Education
Born in Chamonix, he studied medicine in Turin.
Born in Chamonix, he studied medicine in Turin.
Due to his passion for botany and minerals, he met Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, who initiated the race to be the first to ascend Mont Blanc. Gaston Rébuffat wrote "Like Saussure a devotee of the natural sciences, he has a dream: to carry a barometer to the summit and take a reading there. An excellent mountaineer, he has already made several attempts."
Paccard had a first, unsuccessful, attempt in 1783 with Marc Theodore Bourrit.
In 1784, he made several attempts with Pierre Balmat.
Finally, he made the first ascent of Mont Blanc with Jacques Balmat on 8 August 1786. C. Douglas Milner wrote "The ascent itself was magnificent.
An amazing feat of endurance and sustained courage, carried through by these two men only, unroped and without ice axes, heavily burdened with scientific equipment and with long iron-pointed batons. The fortunate weather and a moon alone ensured their return alive."
Paccard later married Jacques Balmat"s sister, and became a Justice of the Peace.
There is a statue of him in Chamonix.