The silver age of alpinism is the name given in the United Kingdom to the era in mountaineering that began after

Edward Whymper Edward Whymper FRSE (27 April 184016 September 1911) was an English mountaineer, explorer, illustrator, and author best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. Four members of his climbing party were killed during the descent. W ...

and party's ascent of the

Matterhorn The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the ...

in 1865 and ended with W. W. Graham and party's ascent of the

Dent du Géant The Dent du Géant ( It.: Dente del Gigante, "giant's tooth") (4,013 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in France and Italy. The Dent du Géant remained unclimbed during the golden age of alpinism, and was a much-coveted peak in the 1870 ...

in 1882. Whilst the

golden age of alpinism The golden age of alpinism was the decade in mountaineering between Alfred Wills's ascent of the Wetterhorn in 1854 and Edward Whymper's ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865, during which many major peaks in the Alps saw their first ascents. Prom ...

(1854–1865) was characterised by the

first ascent In mountaineering, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in guide books) is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain or the first to follow a particular climbing route. First mountain ascents are notable because they en ...

s of many of the greatest Alpine peaks, the subsequent silver age may be seen as consisting of the first ascents of the many worthwhile peaks left unclimbed, although these peaks were – and remained – largely unknown to the wider public in Britain. Once these peaks had been climbed, many ambitious alpinists turned their attention to more distant and often loftier ranges, such as the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

, the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

, the

Rockies The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

and, latterly, the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

. Prominent alpinists and guides of the period include

Christian Almer 220px, Christian Almer Christian Almer (29 March 1826 – 17 May 1898) was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascentionist of many prominent mountains in the western Alps during the golden and silver ages of alpinism. Almer was born and died ...

Melchior Anderegg Melchior Anderegg (28 March 1828 – 8 December 1914), from Zaun, Meiringen, was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascensionist of many prominent mountains in the western Alps during the golden and silver ages of alpinism. His clients were mo ...

, Hermann von Barth,

Alexander Burgener Alexander Burgener Alexander Burgener (10 January 1845, Saas Fee – 8 July 1910, near the Berglihütte) was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascentionist of many mountains and new routes in the western Alps during the silver age of alpinis ...

, W. A. B. Coolidge,

Henri Cordier Henri Cordier (8 August 184916 March 1925) was a French linguist, historian, ethnographer, author, editor and Orientalist. He was President of the Société de Géographie (French, "Geographical Society") in Paris.Clinton Thomas Dent, James Eccles, D. W. Freshfield, Pierre Gaspard,

Paul Grohmann Paul Grohmann (12 June 1838 – 29 July 1908) was an Austrian mountaineer and writer. Biography Grohmann was a pioneer in exploring technically challenging mountains and is thought to have made more first ascents of Eastern Alps summits than any ...

Paul Güssfeldt Dr Paul Güssfeldt (spelled Güßfeldt in German) (14 October 1840 – 18 January 1920) was a German geologist, mountaineer and explorer. Biography Güssfeldt was born in Berlin, where he also died almost 80 years later. After attending the C ...

Michael Innerkofler Michael Innerkofler (30 Juli 1844 – 20 August 1888) was a South Tyrol farmer, mountain climbing pioneer and mountain guide. He was born in Sexten. Innerkofler was a climbing pioneer of the Dolomites, and known for several first ascents. His ...

, John Oakley Maund, Thomas Middlemore, A. W. Moore,

Albert F. Mummery Albert Frederick Mummery (10 September 1855, Dover, Kent, England – 24 August 1895, Nanga Parbat), was an English mountaineer and author. Although most notable for his many and varied first ascents put up in the Alps, Mummery, along with ...

, Julius Payer and

William Penhall William Penhall (27 October 1858 – 3 August 1882) was an English mountaineer. Life and family The son of Dr John Penhall MRCS LSA (born 1833 at St Pancras, Middlesex, in 1871 a general practitioner in Hastings, Sussex), Penhall was educated ...

