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Au pays du Mont-Blanc

A centre of expertise situated at the foot of Europe’s highest mountain.
It is only natural that over time a group of structures emerged around Mont Blanc in response to the need to anticipate future requirements and adapt to changes in alpine activities. But also to train, treat, prevent, rescue, and encourage research.

The Chamonix Hospital, at the centre of an impressive concentration of competences was the natural choice as headquarters for the IFREMMONT.

Our partners: the DMTM( Département de Médecine et de Traumatologie de Montagne , department of mountain medicine and traumatology) has been in recent years a leading source of clinical research into frostbite and hypothermia as well as the medical aspects of mountain rescue techniques. The ENSA, in parellel, with its training courses for mountain guides and ski instructors, has also performed research into sports physiology.

Scientific research in the Mont Blanc area started as early as the 18th century when de Saussure sponsored the first ascent of the Mont Blanc for scientific purposes. This has been followed a long and uninterrupted chain of experiments, discoveries and research projects. For example Pasteur in 1860 who conducted a decisive experiment leading to the discovery that rien ne peut naître de rien (nothing arises from nothing). Followed by Joseph Vallot who built his observatory just below the summit of the Mont Blanc : the first permanent laboratory above 4000 m.
Scientific experiments are stil carried out today and the IFREMMONT is proud to be involved.

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Le refuge des Cosmiques

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Joseph Vallot

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L'observatoire Vallot

Remis en état par l'ARPE en 1984, avec l'accord du CNRS, le soutient de la mairie de CHAMONIX et de l'ENSA, l'observatoire Vallot est le plus ancien laboratoire de haute altitude au monde.
Au côté de l'ARPE, du CNRS, de l'ENSA, des autres structures universitaires, l'IFREMMONT souhaite grâce au laboratoire naturel du Mont Blanc pérenniser cet outil unique.