Historedia
Episode 2 of 2

First Complete Ascent

When
July 30, 1859
Where
Combin de Grafeneire summit
Part of
First ascent of Grand Combin

Charles Sainte-Claire Deville and five guides achieved the first complete ascent of Grand Combin on July 30, 1859.

The expedition reached the highest summit, Combin de Grafeneire, at 4,309 meters. This success distinguished the event from earlier attempts that only reached the eastern Aiguille du Croissant. The party included guides Daniel, Emmanuel, and Gaspard Balleys, along with Basile Dorsaz.

Sources

  1. Grand Combin Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-13

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.