Matterhorn

The Matterhorn is a famous mountain in the Alps, between Switzerland and Italy. It is very tall, at 4,478 metres (14,692 ft), and one of the highest peaks in the Alps and Europe. People call it the "Mountain of Mountains" in German because of its beautiful, pyramid-like shape. Many think it is the most beautiful and most photographed mountain in the world.

The mountain has four steep faces, each facing one of the four directions. Three faces are on the Swiss side, and the fourth is on the Italian side. The Matterhorn overlooks the town of Zermatt in Switzerland and Breuil-Cervinia in Italy. It has been studied by famous scientists and artists over the centuries.

The first successful climb of the Matterhorn happened in 1865, led by Edward Whymper. Some climbers sadly did not survive. Today, many climbers still try to reach the top each year, making it one of the most popular—and dangerous—mountains to climb in the world.

Names

The name Matterhorn comes from German words Matte ("meadow") and Horn ("horn"), meaning "the peak of the meadows".

In old maps, the mountain had different names. One map from 1545 called it Mons Silvius or Augstalberg, while a 1548 map used only Mons Silvius. In French, it is called Cervin, which comes from the Latin Mons Silvanus. This name changed over time from Selvin to Servin and finally to Cervin.

The Matterhorn is also known as Gran Bècca ("big mountain") by the local people and Horu in Walliser German. The German name "Matterhorn" was first used in 1682. Because of its special shape, many mountains around the world are called "the Matterhorn" of their own countries.

Height

The Matterhorn has two peaks on a rocky ridge that is 100 meters long. This ridge marks the border between Italy and Switzerland. Scientists have measured the Matterhorn many times. In 1999, they found the top of the mountain is 4,477.54 meters (14,690 feet) above sea level.

The Matterhorn is special because it rises very high above the land around it. It is one of the tallest mountains in the Alps and Europe. It is an important mountain in the regions of Valais and Aosta Valley, and in the towns of Zermatt and Valtournenche.

Geography

The Matterhorn is shaped like a pyramid with four sides, one for each direction. Three sides are in Switzerland and one side is in Italy. The mountain is steep, and only small areas of snow and ice stay on its sides. Avalanches push snow down to glaciers at the base of the mountain.

Well-known sides are the east and north, which can be seen from the area of Zermatt. The north side can be dangerous because of rockfalls and storms. The south side has many different climbing routes, while the west side has fewer routes and is in a more remote area.

Weather

The Matterhorn is a tall mountain that stands alone. Because it is so high and sits on the main water divide of the Alps, its weather can change fast. The steep sides and its lonely spot often make special clouds form around it. The air moves around the mountain, creating condensation and swirling patterns in the sky.

Geology

See also: Geology of the Alps

The Matterhorn's pyramid is made from very old Paleozoic rocks. These rocks were pushed over the mountain's base long ago. Ice and weather shaped the mountain into its current form.

The Matterhorn is mostly made from a special rock called gneiss. This rock is part of the Dent Blanche klippe, which came from a piece of land that moved away from Africa long ago. An explorer named Horace-Bénédict de Saussure studied the Matterhorn and thought about how powerful forces shaped it.

The Matterhorn began to form when a huge landmass called Pangaea split apart 200 million years ago. The rocks of the Matterhorn moved toward Europe. Over time, ice and wind wore down the rock, giving the mountain its sharp shape. The ice freezes and thaws, breaking the rock and creating the mountain's pointed look.

Tourism and trekking

Since the 1700s, many people have loved the Alps. The Matterhorn became famous in 1865 after a climb and an accident.

Trains and cable cars help visitors reach great heights. The Gornergrat railway goes up to 3,100 metres, and the Klein Matterhorn is the highest cable car station in Europe at 3,883 metres. Skiers and hikers enjoy the Zermatt and Breuil-Cervinia areas, connected by lifts. The Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt shows how people have explored this area.

Trekkers can walk around the Matterhorn in about ten days, seeing beautiful valleys and high passes. Each year, nearly two million people visit Zermatt to enjoy its wonders.

Climbing history

The Matterhorn was one of the last major Alpine mountains to be climbed, not because it was very hard, but because people were afraid of it. Early climbers mostly tried from the Italian side, which is actually more difficult. Key climbers were Jean-Antoine Carrel and his uncle Jean-Jacques Carrel, who made early attempts in 1857 and 1858, reaching 3,800 meters. In July 1860, three brothers from Liverpool tried but turned back around 3,500 meters. Later that year, Jean-Jacques Carrel guided others to nearly 4,000 meters.

