A rare early board game inspired by a British climbing hero who captivated Victorian London is set to sell for thousands at auction.

The ‘New Game of the Ascent of Mont Blanc’ was so popular that it was extended to four editions from around 1855.

The game is inspired by Albert Smith, a well-known figure in Victorian times, who famously climbed the 4,806-meter (15,766-foot) peak on the French-Italian border in 1851.

He published a book and wrote a hit play based on his experience, which ran for more than 2,000 performances over six years at London’s spectacular Egyptian Hall.

It was even performed in front of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on the Isle of Wight.

Its popularity culminated in the foundation of the Alpine Club in 1857, with Smith as one of the original members.

Further success came with the account of Smith's travels to Hong Kong in 1858. He married in 1859 but died within a year at the age of 43 from bronchitis.

The snakes-and-ladders style board game is said to have been a by-product of ‘Mont Blanc mania’ which spread throughout Victorian London.

Players start their journey at the Egyptian Hall in London and make their way across the board’s squares, which are annotated.

They take the route to Dover, then from Boulogne to Paris, before continuing to Chamonix via Dijon and Geneva. 

The final stretch involves the climb itself, with players helped by St Bernard dogs (the 'ladders') and hindered by losing their footing on the ice (the 'snakes').

Auctioneers say the game could be worth upto £1,800 when it goes up for sale in person and online at Ewbank’s in Woking, Surrey, on Friday, December 6,

Inscribed by the publishers A.N. Myers & Co, the fourth edition copy of the game is described as being in fine condition and comes in a shagreen covered box.

It also comes with printed interior lining, a 15-page instruction book with red bound spine, a linen-backed lithograph printed and coloured game board.

The game also includes six turned bone counters, three stained bone markers, and a bone teetotum, with around 100 pressed metal 'Rechenpfennig' coins in a card box.

Senior Partner Andrew Ewbank said: “This is a wonderful memento of an extraordinary life and ambition, as well as being an early example of a celebrity capitalising on their fame.

“Auctions occasionally bring long forgotten characters of note back into the limelight, and this is a fine example of that.”