Matterhorn, Switzerland

Situated in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy, is one of the most famous and distinctive of all Alpine peaks. The Matterhorn is a pyramidal – shaped colossus standing at a skyline – dominating 4478 m.  Its four step faces  rise above the nearby glaciers and face the four compass points north east south and west. Although not the highest peak in the Alps its fame is due to its almost impossible shape; an unusual landform with a summit that appears  to extend over its north face, making it look like a cobra about to strike.

The History of Matterhorn

The formation of the Matterhorn ( and the rest of the Alps) began some 50 to 60 million years ago, when  the African and  Euorasian  tectonic plates collided and layers of sedimentary rock that had formed in the seas between them were thrust up above sea level. Experts suggest that the Matterhorn began as a round hill, but gained its distinct pyramidal shape as a result of natural erosive forces over the last million years.

The first successful ascent of this iconic peak was on   July 14 1865 by a team led by English climber and explore Edward Whymper. He had previously made several  attempts on the summit. The climb was marred by tragedy as four team members lost their lives in a fall just below the summit during the descent. The second ascent occurred  just three days after Whymper’s triumph, from the Italian side. The mountain’s difficult north face was not climbed until July 31 and August 1, 1931.

The Matterhorn’s north face overlooks the Swiss Zmutt Valley, whilst the south stands guard  over the Italian Ski resort  village of  Breuil – Cervinia . The Theodul pass a trade route used by ancient Romans and Celts as early as 100 BC connects the two destinations. Unknown to most the Romans originally named the Matterhorn, “Mans Silvius”, in fact it was not until sometime during the 1550’s that Germans named the mountain Matterhorn, derived from “mate” meaning meadow and “horn” meaning peak.

Climbing Matterhorn

 The climbs are long and demanding an dit is essential that climbers have previous alpine mountaineering experience. The usual route is up the North – East ridge. This is the central ridge that can be seen from the village of Zermatt at the foot of the mountain. The ascent starts at Hornli Hut a mountain hut situated at 3260 m above sea level. It involves 1219 m climbing and takes around six hours up and five hours down. There are fixed ropes on some parts of the climb. Although this is considered the easiest, it has on AD ( fairy difficult) rating. Other routes on the mountain include the Zmutt  ridge, the north face and the Italian ridge ( South – West, or Lion ridge), which was the route taken by the party that reached the summit three days after Whymper.

When to Visit Matterhorn

If you are attempting to climb the Matterhorn the best times are from mid – July to mid – September, depending on the amount of snow on the mountain. However it’s important to bear in mind that the weather on the mountain is dangerously unpredictable and changes commonly occur throughout the day.

How to get to Matterhorn

International flights into Switzerland arrive at either, Geneva, or Zurich airports, with both providing easy access to Zermatt through the Swiss rail network. Train is the most convenient way to get to Zermatt as it is a car – free village. Only electric cars are allowed to operate within its boundaries.