GUNUNG LAWU

Located on the border between Central Java and East Java, Lawu have a beautiful natural panorama. Many special interest tourists who mendakinya. This mountain is also frequently disambangi save the pilgrims as sacred objects historic. Place around the sacred Mount Lawu especially petilasan-petilasan Brawijaya Raden Raden Brawijaya such as retirement, and Cengkup (a small house in the middle there is a grave). Perhaps on the headstone is Cengkup Brawijaya Petilasan Prabu, former King of Majapahit which is well known as the Sunan Lawu. Cangkup and Raden Brawijaya hermitage is located on Hargo Dalem, the second highest peak of Mount Lawu.

In the mountains berketinggian 3265 meters above sea level (mdpl) this is indeed save many historic Majapahit kingdom, such as, Candi Ceto, which is a temple Sukuh Raden Brawijaya survival during in pelariannya.

Lawu mountain is a mountain that dikeramatkan by people around, especially people living in the mountain foot. Not surprisingly when the month-month tertenu as Syuro calendar month, and this mountain area by the many pilgrims who come mainly from the area around the foot of Mount Lawu the region Tawamangun, Karanganyar, Semarang, Madiun, Nganjuk, and so forth.

They intentionally come from far away, especially with the intent to request the safety and welfare and living in the world. Locations visited by the pilgrims, especially places that are considered sacred, such as Raden petilasan Brawijaya known by them as the Sunan Lawu. In addition Sendang Degrees, Telaga Yellow, etc.

Defection-defection besejarah become one of the witnesses that the nation's history since we first berbudaya high dilestarikan should therefore give due value on this mountain.

At the peak of Mount Lawu this, according to a story developing in the community who live in the foothills, that Raden Brawijaya Mount Lawu to flee to avoid the pursuit Demak troops led by a son named Raden Patah, and the pursuit of the troops Adipati Cepu a vengeful old to Raden Brawijaya. Raden Brawijaya reputedly died in the peak of Mount Lawu is evidenced with the Cengkup and petilasan-petilasannya atop Mount Hargo Dalem with a height of 3148 mdpl.

According to the story, after the fall of Majapahit kingdom, the kingdom of Islam that appears to develop rapidly enough, namely the Kingdom of Demak, led by a king named Raden Patah, is still the son of Raden Brawijaya. He made the kingdom into the kingdom of Demak in Java. At that time Raden Patah intends to invite his father, Raden Brawijaya embrace the religion of Islam, akan Raden Brawijaya but refused to call her son embrace the teachings of the Raden Patah.

Raden Brawijaya do not want to fight with their own children and then fled Brawijaya Raden. His father's refusal to embrace Islam make Raden Brawijaya are continually chase each Demak by troops led by Raden Patah. To avoid the pursuit troops Demak, Raden Brawijaya fled to Karanganyar area.

Raden Brawijaya here had established a temple called the Temple Sukuh, located in the Hamlet Sukuh Village Berjo Karanganyar. But also not merampungkan candinya, Raden Brawijaya hurried out by troops Demak, Demak and troop-sharer sharer Raden Patah continue mengejarnya so Raden Karanganyar Brawijaya must leave and leave a temple that has not been completed.

Raden Brawijaya then fled towards the east of the temple Sukuh. In place persembunyiannya, Raden Brawijaya mcndirikan was also a temple, but unfortunately hiding Raden Brawijaya known by the forces of Demak. Raden Brawijaya fled again to leave with a temple to the people now known as the Temple Ceto. because it has felt himself safe from pursuit forces Demak, Raden Brawijaya moment but rest akan catastrophe come again next time this is not done by the pursuit Demak troops but is done by the troops heard that Cepu Raden Brawijaya which is hostile to the King of Majapahit kingdom Cepu entrance area so that revenge no longer arise.

Cepu troops led by Adipati Cepu intend Raden Brawijaya capture dead or alive. This time Raden Brawijaya fled to the summit of Mount Lawu avoid pursuit forces Cepu but no one from the troops who succeeded in capturing Cepu Raden Brawijava who fled to the summit of Mount Lawu through the jungle.

In his hideaway in the Peak of Mount Lawu, Raden Brawijaya feel annoyed with ulah forces Cepu ago he issued to the sumpatan Adipati Cepu seems that if the contents have people from the area or from Cepu Adipati Cepu direct descendants to ascend the Mount Lawu, the fate will be death or woe in Mount Lawu. And he said that sumpatan from Raden Brawijaya this until now still tuahnya followed by people from the area, especially the descendants of Cepu Adipati Cepu who want to climb Mount Lawu, they still feel fear if melanggarnya.

Sendang Panguripan & Drajat

Places that were often the place where pilgrims than that is in the top Hargo Dalem and Hargo is Dumilah Sendang Panguripan and Sendang Drajat. Perhaps in Sendang Panguripan have supernatural power. Sendang Panguripan in this water source is often used by the pilgrims to explore life. They believe the source of water there, water was used by Raden Brawijaya when climbing Mount Lawu and until now people believe that the water used by Raden Brawijaya in Sendang Panguripan very nutritious.

Same as in Sendang Panguripan Sendang Drajat boiler is often also used by the pilgrims. Water seems to have supernatural power to heal various diseases.

Beside rich with history and mystery of the kingdom of Majapahit, also Mount Lawu akan rich variety of nature tourism as tourism object Tawangmangu with natural waterfalls Grojogan Sewu, Telaga Sarangan with beautiful danaunya so memesona, Candi Ceto and Candi Sukuh which is a temple made by Raden Brawijaya during the runaway, and no less interesting is the nature tour climb Mount Lawu.

Many of the facilities available Puncak Gunung Lawu well. To climb Mount Lawu, there are several climbing routes Cemoro such as pens, Cemoro Sewu, Ceto, and enter the region Jogorogo Ngawi East Java. But recommended for through the Cemoro Kandang. If through Cemoro Kandang take about 9 to 10 hours climbing trip, and needed time to go down about 5 to 6 hours.

If past Cemoro Kandang first we will go through several routes, such as climbing climbing Cemoro Kandang Pos, Down Taman Sari, Taman Sari Top, Parang Gupito, Pangarif cliff-ngarif, Ondorante, including the Cokro Srengenge Pos Pos IV and the last V. Post Here there is a fork, if we turn to the right toward Peak akan Hargo Dumilah which is the highest peak with a height of 3265 meter dpl, and if we are going straight to the top Hargo Dalem 3148 meter dpl.

From the peak of Mount Lawu our natural events akan disuguhi a beautiful sunrise. When you look towards the West appears to peak of Mt Merapi, Merbabu. And to see if the direction will be seen the beauty of East Peak of Mount Kelud, Butak, Mount Wilis and paintings that form the natural captivating. If you want to climb to the top of Mount Lawu should not be too busy on Monday to Friday.

