The First Mountaineers
1786 — when two men conquered the roof of Europe
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
On August 8, 1786, Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard made the first ascent of Mont Blanc — 4,808 meters, the highest point in Western Europe. No one believed the feat possible. The Genevan scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure had offered a reward in 1760 to anyone who could find a route. Hidden in the glacier, a crystal cave holds the secret of their success.
Mont Blanc keeps a secret only the first mountaineers knew
On Place Balmat, two bronze statues face each other: Jacques Balmat, the Chamonix crystal hunter, points toward the summit of Mont Blanc; beside him, Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, the Genevan scientist, scans the heights with his telescope. On August 8, 1786, Balmat and Dr. Paccard accomplished the impossible — climbing the roof of Europe without modern equipment, without a map, without oxygen. What they found up there, no one truly knows — for Balmat was also a crystal hunter, and the glacier caves hold mineralogical treasures only the initiated know.
« "I am the king of Mont Blanc, I am the statue of liberty." »— — Jacques Balmat, after the first ascent, August 8, 1786
Mont Blanc — when the conquest of summits changed the world
In 1760, the Genevan scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure offered a reward to anyone who could find a route to the summit of Mont Blanc. Mountains were then considered cursed places, inhabited by dragons and demons. No one dared venture beyond the alpine pastures. For twenty-six years, the challenge went unanswered.
Jacques Balmat, a Chamonix crystal hunter who roamed the glaciers in search of quartz and fluorite, knew the mountain better than anyone. On August 7, 1786, he convinced Dr. Michel-Gabriel Paccard to attempt the ascent with him. On August 8, at 6:23 PM, the two men reached the summit — 4,808 meters. It was the birth of mountaineering. The following year, Saussure made the ascent himself with eighteen guides, carrying his scientific instruments.
Balmat was also a legendary crystal hunter. The glacier caves — natural cavities where quartz, fluorite, and feldspar form crystals of extraordinary beauty — were his playground. Legend has it that he discovered a cave of giant crystals somewhere on Mont Blanc's flanks, whose location he never revealed. He vanished in 1834, at age 72, searching for a gold vein on the mountain — or perhaps his secret cave.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
The game downloads to your phone on start. Once the "✓ Downloaded" indicator appears, everything works without data — narration, AR, GPS and puzzles. Perfect abroad without a data plan.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The Route
5 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
First ascent
Relive the feat of Balmat and Paccard, the first men to summit Mont Blanc in 1786.
Glacier crystals
Follow in the footsteps of Balmat the crystal hunter and his secret cave.
Enlightenment science
Decipher the scientific codes of Saussure, pioneer of alpine geology.
Sea of Ice
Gaze at France's largest glacier from the Montenvers viewpoint.
Montenvers train
Take the historic cog railway that has climbed to the Mer de Glace since 1908.
I am the king of Mont Blanc.
From Place Balmat to the Mer de Glace, follow in the footsteps of the Alps' first conquerors.
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Is The First Mountaineers similar to a treasure hunt?
Same spirit: search, deduce, find. But here the "treasure" is a full story to piece together in eight stops. Each stop gives you a fragment of the final code. Eight fragments later, you've cracked it.
Q02Can we split The First Mountaineers across two days?
Yes — your code stays active and progress is saved. You can start Saturday afternoon, finish Sunday morning. Some players actually prefer this format to make the most of a full weekend on site.
Q03Can we play The First Mountaineers as a couple?
Great two-person format. Narration is dramatic without overdoing it, puzzles are designed to spark conversation. Ideal for new relationships or anniversaries — you discover the city and coordinate on puzzles simultaneously.
Q04What if we get stuck on a puzzle?
Three hint levels per puzzle, with a small increasing time penalty. If truly stuck after level 3, you can skip the step (45-min penalty). The point: nobody stays blocked and goes home frustrated.
Avis des aventuriers
Soyez le premier à partager votre expérience.
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Your turn to play
Decipher Saussure's code, follow Balmat's crystals, and take the Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace — an outdoor escape game at the foot of Mont Blanc, in the footsteps of the first ascent that changed the world.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+15 TripCoins granted with your booking
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