The Mont Blanc massif looms large over the Chamonix valley. The summit, Western Europe’s tallest, reaches 15,777 feet above sea level, and the mountain’s shoulders sprawl into Switzerland, Italy, and France. Mont Blanc’s snowcapped ridge dominates the skyline of its surrounding towns and villages, capturing the imaginations of many mountain athletes.
“Living in Chamonix, you’re looking at Mont Blanc all the time. It’s such an emblematic summit,” says Hillary Gerardi, a professional mountain runner for Black Diamond, who grew up in the U.S. but lives in Chamonix, France.
Gerardi, 35, has long been big in the skyrunning scene, with wins at the 2021 Marathon du Mont-Blanc 90K, 2018 Tromso Skyrace, and 2018 Skyrunner World Series. Her mountain movement isn’t limited to running, though. Gerardi set the first and Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route Ski Traverse in 2021.
Mountain Movement
Gerardi’s love for exceptionally difficult mountain travel was forged in New Hampshire, where she worked in Appalachian Mountain Club huts and spent summers…