Some birds can be found in the area of Mount Lawu, Bird sepcrti Anis, Perjak, Glass Eye, Bird, and scaling. Tumbuhannya Cemara among other mountains, flowers Eidelweiss, Cantigi, rubber tree forests, Beringin, Rustania, and Puspa. Eidelweiss growing interest especially in the fertile valley and the slopes of Mount Lawu, from the path between the Post and Post IV V.

Until now ecosystem plants and animals that live in the area of Mount Lawu still awake well as people who live in the foothills of Mount afraid if the forest was damaged, the authorities Lawu namely Sunan Lawu which no other is Sang Prabu Brawijaya, akan large angry.

Travel Tips

To go to Mount Lawu already available means of transportation with a good, if we go the direction of Mount Lawu Solo City we can use the bus to have sex Tawangmangu the cool air as we are in Lembang, Bandung. Ongkosnya cheap enough Rp 3500. Take about 2 hours, from the terminal entrance Tawangmangu Karanganyar kedaerah District.

Followed by the Colt Sarangan vehicles stopped in or Cemoro Kandang Cemoro Sewu with costs Rp 3,000. Entrance to the postal or climbing Cemoro Kandang Cemoro Sewu Rp 2,500 per person, including insurance Wana Arta. Or we can go the other route and Ceto but Jogorogo track longer necessary preparation so that mature, both physically and mentally.

Mount Lawu through Solo's Solo Tawangmangu to be about 60 km about 2 hours by bus. Tawangmangu-Cemorokandang about 1 hour trip to rural transportation. Cemorokandang Lawu the peak can be about 10 minutes climbing trip. If you want to upgrade should not be too busy to climb on Monday-jumat.

Perlangkapan ascent should take enough food, especially, tents, warm jacket, etc.. And ask permission to climb in the Post Cemorokandang.

Source: Magazine Travel Club
Location: Lawu, Central Java

Location Map:

Map data ©2009 MapData Sciences Pty Ltd, PSMA, AND, Tele Atlas, Europa Technologies - Terms of Use

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KILIMANJARO

Kilimanjaro with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is an inactive stratovolcano in north-eastern Tanzania^] rising 4,600 m (15,100 ft) from its base (and approximately 5,100 m (16,700 ft) from the plains near Moshi), and is additionally the highestpeak in Africa at 5,891.8 metres (19,330 ft), providing a dramatic view of the surrounding plains.

Current conditions

Climatic conditions

While the volcano appears to be dormant on the inside, events on top of the mountain draw global attention. The top of the mountain has seen a retreat of the most recent covering of glaciers,with the most recent ice cap volume dropping by more than 80%

Sources disagree when the glaciers will be gone due to melting. In 2002, a study led by Ohio State University ice core paleoclimatologist Lonnie Thompson predicted that ice on top of Africa's tallest peak would be gone between 2015 and 2020. In 2007, a team of Austrian scientists from University of Innsbruck predicted that the plateau ice cap will be gone by 2040, but some ice on the slope will remain longer due to local weather conditions.yet, another, the California Academy of Sciences, predicts that the [glaciers] will be gone by 2050. A comparison of ice core records suggests conditions today are returning to those of 11,000 years ago. A study by Philip Mote of the in the United States and George Kaser of the University of Innsbruck in Austria concludes that the shrinking of Kilimanjaro's ice cap is not directly due to rising temperature but rather to decreased precipitation. In May 2008 The Tanzanian Minister for Natural Resources, Ms Shamsa Mwangunga, said that there were indications that snow cover on the mountain was actually increasing.In January 2006, the Western Breach route was closed by the Tanzanian government following a rockslide that killed four people at Arrow Glacier Camp. On December 1, 2007 the Western Breach route was reopened for climbing.

Mount Kilimanjaro - with Landsat Overlay. Heights two times exaggerated.

Volcanic conditions

While it is inactive, Kilimanjaro has fumaroles that emit gas in the crater on the main summit of Kibo. Scientists concluded in 2003 that molten magma is just 400 metres (1,310 ft) below the summit crater. Several collapses and landslides have occurred on Kibo in the past, one creating the area known as the Western Breach.

View of Kibo, Mowenzi, Shira and Meru in far background

Mapping

Early good maps of Kilimanjaro were published by the British Government's Directorate of Overseas Surveys (DOS 422 Y742) in 1963. These were based on air photography carried out as early as 1958 by the RAF. These were on a scale of 1:50,000 with contours at 100 ft intervals. These are now unavailable. Tourist mapping was first published by the Ordnance Survey in England in 1989 based on the original DOS mapping (1:100,000, 100ft intervals, DOS 522). This is now no longer available. EWP produced a map with tourist information in 1990 (1:75,000, 100m contour intervals, inset maps of Kibo and Mawenzi on 1:20,000 and 1:30,000 scales respectively and 50 m contour interval). This is regularly updated and in its 4th edition. In the last few years numerous other maps have become available of various qualities.

EWP map sample (1:75,000, summit area).

Physical features

Mount Kilimanjaro seen from the air, with Mt. Meru beyond

Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the largest stratovolcanoes in the world. Otherwise known as a composite volcano, it comprises numerous layers of lava, tephra and volcanic ash. Tephra is rhyolitic (an igneous, extrusive rock) in composition, and is formed by air-fall material of an eruption, which suggests the composite volcano was once active. However, at the moment it is dormant. According to experts there have been no eruptions in living memory. Recent studies suggest the last eruptions on the mountain were between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago.

Mount Kilimanjaro is in the shape of a mountainous volcano; it is formed by ejecta being thrown up by the volcano vent, which then piles around the vent in the shape of a cone. Due to the fact that Mount Kilimanjaro is made up of tephra, it has a cinder cone. This is because the mountains cone is made up of tephra cinders. They are made up of blobs of congealed lava and particles. When the mountain did erupt millions of years ago, the gas-charged lava would be blown violently into the air, then breaking the smaller fragments which would solidify and fall as cinders. This left Mount Kilimanjaro with a bowl-shaped crater. In geologic history, it would not be uncommon for a stratovolcano such as Mount Kilimanjaro to have experienced explosive eruptions. The lava from the mountain is viscous (viscosity is a measure of the thickness of a fluid which is deformed by shear stress or extensional stress) which cools down before it spreads very far. The lava's viscosity helps explain why Mount Kilimanjaro has relatively small crater formations. The rock on the mountain is felsic and has high levels of silica, especially tephratic silicate. This silica is also in alternating sectors, with lava flows and ejecta in different formations. This is called stratum, which is usually formed by natural forces (i.e. volcanic eruptions) from Mount Kilimanjaro.

