Mont Blanc massif led to calls to limit access to the most popular summits and for the mountains to be treated with greater respect. The Mont Blanc massif has provided numerous opportunities for academic research, dating back to the very first ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786 during which Michel Paccard carried scientific equipment to confirm it as the highest summit. In 1820, an ill-fated expedition led by Dr Hamel included pigeons intended for release at varying altitudes to measure the impact of reduced air density on their ability to fly. In 1890, Joseph Vallot built a small meteorological observatory at approximately between
The Night Climbers of Oxford The Night Climbers of Oxford The Night Climbers of Oxford is a secret society, dedicated to nocturnally scaling College and town Buildings in Oxford, England. The society is particularly renowned for its political activism, controversial acts ,and urban exploration. The society was likely inspired by their Cambridge counterparts, The Night Climbers of Cambridge Their activities are forbidden by the University authorities, meaning that acts are completed under the cover of darkness, to avoid detection. Acts of nocturnal climbing in Oxford are reported to date back as early as the 1930's, with members of the Alpine Club and Oxford University Mountaineering