First ascents in the silver age

*1865 Aiguille du Chardonnet, Lauterbrunnen Breithorn,

Cima Tosa Cima Tosa is a mountain in the Brenta group (''It.: Dolomiti di Brenta''), a subgroup of the Rhaetian Alps in the Italian Region of Trentino-Alto Adige, with a reported height of . it is the second highest peak of the Brenta group in the southe ...

Dammastock The Dammastock (3,630 m) is the highest mountain in the Urner Alps in Switzerland and is part of the Winterberg massif. Its summit ridge forms the border between the cantons of Uri and the Valais. It is the highest summit in the canton of Uri ...

Grünhorn The Grünhorn (or ''Gross Grünhorn'') (4,044 m) is a mountain in the Bernese Alps range of the Swiss Alps. It is located on the ridge between the two largest glaciers of the Alps: the Aletsch Glacier to the west and the Fiescher Glacier to t ...

Hochfeiler The Hochfeiler ( it, Gran Pilastro; german: Hochfeiler) is a mountain, 3,510 metres high, and the highest peak in the Zillertal Alps on the border between Tyrol, Austria, and South Tyrol, Italy. The normal route to the summit Hochfeiler (Gran P ...

Monte Cevedale Monte Cevedale is a mountain at the border of the Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol regions in Italy. The southern summit (3769 m) is the highest mountain of Trentino province, while three provinces, Sondrio, South Tyrol it, Prov ...

Monte Cristallo Cristallo () (tedesco: Kristallspitze) is a mountain massif in the Italian Dolomites, northeast of Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the province of Belluno, Veneto, northern Italy. It is a long, indented ridge with four summits higher than 3,000 metres. ...

Nesthorn The Nesthorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps. It is located in the Swiss canton of Valais north of Brig. The mountain lies between the Oberaletsch Glacier on the north and east side and the Gredetschtal on the south side. It is part of the subr ...

Tschingelhorn The Tschingelhorn (3,562 m) is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, located on the border between the Swiss cantons of Bern and Valais. The summit of the Klein Tschingelhorn (3,495 m) on the west is the tripoint between the valleys of Kandertal, Laut ...

, Vertainspitze *1866

Dreiherrnspitze The Dreiherrnspitze ( it, Picco dei Tre Signori), at above mean sea level, is a mountain on the tripoint between the Austrian states of Salzburg and Tyrol (i.e. East Tyrol), and South Tyrol in Italy. It is part of the Venediger Group in the Hoh ...

, Gross Litzner,

Monte Zebrù Monte Zebrù () is a mountain of the Ortler Alps between Lombardy and South Tyrol, Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of ...

, Piz Cengalo,

Piz Platta Piz Platta is the highest peak in the Oberhalbstein Alps. It is 3392 metres high (Source: Landeskarte der Schweiz no.1256 - 1991), and is notable for its similarity in shape to the Matterhorn. Piz Platta is located between the localities of Ave ...

Piz Palü Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range of the Alps, located between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large glaciated massif composed of three main summits, on a ridge running from west to east. The main (and central) summit is 3,900 metres ...

(1868?) *1867 Cima Piazzi, Civetta,

Gletscherhorn The Gletscherhorn (3,983 m) is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, located on the border between the Swiss cantons of Bern and Valais. It forms the eastern edge of the Lauterbrunnen Wall, south of the Jungfrau. See also *List of mountains of the ...

Hintere Schwärze Hintere Schwärze (; it, Cima Nera) is a mountain on the border between Austria and Italy. At , it is the fourth highest peak in the Ötztal Alps The Ötztal Alps ( it, Alpi Venoste, german: Ötztaler Alpen) are a mountain range in the Cen ...

Olperer The Olperer is a mountain in the Zillertal Alps in the Austrian federal state of Tyrol. It is the main summit on the Tux Crest (''Tuxer Kamm'') and is often crossed in the summer as climbers transit from the Olperer Hut to the Geraer Hut. It was ...

Piz Badile Piz Badile (3,308 m) is a mountain of the Bregaglia range in the Swiss canton of Graubünden and the Italian region of Lombardy. The border between the two countries runs along the summit ridge. Its north-east face, overlooking the Swiss Val Bre ...