Relief of Kilimanjaro

The volcano is the highest in Africa and covers an area of 388,500ha. Although the volcano stands alone, it is a part of an east-west belt of volcanoes stretching over Northern Tanzania. It has three main concentric cones to the southeast in the mountain, but also has smaller parasitic cones. Also known as a satellite cone, the main vent is blocked by cooled solidified lava, and the lava is then forced out through the sides of a volcano under immense pressure. To the west side of the mountain is the peak Shira (3,962m), of which only the southern and western rims remain.

In addition to the west there is also a flat tableland. On the edges of this material is later material made by the former eruptions of the mountain, and so it’s a dissected plateau. This is a plateau which has been uplifted by volcanic activity, then been severely eroded, which explains the material around the edge of the plateau. The peak of Mawenzi (5,149m) - which is rugged and erosion-shattered- can be found in the east of the volcano. Its western face has many features: crags, pinnacles and dyke swarms. Crags are a steeped mass of rock projecting upward or outward. Pinnacles are high peaks or points of rock, but in Mount Kilimanjaros case then it’s a high point of rock. A dike (plural dyke swarm) is a type of sheet intrusion that cuts discordantly across. These come in several forms: planar wall rock structures or massive rock formations. On Mawenzi these are formed in igneous intrusions. These form in high aspect ratios, so the thickness is smaller than the other 2 dimensions. The dykes intrude into a cross-cutting fissure. These are linear volcanic vents through which lava erupts, although Mount Kilimanjaro is dormant so it does not happen.

To the eastern side of Mawenzi it falls into cliffs, with a complex system of gullies and rock faces. These rises from two massive gorges: the Great Barranco and Lesser Barranco. Gorges are deep valleys between cliffs that are formed by erosion, and were formed from the plateau that can be found to the eastern side of the mountain. The cliffs form because harder rock strata that are resistant to erosion/weathering remain exposed on the valley walls. The most recent summit is Kibo (5,891.8 m) which was last active during the Pleistocene. There are still even fumaroles. Even though there haven’t been eruptions for millions of years, there are openings near Kobe in the Earth’s crust which emits steam and gases e.g. Carbon Dioxide, Hydrochloric Acid. It even emits solfatara (Sulphurous gases). They occur along the chaotic clusters and long fissures. The hot igneous rocks react with the groundwater, which makes it release gases.

The highest point on the mountain is the southern rim of the outer crater. Moreover, between Kibo and Mawenzi is the Saddle, in which it contains high altitude tundra. This type of vegetation forms at high levels of altitude because tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. There is a wide range of vegetation despite being at high altitude such as dwarf shrubs, grasses, mosses and lichens. The ecotone (difference between tundra and forest) is called the timberland. On Mount Kilimanjaro there are radial valleys that can be found on the southern and eastern slopes. They are smaller valleys that flank the mountains main valleys.

Name

It is unknown where the name Kilimanjaro comes from, but a number of theories exist. European explorers had adopted the name by 1860 and reported that it was its Swahili name, that Kilimanjaro breaks Kilima (Swahili for "hill, little mountain") and Njaro, whose supposed origin varies according to the theories—according to some it's an ancient Swahili word for white or for shining, or for the non-Swahili origin, a word from the aKichagga languge, the word jaro meaning caravan. The problem with all these is that they can't explain why the diminutive kilima is used instead of the proper word for mountain, mlima. A different approach is to assume that it comes from the Kichagga kilmanare or kileajao meaning "which defeats the bird/leopard/caravan". However this theory can't explain the fact that Kilimanjaro was never used in Kichagga before in Europe in the mid-1800s.

In the 1880s the mountain, called Kilmanscharo in German, became a part of German East Africa after Karl Peters had persuaded local chiefs to sign treaties (a common story that Queen Victoria gave the mountain to Kaiser Wilhelm II is not true),In 1889 Uhuru Peak on Kibo was named Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze, which was used in the German Empire until its defeat in 1918, when the territory became British-administered Tanganyika and the name was discontinued.

Trekking routes up Kilimanjaro

Main article: Mount Kilimanjaro climbing routes

There are several routes by which to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, namely, Marangu, Rongai, Lemosho, Shira, Umbwe and Machame. Of all the routes, Machame is by far the most scenic albeit steeper route up the mountain, which can be done in 6 or 7 days. The Rongai is the easiest camping route and the Marangu is also easy, but accommodation is in huts. As a result, this route tends to be very busy and ascent and descent routes are the same.

Sign at Uhuru peak, indicating to climbers that they've reached the top.

Persons wishing to climb Mt Kilimanjaro are advised to undertake appropriate research and ensure that they are both properly equipped and physically capable. Though the climb is technically very easy, the altitude and low temperature make this a difficult and dangerous trek. Acclimatisation is essential, and even then most people suffer some degree of altitude sickness. About 10 climbers die from this each year, together with an unknown number of local porters - figures for these are guessed at between 10-20. Kilimanjaro summit is well above the altitude at which high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) can occur.All climbers will suffer considerable discomfort, typically shortage of breath, hypothermia and headaches, and though most young, fit people can make the Uhuru summit, a substantial number of trekers will eat the attempt at a lower altitude.

High altitude climbing clubs have criticised the Tanzanian authorities for charging fees for each day spent on the mountain. This can encourage climbers to climb rapidly to save time and money, while proper acclimatisation demands that delays are built in to any high climb.

Tanzanian Medical Services around the mountain have expressed concern recently over the current influx of tourists that apparently perceive Kilimanjaro as an easy climb. Many individuals require significant attention during their attempts, and many are forced to abandon the climb. An investigation into the matter concluded that tourists visiting Tanzania were often encouraged to join groups heading up the mountain without being made aware of the significant physical demands the climb makes.

Records

• Fastest ascent: Bruno Brunod, 5 hours 38 minutes 40 seconds^[23]
• Fastest ascent (female): Rebecca Rees-Evans 13 hours 16 minutes 37 seconds^[23]
• Fastest ascent and descent: Simon Mtuy, 8 hours 27 minutes^[23]
• Youngest person to summit: Keats Boyd, 7-years old ^[24]
• Oldest person to summit: Karl Haupt, 79 or Valtee Daniel, 87^[23]

Unique vegetation

This section requires expansion.

Kilimanjaro has unique vegetation such as the water holding cabbage in the tussock grassland and other plants like this all adapted to living in alpine conditions.

