In the middle of the main square of Chamonix stands the memorial erected
to the Geneva naturalist Horace-Benedict de Saussure and to his guide.
Although de Saussure was not actually the first person to reach the top
of Mont Blanc, he and Balmat together gave the initial impetus to
mountaineering and awoke a new passion in mankind. The Swiss have made a
substantial contribution to the conquest of the Alps. In addition to
those of de Saussure, many other valuable explorations have been
undertaken. During the classic period of alpine mountaineering, the
XIXth century, one peak after another in the cantons of Valais and Berne
was scaled with the help of Swiss mountain guides who, again and again,
earned hearty praise from the explorers by whom they had been engaged.