Pizzo Campo Tencia Pizzo Campo Tencia (or ''Campo Tencia'') is a mountain in the Lepontine Alps, which lies in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. Pizzo Campo Tencia is the highest peak located entirely inside the canton. The mountain lies south of Lago di Morghi ...

*1868 Bellavista, Ebnefluh,

Grandes Jorasses The Grandes Jorasses (4,208 m; 13,806 ft) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif, on the boundary between Haute-Savoie in France and Aosta Valley in Italy. The first ascent of the highest peak of the mountain (''Pointe Walker'') was by Ho ...

, Hochgall *1869 Dreischusterspitze,

Ellmauer Halt The Ellmauer Halt (2,344 m) is the highest peak in the mountain massif of the ''Wilder Kaiser'' in the Kaiser range (Northern Limestone Alps) in the Austrian state of Tyrol. To the east is the summit of the ''Kapuzenturm'', a striking and is ...

Gspaltenhorn The Gspaltenhorn is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, located between the valleys of Kiental and Lauterbrunnen , neighboring_municipalities= Aeschi bei Spiez, Blatten (Lötschen) (VS), Fieschertal (VS), Grindelwald, Gündlischwand, Kanders ...

, Große Zinne, Großes Seehorn, Hochfrottspitze, Hohberghorn, Langkofel, Parseierspitze,

Thurwieserspitze The Thurwieserspitze ( it, Punta Thurwieser; german: Thurwieserspitze) is a mountain in the Ortler Alps on the border between South Tyrol and the Province of Sondrio, Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the ...

Watzespitze The Watzespitze or Waze (3,533m) is the highest mountain in the Kaunergrat group of the Ötztal Alps. It is located in Tyrol, Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of ...

*1870 Ailefroide, Cimon della Pala,

Lenzspitze The Lenzspitze is a mountain in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland. It is the southernmost peak on the Nadelgrat, a high-level ridge running roughly north–south, north of Dom in the Mischabel range, above the resort of Saas Fee to the east, ...

*1871

Aiguille du Plan The Aiguille du Plan (3,673 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. Its needle-like summit lies in the centre of the Chamonix Aiguilles when viewed from Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as ...

, Dreitorspitze, Portjengrat,

Trugberg The Trugberg is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, located south of the Mönch in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is located above the Konkordiaplatz where the névé of the Jungfraufirn on the west side and the Ewigschneefeld on the east s ...

, Waxenstein *1872 Glocknerwand,

Trafoier Eiswand The Trafoier Eiswand is a mountain in the Ortler Alps on the border between South Tyrol and the Province of Sondrio, Italy. References * Peter Holl: ''Alpenvereinsführer The ''Alpine Club Guides'' (german: Alpenvereinsführer, commonly shor ...

Vezzana The Vezzana (also Cima di Vezzana) is the highest peak in the Pala group, a mountain range of the Dolomites, northern Italy. It is located in the northern part of the Dolomites, between the Taibon Agordino and Primiero comunes of Belluno and Tr ...

*1873

Aiguille de Rochefort The Aiguille de Rochefort (4,001 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in France and Italy. The peak lies on the Rochefort arête between the Dent du Géant and the Grandes Jorasses and is usually climbed during a traverse of the ridge.Dumler ...

Hinterer Brunnenkogel The Hinterer Brunnenkogel is a mountain in the Weisskamm group of the Ötztal Alps. Its summit can be reached with the highest aerial tramway in Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in th ...

, Le Râteau *1874 Aiguille de Triolet, Pflerscher Tribulaun, Rosengartenspitze,

Zwölferkofel The Zwölferkofel ( it, Croda dei Toni; german: Zwölferkofel) or Zwölfer (German for "Twelve" or "Twelfth") is a peak of the Sexten Dolomites on the border between the provinces of South Tyrol and Belluno, in Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), ...

*1875

Roche de la Muzelle The Roche de la Muzelle (3,465m) is the most western peak of the Massif des Ecrins. Located near Les Deux Alpes Les 2 Alpes () is a ski resort in the French '' department'' of Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The village sits at and lifts ...