Kilimanjaro has a large variety of forest types over an altitudinal range of 3,000  m containing over 1,200 vascular plant species. Montane Ocotea forests occur on the wet southern slope. Cassipourea and Juniperus forests grow on the dry northern slope. Subalpine Erica forests at 4,100  m represent the highest elevation cloud forests in Africa. In contrast to this enormous biodiversity, the degree of endemism is low. However, forest relicts in the deepest valleys of the cultivated lower areas suggest that a rich forest flora inhabited Mt Kilimanjaro in the past, with restricted-range species otherwise only known from the Eastern Arc mountains. The low degree of endemism on Kilimanjaro may result from destruction of lower altitude forest rather than the relatively young age of the mountain. Another feature of the forests of Kilimanjaro is the absence of a bamboo zone, which occurs on all other tall mountains in East Africa with a similarly high rainfall. 'Sinarundinaria alpina' stands are favoured by elephants and buffaloes. On Kilimanjaro these megaherbivores occur on the northern slopes, where it is too dry for a large bamboo zone to develop. They are excluded from the wet southern slope forests by topography and humans, who have cultivated the foothills for at least 2,000  years. This interplay of biotic and abiotic factors could explain not only the lack of a bamboo zone on Kilimanjaro but also offers possible explanations for the patterns of diversity and endemism. Kilimanjaro's forests can therefore serve as a striking example of the large and long-lasting influence of both animals and humans on the African landscape.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN

Rocky Mount is an All-America City Award-winning city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the coastal plains of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Although it was not formally incorporated until February 28, 1867, the North Carolina community that became the city of Rocky Mount dates from the beginning of the 19th century, and the first post office in the area opened in 1816. In 1996, the town of Battleboro merged with the city of Rocky Mount. As of 2007, the city's population was 56,844.

Rocky Mount is the principal city of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 143,026, as of 2000, and which encompasses all of both Edgecombe and Nash counties. Rocky Mount is also a part of a Combined Statistical Area which consist of both Rocky Mount and Wilson Metropolitan Areas. The Rocky Mount-Wilson CSA population is currently over 200,000 residents. The city is about 45 minutes away from the state capital, Raleigh.

In 2009 the city is scheduled to annex portions of Nash and Edgecombe counties. This annexation will make the city larger and add about 2,200 people to its current population, which stands at about 60,000. The annexation, if approved, will boost Rocky Mount's population to over 62,000 residents and will bring more business to the city.

Rocky Mount has a growing arts community. The city operates an Arts Center, a Children's Museum & Science Center, and a Community Theater at the Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.8 square miles (92.7 km²), of which, 35.6 square miles (92.1 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (0.59%) is water.

Rocky Mount is situated uniquely, in that the city straddles the county line, with part of it in Nash County and part of it in Edgecombe County. The CSX Railroad tracks also separate the city at the county line, meaning that going to the other side of town always means crossing the tracks.

Education

The City of Rocky Mount is served by the Nash-Rocky Mount Public School System, along with a number of private and charter schools in the area. Post-secondary institutions include Nash Community College,Shaw University, North Carolina Wesleyan College and Edgecombe Community College.

Nash-Rocky Mount Schools include Benvenue Elementary, D.S.Johnson Elementary, Englewood Elementary School,O.R. Pope Elementary School, Susie C. Baskerville Elementary School, M.B. Hubbard Elementary School, Coopers School, Winstead Avenue Elementary School,Red Oak Elementary, Bullock Elementary, and Nashville Elementary

JFW Parker Middle School, Edwards Middle School, Southern Nash Middle, Red Oak Middle School, and Nash Central Middle School.

Rocky Mount High School, Northern Nash High School, Southern Nash High School, Nash Central High School, and Nash-Rocky Mount Early College High School. The private schools located in Rocky Mount are: Rocky Mount Academy, Faith Christian School and Falls Road Baptist School.

One N.C. charter school is located in Rocky Mount: Rocky Mount Preparatory School.

Transportation

There are 3 major highways that intersect in Rocky Mount: U.S. Route 64, Interstate 95, and US 301. Interstate 95 runs through a portion of West Rocky Mount, US 64 runs east to west through Rocky Mount, and US 301 runs north to south through Rocky Mount. Buck Leonard Blvd is also a 4-lane divided highway in Rocky Mount that connects Sunset Ave to US 64. US 64 puts Rocky Mount less than 45 minutes east of Raleigh, and US 301 puts Rocky Mount 15 minutes north of the city of Wilson. The city of Rocky Mount is currently in the works of constructing a new multi-lane highway called the Northern Connector which will connect West Rocky Mount to North Rocky Mount. The highway is being built to settle traffic on Wesleyan Blvd. and other roads in the Northern Rocky Mount area.

Interstate 95 Exits: N.C 4, Dortches Blvd., and U.S. 64 with a future exit at Sunset Avenue just south of the U.S. 64 exit.

U.S. 64 Exits: Raleigh. St, Atlantic. Ave, Centura. Hwy/Church. St, Benvenue. Rd/Peachtree. St, U.S 301(Wesleyan. Blvd) Buck Leonard Blvd. TO Sunset Ave, Winstead Ave, Interstate 95, and Old Carraige Rd.

U.S 301 (Wesleyan. Blvd) Exits: Benvenue Rd, U.S 64, Sunset Ave, Bethelehem Rd, West Mount Dr, and N.C 97(Raleigh Rd).

Airports:

The Rocky Mount-Wilson (RWI) Airport serves the Counties of Nash, Wilson and Edgecombe with regional air service. It is on NC Highway 97, and is just 6.5 miles from Rocky Mount, 9 miles from Wilson and only minutes from industrial traffic routes I-95, US 64, 264, 301 and NC 98.

The closest international airport is Raleigh-Durham International (RDU).

Train:

Rocky Mount is serviced by Amtrak. The train station is centrally located on Main Street in downtown Rocky Mount. It’s just over 4 1/2 hours and only 4 train stops from the nation’s capital Washington, DC.

| Rocky Mount Station

100 Coast Line Street

Building Description: Rocky Mount's current train station was constructed as a passenger station in three stages. In 1893 the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad built a two-story red brick Romanesque station with one-story wings. In 1911-12, Wilmington & Weldon Railroad's corporate successor, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, added two stories to the wings. In 1916, a third story was added to the entire structure. In the 1960's, a modern addition was built between the wings to house railroad switches and signal equipment. The building also served as a division headquarters for ACL and its successors, Seaboard Coast Line and CSXT. CSXT vacated the office space in the late 1980's. The building is part of Rocky Mount's Historic District.

Health Care

Nash General Hospital, opened in 1971, was the first all-private room hospital in North Carolina. Since then, this acute care, 282-bed facility has been the premier health care provider for Nash, Edgecombe and surrounding counties. A beacon of health care excellence, it was made possible by local leaders who had a vision for the future of the community, and more than 35 years later, Nash General Hospital is still on the cutting edge of the most recent medical advancements by utilizing state-of-the-art equipment to practice innovative and compassionate health care.

