Google Street View Conquers Mont Blanc

Western Europe's highest peak can now be visited easily without the preparation needed and the extra cost and from the very own comfort of one's personal computer--that's right, from behind the screens, and this is made possible by Google Street View.

This Thursday, the tech giant released street-view images that have been collected by a team of mountaineers who braved to hike, ski and trek to the top of the highest Alps Mont Blanc. The collected data consisted of striking images and accompanying video that highlight Mont Blanc's panoramic views and glaciers.

Google's panoramic imagery of the western European peak offers viewers the chance to explore the area with a 360-degree look into the mountain and its snow-covered surroundings. Mont Blanc's Google Street View is now available to be viewed online by people who have been dying to visit the place and haven't got the time to do so, as well as by those who are just curious to know what it looks like.

The tech giant's panoramic view of the peak on the French-Italian border was made possible by its Street View team collaborating with some of the most experienced mountaineers in the world, who can be spotted among the 360 images.

Viewers can find the title holder Kilian Jornet, who is known for his speed record of ascending and descending Mont Blanc in just 4 hours and 57 minutes while trekking the snow-covered mountain. They can also follow record-setting alpine climber Ueli Steck tackling the western European peak and check out French-climbing legend Catherine Destivelle ascending the 3,842 peak near Mont Blanc, the Aiguille du Midi.

Google Street View users can even race through the snowy trek with 14-time ski mountaineering champion Laetitia Roux or feel the thrill of flying through the air with free skier Candide Thovex. Aside from these exciting things one can view and experience through the team, users can also walk the peak's Goûter Route with elite guide Pesce.

Pesce had even carried the street view trekker all the way up and down Mont Blanc to be able to provide the necessary images needed. The trekker is a special camera that captures 360-degree images that viewers can use to peer over the shoulder of the climbers and check out the top of the mountain.

The search engine giant is hoping that the latest Street View images can serve as an important digital record for the 15,777 feet high Mont Blanc, which is currently one of those greatly affected by global warming.

The Mont Blanc Street View is just another one of the places that Google has tried to take 360-degree imagery. Last year saw the tech company mapping out the infamous cliff face of Yosemite national park, which is El Capitan, with known climbers Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell and Lynn Hill. Google has also mapped Jordan's desert temples in Petra and Peru famous Machu Picchu.