Edward Whymper joined the efforts in 1861 but only reached 4,100 meters in his first seven tries. Finally, on July 14, 1865, Whymper reached the summit via the Hörnli ridge in Switzerland, guided by Michel Croz and the Taugwalder father and son, with Charles Hudson, Lord Francis Douglas, and Douglas Robert Hadow. During the descent, Hadow, Croz, Hudson, and Douglas fell and died.

Just three days later, on July 17, 1865, Jean-Antoine Carrel and Jean-Baptiste Bich reached the summit from the Italian side.

Before the first ascent

In the summer of 1860, Edward Whymper saw the Matterhorn for the first time. He was an English artist hired to sketch the mountains near Zermatt. The unclimbed Matterhorn fascinated him. Whymper’s first try was in August 1861 from Breuil. He hired a Swiss guide and almost hired Jean-Antoine Carrel but decided against it. The Carrels tried alone and reached 4,032 meters. Whymper and his guide camped and turned back.

In 1862, Whymper tried again from the south side but was injured on the descent. In July, John Tyndall and guides reached near the summit but were stopped by a deep cleft. The Matterhorn stayed unclimbed.

Whymper returned in 1863 with Carrel but a storm forced them to turn back halfway. He didn’t try again for two years.

In 1865, Whymper planned to climb via the south face. On June 21, his group turned back due to rockfall. He spent weeks climbing other mountains before returning on July 7. Meanwhile, the Italian Alpine Club planned to climb it first. Felice Giordano hired Carrel but kept plans secret from Whymper.

Whymper discovered Giordano’s plan and went to Zermatt to hire guides. He joined forces with Lord Francis Douglas, Charles Hudson, and Douglas Robert Hadow, who had hired Michel Croz. They decided to try the Hörnli ridge with two local guides, the Taugwalders.

First ascent

Whymper and his group left Zermatt early on July 13, 1865, reaching the foot of the Hörnli ridge in six hours. Meanwhile, Carrel and six Italian guides started from the Italian side.

Whymper found the Hörnli ridge easier than expected. After camping, they started up the ridge early. Near the summit, they switched to the north face because the ridge was too steep and rotten. They reached the summit area. Croz and Whymper reached the top first.

Carrel and his group were about 400 meters below on the Italian ridge and gave up when they saw Whymper on the summit.

After building a cairn, they stayed an hour on the summit and began descending. During the descent, Hadow slipped and fell on Croz, dragging Hudson and Douglas down. The survivors were stunned and couldn’t move until help arrived. They searched in vain for the fallen climbers and continued down, reaching Zermatt the next day. Searches found some of the climbers, but one was never found.

Second ascent

On July 16, 1865, just two days after the first ascent, Jean-Antoine Carrel set out to prove the Italian side could be climbed. He was joined by Amé Gorret, a priest, along with Jean-Baptiste Bich and Jean-Augustin Meynet.

They reached the summit. Meanwhile, Giordano watched from Breuil and saw their flag on the western summit.

Other ascents

On August 22, 1871, Lucy Walker became the first woman to summit the Matterhorn, followed weeks later by Meta Brevoort.

In 1876, three English mountaineers made the first ascent without guides. They reached the summit on July 23.

Ridges

The north and west faces with the snowy Zmutt ridge in the center

On the Zmutt ridge, with north face in background (c. 3,900 m)

The first direct climb of the Italian (south-west) ridge was by J. J. and J. P. Maquignaz on September 13, 1867.

Julius Elliott made the second ascent via the Hörnli (north-east) ridge in 1868, and later that year, John Tyndall, J. J. Maquignaz, and J. P. Maquignaz were the first to cross the summit using both the Hörnli and Italian ridges. The first winter ascent of the Hörnli ridge was by Vittorio Sella with guides on March 17, 1882.

The Zmutt (north-west) ridge was first climbed by Albert F. Mummery, Alexander Burgener, and others on September 3, 1879.

The last of the Matterhorn’s four ridges to be climbed was the Furggen (south-east) ridge. It wasn’t until September 23, 1941, that a group climbed the full ridge including the overhangs.

In 1966, René Arnold and Joseph Graven made the first solo climb of all four Matterhorn ridges.