Nash General Hospital is home to the Women’s Center, Cardiovascular Services, the Critical Care Unit and thousands of employees who have dedicated their careers to providing compassionate care to patients.

Rocky Mount Mills

Rocky Mount Mills, located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, was one of the first cotton mills constructed in the state of North Carolina, dating back to 1816. Founded in 1818 and originally called Battle Mills, after the owner’s family, the mill attracted one of the world’s longest railroads at the time (the Wilmington and Weldon) and helped to make Nash and Edgecombe Counties the state’s largest cotton producing region before the Civil War. From 1825 to 1883, the Battle family maintained ownership of the mill. As the southern cotton industry expanded after the Civil War, the cotton mill experienced rapid growth. The company also supported a residential village for employees, which was eventually incorporated into the city of Rocky Mount in the 1920s. The mill was a major supplier of cotton yard to the United States Army during World War II.

The general decline in the southern textile industry beginning in the 1970s eventually impacted Rocky Mount Mills, and the mill closed its doors in 1996.

History of Rocky Mount

"Rocky Mount had its beginning in the early part of the 19th century. It centered around the first post office which was established at the Falls of the Tar River on March 22, 1816. It was at that point that the name Rocky Mount appeared in documented history. The name undoubtedly derived from the rocky mound at the falls of the Tar River, which was also the site of one of the first cotton mills in North Carolina: Rocky Mount Mills was established in 1818. The Wilmington-Weldon Railroad was built about 2 miles east of the mill in 1845 and became the main connection for Rocky Mount to the outside world.

The advent of the railroad did not cause an immediate boom for Rocky Mount. One important innovation it produced, however, was the establishment of Rocky Mount as a point of departure for travelers from the north and south. The Raleigh-Tarboro stage route (roughly highways 95 and 64) passed just below Rocky Mount which became the logical debarking point for railroad travelers wishing to proceed east or west.

The Civil War and Reconstruction Era brought hard times to Rocky Mount but the town survived. On February 19, 1867 Rocky Mount was incorporated as a Town.

The establishment of the Rocky Mount tobacco market in the late 1800's is one of the town's most noteworthy development. The demand for bright leaf tobacco rose rapidly as the cigarette industry took shape and the growth of the tobacco market led to the establishment of the town's first bank in 1889.

Also during this period, the railroad exerted a powerful influence on the town. The tracks first reached Rocky Mount on Christmas Eve, in 1839. In 1840, a train of cars en route to Wilmington stopped in Rocky Mount to import some "Old Nash" for special toasts at opening festivities. The fame of Nash County apple brandy had spread fast. As Rocky Mount encouraged the Atlantic Coast Line to locate shops and yard facilities in the town, there was an influx of railroad employees into Rocky Mount. In 1871, the county line moved from the Tar River to its present location in the center of the main tracks.

By the end of the nineteenth century, Rocky Mount's population was approximately 3,000. A main railroad line, a well established cotton mill, and productive farmland were major contributors to the area's growth and prosperity. To encourage and promote further growth and development, the Chamber of Commerce was established in 1904.

In February 28, 1907 with a population of approximately 7,500 Rocky Mount was incorporated as a City. The twentieth century brought a number of "firsts" to Rocky Mount - the first public school; one of the most modern hotels in the state, the Ricks Hotel; the first library; the establishment of the first daily newspaper, the Rocky Mount Evening Telegram; the first hospitals with services available to the public and the YMCA.

City Lake drew city-wide attention in the late 30's. The digging of this water reservoir, a project of the Works Project Administration, gave gainful employment to the unemployed and gave the citizens of Rocky Mount pride in a peaceful and beautiful site.

In view of the community's educational facilities, the 50's and 60's brought rapid growth. A new high school opened in 1953. North Carolina Wesleyan College opened in 1960. In 1968, Nash Community College and Edgecombe Community College opened in the twin counties in order to meet the needs of citizens in technical, vocational and general education programs.

1970 marked the year Rocky Mount was named an All-American city. The little town built upon a rock had become the progressive city on the Great Falls of the Tar. The Seventies also brought a new post office building, completion of Nash General Hospital, a new campus for Nash Community College, recreational use of the reservoir on the Tar River, a new water plant, the Rocky Mount-Wilson airport and new highways.

The Eighties brought in a new regional shopping mall, located on Wesleyan Boulevard, and an athletic center on Hardee's Boulevard. Now, in 2008, the city continues to grow and prosper with a population of over 60,000."

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 55,893 people, 21,435 households, and 14,682 families residing in the city. The population density was 606.7/km² (1,571.4/mi²). There were 24,167 housing units at an average density of 262.3/km² (679.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 40.92% White, 56.02% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population.

There were 21,435 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,661, and the median income for a family was $39,929. Males had a median income of $31,455 versus $34,409 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,804. About 15.8% of families and 20.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under the age of 18 and 16.5% ages 65 or older.

Rocky Mount Sports Complex

The Rocky Mount Sports Complex is a large scale sports complex located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

A Division of the City of Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation Department, the Rocky Mount Sports Complex provides facilities for city recreational programs such as baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and football. The 143-acre (0.58 km2) park on Centura Blvd. includes:

• 6 Youth Baseball Fields • 4 Softball Fields • A Championship Baseball Field • 2 Basketball Courts • Restrooms/Concession Buildings • A Baseball Training Grounds • Walking Trails • Playgrounds and a Sprayground • 8 Championship Soccer Fields (Currently Under Construction)

The Rocky Mount Sports Complex is one of the largest sports complexes on the entire eastern seaboard. During weekdays the fields will be used by Parks and Recreation Department city Ahtletics Programs. On weekends the Sports Complex will host tournament action, bringing some of the best local, state and national sports talent to Rocky Mount.

Adjacent to the Rocky Mount Sports Complex sits the 5,000-seat multi-use Rocky Mount Athletic Stadium. The most high profile tenants of the stadium are the North Carolina Wesleyan Bishops football team who play in the USA South Athletic Conference, an NCAA Division III conference. The Football Stadium is also called home to the Rocky Mount Senior High School Football Team and the Semi-Pro Rocky Mount Stallions.

Crime

Unfortunately, the city of Rocky Mount's crime rate is higher than the state average. In 2007 the city had its highest murder rate in years.

