Michel-Gabriel Paccard

Michel-Gabriel Paccard was an 18th-century Swiss physician and mountaineer known for pioneering high-altitude medicine. He achieved fame as one of the first Europeans to successfully reach and summit Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, in 1786. Paccard's interest in the physical effects of extreme altitude led him to study health and safety in mountain environments, contributing to early understanding of how high altitudes impact the human body. His efforts helped lay the groundwork for mountaineering exploration and the development of altitude medicine.