minutes by cable car from the town of Chamonix at the foot of the mountain, which is located at an altitude of 1,035m, via the intermediate station of Plan de l'Aiguille (2,317m above sea level). At 4,000m above sea level, it is higher than Mount Fuji in Japan (3,776m).
STEP INTO THE VOID
This observation deck features a glass box called "STEO INTO THE VOID," where you can experience the sensation of floating in the sky.
If the weather is clear, you might even be able to see the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa!
The famous Swiss mountain Matterhorn is a 4,478m high mountain in the Alps, and Monte Rosa (the name of a mountain range consisting of several peaks) is the second highest mountain in the Alps after Mont Blanc.
The straight-line distance from Mont Blanc to Monte Rosa is approximately 70km.
"That far away?" I thought.
So, don't you often hear people say, "You can see Mt. Fuji from Tokyo!?"
The straight-line distance from Tokyo Tower to Mount Fuji is approximately 100km.
I also made the unexpected discovery that this one is actually farther away! (laughs)
Origin of the name: Matterhorn (German:Matterhorn/Italian: Monte Cervino)
The name Matterhorn is German.
The reason it's in German even though it's in Switzerland is because the Matterhorn
- Located on the Swiss-Italian border
- Swiss town Zermatt is a German-speaking region
- Italian town Cervinia This is related to the fact that it is an Italian-speaking region.
In German“"Matte"” = meadow,“"Horn"” = Corner/peak (sharp shape of mountain), so it is called Corner of the Pasture (pointed mountain), and in ItalianCervinoIt is also called "deer antlers."
💡Switzerland as a whole 4 official languages (German, French, Italian, Romansh) It is a multilingual country with many languages. Therefore, it is common for the same mountain or town to have different names depending on the location. It's interesting!
Origin of the name: Monte Rosa (Italy: Monte Rosa)
Monte Rosa (the name of a mountain range made up of several peaks) is the second highest mountain in the Alps after Mont Blanc. Its highest point is on the Italian side, at 4,634 m above sea level.Punta Dufour.
It means "red mountain" in Italian, and it is said that the name comes from the fact that at sunrise and sunset the entire mountain turns a faint red, truly living up to its name: a "red mountain."
🏔️Speaking of mountains──that one word
When asked why you climb mountains
"Because it's there."
When it comes to mountain climbing and nature,
This is a phrase that everyone has heard at least once.
However, I think many people don't actually know who said these words.
(To be honest, I didn't know about it until recently either.)
These words were left by
British mountaineer George Leigh Mallory.
He was a man who continued to challenge the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, in the 1920s.
When asked why he climbs mountains, he answered quietly but emphatically:
“Because it’s there.”
"Because there's a mountain there."
The phrase symbolizes the spirit of challenge, curiosity, and the will to live.
Nearly 100 years later, it is still talked about all over the world.
📜 Below are some excerpts from newspapers at the time.
The exact moment Mallory spoke is recorded here.
🔗 Climbing Mount Everest Is Work for Supermen — The New York Times (1923)(English article, external site)
🍰 Little "White Mountain" - Mont Blanc Cake
Hankyu Umeda Main Store | Mont Blanc Special Feature (external site)
The name of the cake "Mont Blanc"
The name comes from Mont Blanc, a famous mountain in the Alps.
The conical and dome-shaped forms resemble mountains.
The white of the cream and powdered sugar is as beautiful as snow.
The birthplace of Mont Blanc, the northern Italian region of Piedmont, is also famous for its chestnuts.
This "Kuri no Yama" eventually spread to France and became a beloved sweet all over the world.
——Exactly.A small edible Alps.
Just looking at this cake will bring back memories of a trip you've taken somewhere☁️🌰
Afterword: What the silence of the mountains taught me
When faced with the majestic beauty of nature, there are moments when your heart is simply moved.
May today be a day filled with energy, just like the clear blue sky✨️🌿✨️
