I used to fly and had a French Mountain Rating that I used to use for hiring club aircraft at Meribel or Megeve. I just did the training and sent my UK licence, logbook and paperwork to the DGAC in Lyon. The French know how to do this. The Italians and Swiss do it as well - probably the Germans and Austrians, but I stuck with the French who stoically put up with my awful RT pronunciation and were completely charming. I never strayed across the French borders. Meribel had a Super Cub which was just delightful for learning the techniques around some very tricky little places and Mousquetaires for landing over at Courcheval, but the Mt Blanc massif is that much closer from Megeve if you want to get onto its glaciers. I didn't find the Rating pointless at all, the handling techniques on the ground are very different to flying from the flat. The Altiports are at 5000 - 6000 ft, the designated Altisurfaces (see the AIP) may be higher or lower - they are almost in the almost strip category, but the glaciers are obviously a lot higher and most are fair game. I have certainly landed around 10,000 ft and that wasn't extreme. Some of the cols on the Massif and around places like the Aguilles d'Arves are truly inspiring, especially if you get out for a walk around. They used to differentiate the Rating into Sol et extension Niege. Doing it on skis gave you both privileges, but it was sometimes reckoned that the summer flying off Sol was more challenging with the higher density altitudes and increased anabatic effects. Perhaps that's why it is just one Rating now. If you are a European and want to see how mountain flying is done, go to France - its not just flying around mountains, its landing all over them....and taking off again... in the same flying machine. The Americans and Canadians have their own playgrounds and I have no experience of them to offer.