Notable residents

• J.J. Arrington, NFL running back
• Lloyd W. Bailey, a faithless elector in the 1968 presidential election, who cast his vote for George Wallace instead of Richard Nixon.
• Thurbert Baker, current Attorney General of the state of Georgia.
• F.C. Barnes, national gospel recording artist.
• Luther Barnes, international gospel recording artist, preacher, composer, producer, songwriter, community servant, retired school teacher, Nash County, Hall of Fame in 2005.
• Herman Boone, born in Rocky Mount; coach on which the movie Remember the Titans was based.
• Jim Boyd, 1956 Olympic Gold Medaist in boxing.
• Jim Clack, center for the 1970's Terry Bradshaw-led Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Roy A. Cooper, current Attorney General of the state of North Carolina.
• Harold Ray Denton, born in Rocky Mount; Director of Reactor Regulation for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and spokesperson for President Jimmy Carter during the Three Mile Island incident; inducted in the Tri-County Hall of Fame in 2005.
• Mike Easley, former Governor of the state of North Carolina.
• Phil Ford, former assistant coach at UNC-Chapel Hill and the school's all-time leading scorer, currently with the Charlotte Bobcats as an assistant to Larry Brown.
• James Carson Gardner, first Republican Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina of the 20th century; opened first franchise store of the fast food restaurant Hardee's in Rocky Mount.
• Kaye Gibbons, critically Acclaimed Novelist
• Allan Gurganus, born in Rocky Mount; American writer whose work is often set in North Carolina.
• William B. Harrison, Jr. Chairman of JP Morgan Chase.
• Earle Hyman, born in Rocky Mount; best known for his role as Russell Huxtable, Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable's father, on the The Cosby Show.
• Kay Kyser, big band leader of the 1930s and 1940s.
• Walter Fenner Leonard, better known as Buck Leonard, was a famous Negro League first baseman.
• Thelonious Monk, famous jazz musician.
• Ken Peacock, current Chancellor of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina
• Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers Defensive End
• Bill Pully, President of the North Carolina Hospital Association
• Jimmy Robbins, acoustic singer-songwriter signed to Universal Motown Records
• Harold Vick, jazz bandleader and session-man, best known for his first solo album Steppin' Out (1963) and his appearance in the Spike Lee film School Daze backing vocalist Phyllis Hyman.
• Charles Linwood Williams, better known as Buck Williams, born in Rocky Mount; 1982 NBA Rookie of the Year and a 3-time NBA All-Star; former President of NBA Players Association.
• Mary Elizabeth Winstead, rising Hollywood star; most notable roles are in Sky High, Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Grindhouse - Death Proof, and Live Free or Die Hard.
• Bill Winters, radio disc jockey; began career at WEED-AM in Rocky Mount and went on to many major markets including WCBS-FM 101.1 in New York City.

Other

Rocky Mount was the home of R.M.I. (Rocky Mount Instruments), best known for the 368x Electra Piano Harpsichord, which was a significant instrument in the world of rock and jazz in the late 60's-early 70's, most famously used by the likes of John Lennon, Leon Russell, Rick Wakeman, Tony Banks, and Keith Jarrett. Rocky Mount was also the home of Centura Bank until it was bought the Royal Bank of Canada and moved the United States headquarters to nearby Raleigh. The first Hardee's fast food franchise was in Rocky Mount, ironically it was on McDonald Street. The actual first Hardee's had been in nearby Greenville. It has since been torn down. Rocky Mount and nearby Nashville have some of the few Hardee's restaurant still owned by the corporation and not a franchise. Rocky Mount is also the corporate headquarters of Boddie-Noell, which owns many Hardee's franchises and all of the Texas Steakhouse restaurants. Composer Ben Johnston lives in Rocky Mount. Rocky Mount was referenced in the son "Methamphetamine" by Old Crow Medicins Show on their Tennessee Pusher album.

mount blanc

Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco (French and Italian respectively meaning white mountain) is the highest mountain in the Alps and in Western Europe. It rises 4,810 m (15,781 ft) above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence. It is also sometimes known as "La Dame Blanche" (French, the white lady).

The mountain lies between the regions of Aosta Valley, Italy, and Haute-Savoie, France. The location of the summit is on the French-Italian border but French cartographers place it within France's boundaries on maps. It is claimed by Italian sources that at a convention between France and the Kingdom of Sardinia, in Turin (1861), and in particular on the mapsoint to the convention, the border was fixed on the highest point of Mont Blanc, the south east ridge to Monte Bianco di Courmayeur wholly within Italy, and that this was the last official definition of this border.

The two most famous towns near Mont Blanc are Courmayeur, in Aosta Valley, Italy, and Chamonix, in Haute-Savoie, France — the site of the first Winter Olympics. A cable car ascends and crosses the mountain from Chamonix to Courmayeur.

Begun in 1957 and completed in 1965, the 11.6 km (7¼ mi) Mont Blanc Tunnel runs beneath the mountain between these two countries and is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes.

The Mont Blanc Massif is popular for mountaineering, hiking, skiing and snowboarding.

History

Aerial view of the south-western side of Mont Blanc in early September, taken on a commercial flight.

The first recorded ascent of Mont Blanc was on 8 August 1786 by Jacques Balmat and the doctor Michel Paccard. This climb, initiated by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, who gave a reward for the successful ascent, traditionally marks the start of modern mountaineering. The first woman to reach the summit was Marie Paradis in 1808.

Now the summit is ascended by an average 20,000 mountaineer-tourists each year and could be considered an easy, yet long, ascent for someone who is well trained and used to the altitude. This impression is reinforced by the fact that from l'Aiguille du Midi (where the cable car stops), Mont Blanc seems quite close, being merely 1,000 m (3,300 ft) higher. Whilst seeming deceptively close, La Voie des 3 Monts route (known to be more technical and challenging than other more commonly used routes) requires much ascent and decent before the final section of the climb is reached and the last 1000m push to the summit is under-taken.

However, every year the Mont Blanc massif takes many victims, and in peak weekends (normally around August) the local rescue service flies an average of 12 missions, mostly directed towards people in trouble on one of the normal routes of the mountain. These are courses that require knowledge of high-altitude mountaineering, a guide (or at least a veteran mountaineer), and proper equipment. It is a long course that includes delicate passages and the hazard of rock slides. Also, at least one night at the refuge is required to acclimatize to the altitude (the summit is almost 5 km (3.1 mi) above sea level); less could lead to altitude sickness and possible death.

Ownership of summit

Mont Blanc seen from SPOT satellite.

Since the French Revolution the issue of the ownership of the summit has spurred many debates. Previously, the entire mountain had formed part of the Kingdom of Sardinia for several centuries.

