 The decades that followed saw the gradual opening up of Chamonix to the world, as well as the rest of the Mont Blanc massif.The many published accounts of climbs and impressive sights amongst or around the mountain range attracted numerous wealthy and notable visitors, for whom a visit to marvel at the "Sea of Ice" (the Mer de Glace) became a fashionable thing to experience.In July 1816, Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley toured the Alps and visited Chamouni (as it was then known), as well as the Mer de Glace and the Bossons Glacier.