Aiguille Verte

The Aiguille Verte (French for "Green Needle") is a tall mountain. It stands 4,122 meters (13,524 feet) high. You can find it in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps.

The name "Aiguille Verte" usually means "Green Needle." Some people think it might mean "High Needle" from an older language.

This mountain is part of a very famous mountain range. It draws climbers and nature lovers from all over the world. Its tall, sharp shape makes it a big challenge for climbers. The Aiguille Verte is important not just for its height, but also for what it tells us about the history and languages of the area.

Ascents

Aiguille Verte was first climbed on June 29, 1865, by Edward Whymper, Christian Almer, and Franz Biner. This happened just two weeks before the first climb of the Matterhorn. Whymper could not bring his usual guide, Michel Croz, so he hired Christian Almer instead.

The first woman to reach the top was Lucy Walker in 1870. In 1972, Nicolas Jaeger made the first solo climb of the Arête Sans Nom. The mountain is known for being very challenging, and Gaston Rébuffat, a famous French mountain climber, once said that climbing Aiguille Verte is what makes you a true mountaineer.

Descents

Aiguille Verte has challenging descents. In 1989, Jean-Marc Boivin was the first person to ski down the Nant Blanc (North Face). Ten years later, Marco Siffredi was the first person to snowboard down that same route. The route was not used again until 2018, when Paul Bonhomme and Vivian Bruchez skied down the North Face.