The first treaty to define a border in the region is dated 15 May 1796. In this treaty the Sardinian king ceded the territories of Savoie and Nice to the French Republic, and in article 4 of this treaty it says: "The border between the Sardinian kingdom and the departments of the French Republic will be established on a line determined by the most advanced points on the Piedmont side, of the summits, peaks of mountains and other locations subsequently mentioned, as well as the intermediary peaks, knowing: starting from the point where the borders of Faucigny, the Duchy of Aoust and the Valais, to the extremity of the glaciers or the Monts-Maudits: first the peaks or plateaus of the Alps, to the rising edge of the Col-Mayor". This act is even more confusing, because it states that the border should be visible from the town of Chamonix and Courmayeur. The summit is not visible from Courmayeur, because part of the mountain lower down obscures it. Already inaccurate at the time, this treaty is no longer valid, because it was replaced by a later legal act.

Mont Blanc summit border line as stated on the act signed in Turin on March 7, 1861.

This act was signed in Turin on 24 March 1860 by Napoleon III and Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy, and deals with the annexation of Savoie. A demarcation agreement, signed on 7 March 1861, defines the "new border".

One of the prints from the Sarde Atlas,made in 1823 and positions the border exactly on the summit edge of the mountain (and measures it to be 4,804 m (15,760 ft) high).

The convention of 7 March 1861 recognises this, through an attached map, taking into consideration the limits of the massif, and drawing the border on the icecap of the Mont Blanc, and therefore makes it both French and Italian. Watershed analysis of modern topographic mapping not only places the main summit on the border, but also suggests that the border should follow a line northwards from the main summit towards Mont Maudit, leaving the south east ridge to Mont Blanc de Courmayeur wholly within Italy.

Despite the fact that the Franco-Italian border was redefined in both 1947 and 1963, the commission, made up of both Italians and French, ignored the Mont Blanc issue.

The Vallot cabin

The first real scientific investigations on the summit were conducted by the botanist-meteorologist Joseph Vallot at the end of the 19th century. He wanted to stay near the top of the summit, so he had to build his own permanent cabin.

The Janssen Observatory

In 1891, Pierre Janssen, a scientific academic, envisaged the construction of an observatory at the summit of Mont Blanc. Gustave Eiffel agreed to take on the project, provided he could find strong foundations. The Swiss surveyor Imfeld dug down 15 m (49 ft) but found nothing solid, so Eiffel gave up.

Despite this, the observatory was built in 1893. During the cold wave of January 1893 a temperature of −43 °C (−45.4 °F) was recorded on the Mount Blanc, being the lowest ever recorded there. Levers attached to the ice supported the observatory. This worked to some extent until 1906, when the building started leaning heavily. The movement of the levers corrected the lean slightly, but three years later (two years after Janssen’s death) a crevasse started opening under the observatory and it was abandoned. Eventually the building fell, and only the tower could be saved in extremis.

Air crashes

The mountain was the scene of two fatal Air India air crashes in 1950 nd 1966 (Air India Flight 101). Both planes were approaching Geneva airport and the pilots miscalculated their descent; 48 and 117 people, respectively, lost their lives.

The Mer de Glace glacier can be seen on the left side of the image.

Elevation

The summit of Mont Blanc is a thick, perennial ice and snow dome whose thickness varies, so no exact and permanent summit elevation can be determined. But accurate measurements have been made. For a long time its official elevation was 4,807 m (15,770 ft). Then in 2002, the IGN and expert surveyors, with the aid of GPS technology, measured it to be 4,810.40 m (15,782 ft 2 in).

Mont Blanc seen in the afternoon from the Rébuffat platform

After the 2003 heatwave in Europe, a team of scientists re-measured the height on 6 and 7 September. The team was made up of the glaciologist Luc Moreau, two surveyors from the GPS Company, three people from the IGN, seven expert surveyors, four mountain guides from Chamonix and Saint-Gervais and four students from various institutes in France. This team noted that the elevation was 4,808.45 m (15,775 ft 9 in), and the peak was 75 centimetres (30 in) away from where it had been in 2002.

After these results were published, more than 500 points were measured, to assess the effects of climate change, and the fluctuations in the height of the mountain at different points. From then on the elevation of the mountain has been measured every two years.

The interpretation that the heatwave had caused this fluctuation is disputed, because the heatwave is known not to have significantly affected the glaciers above 4,000 m (13,000 ft). The height and position of the summit could have been moved by general glacial forces. At this elevation, the temperatures rarely rise above 0 °C (32 °F). During the summer of 2003, the temperature rose to 2 °C (36 °F), and even 3 °C (37 °F), but this would not have been enough for the ice, which stayed at −15 °C (5.0 °F), to melt.

The summit was measured again in 2005, and the results were published on 16 December 2005. The height was found to be 4,808.75 m (15,776 ft 9 in), 30 cm (12 in) more than the previous recorded height.

The actual rock summit is at 4,792 m (15,720 ft), and is 40 m (130 ft) away from the ice-covered summit.

Climbing routes

There are a few classic climbing routes of Mont Blanc:

• The most popular route to climb Mont Blanc is The Voie des Cristalliers, also known as Voie Royale. Starting from Saint-Gervais-les-Bains the Tramway du Mont-Blanc (TMB) is taken to get to the Nid d'Aigle. The ascent then begins in the direction of the Tête Rousse cabin and then through the Goûter Corridor, considered dangerous because of frequent rock-falls, leading to Goûter cabin for night shelter. The next day the route leads to the Dôme du Goûter, the Vallot cabin and L'arrête des Bosses.

• La Voie des 3 Monts is also known as La Traversée. Starting from Chamonix, the Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi is taken towards the Col du Midi. The Cosmiques cabin is used to spend the night. The next day the ascent continues through Mont Blanc du Tacul and Mont Maudit.

• The historic itinerary through the Grand Mulets, which is most frequently traversed in winter by skis or in summer to go down to Chamonix.

• The normal Italian itinerary is also known as La route des Aiguilles Grises. After crossing the Miage glacier, the night is spent at the Gonella cabin. The next day proceeds through the Col des Aiguilles Grises and then the Dôme du Goûter, concluding at L'arête des Bosses.

• The Miage — Bionnassay — Mont Blanc crossing is usually done in three days. The route begins from Contamines-Montjoie, with the night spent in the Conscrits cabin. The following day, the Dômes de Miages is crossed and the night spent at the Durier cabin. The third day proceeds through l'Aiguille de Bionnassay and then the Dôme du Goûter.