In 1985, Marco Barmasse did the same but included the first solo ascent of the Furggen overhangs.

On August 20, 1992, Italian alpinist Hans Kammerlander and Swiss guide Diego Wellig climbed the Matterhorn four times in 23 hours and 26 minutes.

In 1995, Bruno Brunod climbed from Breuil-Cervinia to the Matterhorn in 2 hours 10 minutes and back in 3 hours 14 minutes and 44 seconds.

On August 21, 2013, Spanish mountain runner Kilian Jornet broke Brunod’s record, reaching the top from Breuil-Cervinia in 1 hour 56 minutes and returning in 2 hours 52 minutes.

Faces

William Penhall and guides made the first partial ascent of the west face. It wasn’t until 1962 that the west face was fully climbed.

The north face was one of the last big wall problems in the Alps before it was climbed in 1931.

The first ascent of the south face was by Enzo Benedetti with guides on October 15, 1931. The first complete ascent of the east face was by Enzo Benedetti and G. Mazzotti with guides on September 18-19, 1932.

Legacy: beginning of mountain culture

The first ascent of the Matterhorn changed mountain culture. Whymper’s book about it was a worldwide bestseller. Tourists began visiting Switzerland in summer to see the Alps and often hired local guides. With alpine skiing starting in the early 20th century, tourists also came in winter. Mountaineering helped turn Switzerland’s mountain regions into tourist destinations. This mix of climbing, skiing, and tourism spread to many places.

Climbing routes

Many people climb the Matterhorn each summer, especially using the northeast Hörnli route. Climbers can reach the top, though it can be hard. Fixed ropes help make the climb safer.

Climbers usually start by taking a cable car from Zermatt up to Schwarzsee, then hike to the Hörnli Hut to stay overnight. Early the next morning, they begin their climb to reach the summit before afternoon storms arrive. There are other routes too, such as the Italian (Lion) ridge and the Zmutt ridge.

History

One of the earliest writers to talk about the area around the Matterhorn was Aegidius Tschudi. He wrote about it in 1538 but didn’t focus much on the mountain itself.

For many years, the Matterhorn wasn’t studied much. Then, a scientist named Horace Benedict de Saussure visited the mountain. He didn’t climb it, but he was very interested in it. He was the first to measure its height. He climbed a nearby peak called the Klein Matterhorn and wrote about what he saw.

More people began to visit the Matterhorn. Some English travelers crossed a high pass to see it and were amazed by its beauty. A book about Switzerland published around this time described the Matterhorn as one of the most amazing shapes in the Alps.

Over time, many scientists, artists, and travelers came to see the Matterhorn. They wrote poems, drew pictures, and studied the mountain. One famous writer, John Ruskin, called it “the most noble cliff in Europe.”

In 1865, a climber named Edward Whymper reached the top.

Later, there were plans to build railways and cable cars to the top, but people wanted to protect the mountain, so these plans were stopped.

In 2015, the 150th anniversary of the first climb was celebrated with special events. In 2020, lights were shone on the mountain to show support and hope.

Other mountains

Many mountains around the world are like the Matterhorn because they look similar or are hard to reach.

Mountains named after the Matterhorn

• Little Matterhorn (1,480 m), Australia
• Matterhorn (1,600 m), in Antarctica
• Matterhorn (3,305 m), in Nevada
• Matterhorn Peak (3,744 m), in California
• Matterhorn Peak (4,144 m), in Colorado
• Matterhorn Peak (2,636 m), in British Columbia
• Neny Matterhorn (1,125 m), Antarctica

In culture

The Matterhorn mountain has inspired many artists, filmmakers, and creators. In the 1900s, famous people like Luis Trenker and Walt Disney used the Matterhorn in their work. You can see large copies of the Matterhorn in places like Disneyland and Window of the World. In 2021, a new exhibit opened at the Swiss Museum of Transport where visitors can experience climbing the Matterhorn virtually.

A famous poster of the Matterhorn was made in 1908 by an artist named Emil Cardinaux. This poster helped promote the town of Zermatt. Cardinaux also created a poster for the chocolate brand Toblerone in the 1920s, and the Matterhorn first appeared on Toblerone chocolate bars in 1960. The shape of the mountain is still used today in many advertisements and artworks.

The Matterhorn has also appeared in paintings, coins, music, and movies. It can be seen on the cover of a popular album by the band Depeche Mode, and there are songs and films named after this famous mountain.