From the summit of Mont Blanc on a clear day, the Jura, the Vosges, the Black Forest and the Massif Central mountain ranges can be seen, as well as the principal summits of the Alps.

exploits

• Mont Blanc was first climbed in 1786; see Exploration of the High Alps.
• The fourth ascent in 1787, by Englishman Mark Beaufoy, with at least six guides and a servant.
• In 1886, future U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt led an expedition to the peak.
• In 1890, Giovenni Bonin, Luigi Grasselli and Fr. Achille Ratti (later Pope Pius XI) discovered the normal Italian route (West Face Direct) on descent.
• In 1960, the airplane pilot Henri Giraud landed on the summit, which is only 30 m (98 ft) long.
• On the 8th August, 1986, Dennis Morrod UK, reached the summit on the Bi-Centenary of the first ascent of Mont Blanc (8 August, 1786) having walked, climbed from Les Houches. To commemorate the Bi-Centenary year further, made six more ascents climbing from Les Houches.
• In 1990, the Swiss Pierre-André Gobet, leaving from Chamonix, completed the ascent and descent in 5 hours, 10 minutes and 14 seconds.
• On 30 May 2003, Stéphane Brosse and Pierre Gignoux tried to beat the record by ski-walking. They went up in 4 hours and 7 minutes, and came back down in 1 hour and 8 minutes. In total they did the ascent and descent in 5 hours and 15 minutes.
• On 13 August 2003 seven French paraglider pilots landed on the summit. They reached a peak altitude of 5,200 m (17,000 ft), thanks to the hot weather conditions, which provided strong hot air currents. Five had left from Planpraz, one from Rochebrune at Megève and the last one from Samoëns.
• On 8 June 2007, Danish artist Marco Evaristti draped the peak of Mont Blanc with red fabric, along with a 20-foot (6.1 m) pole with a flag reading "Pink State". He was arrested and detained on 6 June for attempting to paint the peak red. His aim is to raise awareness of environmental degradation. 20 people set up a hot tub at the summit.

Cultural works

Cinema and television

• La Terre, son visage, is a documentary by Jean-Luc Prévost and published by Édition Société national de télévision française, released in 1984. It is part of the Haroun Tazieff raconte sa terre, vol. 1 series. In it he talks about the west-east crossing of Mont Blanc.
• The film Malabar Princess.
• The television-film Premier de cordée.
• Stürme über dem Mont Blanc (Storm Over Mont Blanc, 1930) with Leni Riefenstahl and directed by Arnold Fanck.
• La Roue (The Wheel, 1923) is a 273-minute film by Abel Gance depicting rail operations, workers, and families in southeastern France, including the Mont Blanc area.

In literature

• Premier de cordée by Roger Frison-Roche
• Hugo et le Mont Blanc by Colette Cosnie – Édition Guérin
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Mont Blanc by Percy Shelley
• Point Blanc by Anthony Horowitz
• The Prelude Book VI by William Wordsworth
• Kordian by Juliusz Słowacki
• Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Protection of Mont Blanc

The Mont Blanc massif is being put forward as a potential World Heritage Site because of its uniqueness and its cultural importance, considered the birthplace and symbol of modern mountaineering. However not everyone shares this goal and it would require the three governments of Italy, France and Switzerland to make a request to UNESCO for it to be listed.

Mont Blanc is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, and for this reason, it is threatened. Pro-Mont Blanc (an international collective of associations for the protection of Mont Blanc) published in 2002 the book Le versant noir du mont Blanc (The black hillside of Mont Blanc), which exposes current and future problems in conserving the site.

In 2007, Europe's highest portable toilets (two) were transported by helicopter and installed at an elevation of 4,260 metres (14,000 ft). The dunny-cans are emptied by helicopter. The facilities will service 30,000 skiers annually, and will help prevent the deposit of urine and feces that spread down the mountain face with the spring thaw.

Bibliography

• Rey, Guido, The Matterhorn (translated J. E. C. Eaton), London, 1907

See also

• Mont Blanc Tunnel
• Mont Blanc Tramway
• Mont Blanc Massif
• Haute Route
• Tour du Mont Blanc
• Mons Blanc
• List of mountains
• Exploration of the High Alps

References

1. ^ The Caucasus mountains, which include higher peaks than Mont Blanc, are included on political maps of Europe, although the case can be made that they are geographically and culturally more Asian than European. Excluding the Caucasus, Mont Blanc is the highest summit in Europe.
2. ^ ^{a b} Image:1823 Mont Blanc 1.jpg
3. ^ Muza, SR; Fulco, CS; Cymerman, A (2004). "Altitude Acclimatization Guide.". US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report (USARIEM-TN-04-05). http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7616. Retrieved on 2009-03-05.
4. ^ Cymerman, A; Rock, PB. Medical Problems in High Mountain Environments. A Handbook for Medical Officers. USARIEM-TN94-2. US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report. http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7976. Retrieved on 2009-03-05.
5. ^ The glacier des Bossons : plane crashes:
6. ^ BBC ON THIS DAY 24 January 1966: 117 die in Air India tragedy
7. ^ Vincent, Christian (2004-08-02). "The rock summit of the Mont Blanc, 40 m west of the ice summit". Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. http://ww2.cnrs.fr/en/309.htm?debut=256. Retrieved on 2008-08-08.
8. ^ Danish Artist Drapes Mont Blanc in Red, June 8, 2007
9. ^ KAIRN > Montagne / Escalade / Nature / Outdoor
10. ^ Jaccuzzi (sic) on Mont-Blanc summit
11. ^
    
12. ^ Ananova.com
13. ^ Rey's Il Monte Cervino was first published in Italian and appeared in English in 1907, in a translation by J. E. C. Eaton; a revised edition, with two further chapters by R. L. G. Irving, was published in Oxford by Basil Blackwell, 1946, and reprinted in 1949

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mont Blanc

• Mont Blanc on TierraWiki.org: Trails, Trip Reports, and GPS Routes
• (Italian) Reasoning about the border between France and Italy by Umberto PellazzaPDF (12.5 KiB)
• Official paper of the French surveying boardPDF
• Mont Blanc on Peakware
• Info on Climbing Mont Blanc, route guides gallery.
• Mont Blanc on Summitpost
• Mont Blanc on dieAlpen.at Online encyclopedia of the Alps
• Mont Blanc Massif Photos of the Mont Blanc massif including GPS coordinates of the photo locations
• Mont Blanc from space
• Photos, Pictures and Videos of Ascents of Mont Blanc Post and view stories here
• Pictures of Mont Blanc massif and surroundings
• Descent into the Ice Companion web site to the PBS NOVA program which follows a glaciologist and a climber into the glacier caves of Mont Blanc
• Mont Blanc from Pointe de Drône
• proMONT-BLANC English Site
• Why you might not want to climb Mont Blanc The mountaineering page on this site has an informative PDF document from the local guide bureau
• Funivie Monte Bianco
• Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Map
• Tour of Mont Blanc
• Live view of Mont Blanc and La Source ski resort
• Mont Blanc video. Climbing on French normal route