, Sass Maor *1876 Aiguille du Plat de la Selle,

Les Droites Les Droites () is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps and is the lowest of the 4000-metre peaks in the Alps. The mountain has two summits: * West summit (3,984 m), first ascent by W. A. B. Coolidge, Christian Almer and Ulrich ...

Mont Collon Mont Collon (3,637 m) is a mountain of the Swiss Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais. Its glaciated north face dominates the view south from the village of Arolla Arolla is a village in the municipality of Evolène in the Swiss canton of ...

*1877 Aiguille Noire de Peuterey, La Meije, Pic Coolidge,

Piz Scerscen Piz Scerscen ( Romansh, it, Monte Scerscen, formerly ''Monte Rosso di Scerscen''), culminating at 3,971 m above sea level, is one of the highest peaks in the Bernina Range, straddling the border between Switzerland and Italy Italy ( it, ...

*1878

Aiguilles d'Arves The Aiguilles d’Arves () is a mountain in the Arves massif in the French Alps. The mountain, comprising three separate peaks (in French ''Aiguille''), is the highest point of the massif, and is located in the department of Savoie. Geography ...

Aiguille du Dru The Aiguille du Dru (also the Dru or the Drus; French, Les Drus) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. It is situated to the east of the village of Les Praz in the Chamonix valley. "Aiguille" means "needle" in French. The m ...

Elferkofel The Cima Undici - Elferkofel ( it, Cima Undici; german: Elferkofel) is a mountain in the Sexten Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy. References *Richard Goedeke: ''Sextener Dolomiten.'' (Alpine Club Guide) Bergverlag Rother Bergverlag Rother i ...

, Les Bans,

Mont Maudit Mont Maudit (4,465 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in France and Italy. The French name literally means "Cursed Mountain". Until the end of the 18th century, Mont Blanc and its satellite peaks were collectively known in French as the '' ...

Sextener Rotwand The Sextener Rotwand ( it, Croda Rossa di Sesto; german: Sextener Rotwand) or Zehner is a mountain in the Sexten Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy. During the so-called "White War" in World War I, the mountain was heavily contested by the armies o ...

*1879 Cima Ovest,

Dürrenhorn The Dürrenhorn (4,035 m) (also ''Dirruhorn'') is a summit in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland. It lies towards the northern end of the Nadelgrat, a high-level ridge running roughly north–south above the resort of Saas-Fee Saas-Fee () is t ...

, Monte Argentera,

Petit Dru The Aiguille du Dru (also the Dru or the Drus; French, Les Drus) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. It is situated to the east of the village of Les Praz in the Chamonix valley. "Aiguille" means "needle" in French. The ...

*1880

Aiguille des Grands Charmoz The Aiguille des Grands Charmoz (3,445 m) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc Massif in Haute-Savoie, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas F ...

, Fußstein, Grohmannspitze, Olan *1881

Aiguille du Grépon The Aiguille du Grépon (literally the ''Needle of Grépon''), informally known as The Grepon, is a mountain in the Mont Blanc Massif in Haute-Savoie, France. The Grepon has a Southern (3,482 m) and Northern (3,478 m) peak, which are the highest p ...

, Dôme de Rochefort,

Kleine Zinne The Tre Cime di Lavaredo (; ), also called the Drei Zinnen (; ), are three distinctive battlement-like peaks, in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy. They are probably one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alps. The three peaks, f ...

Totenkirchl The Totenkirchl is mountain, 2,190 m high, in the Wilder Kaiser range in the Northern Limestone Alps in Austria, east of Kufstein in Tyrol. The mountain is one of the most famous climbs in the Northern Limestone Alps with over 50 climbing ro ...

*1882

, Paternkofel A number of high, major summits were reached at a still later date, including the

Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey The Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey (4,112 m) is a mountain of the Mont Blanc massif in Italy. It is considered the most difficult and serious of the alpine 4000-m mountains to climb. There are three tops to the mountain: *''Pointe Güssfeldt'' ( ...

(1885). Many technically challenging peaks, especially in the

Dolomites The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form pa ...

, defeated climbers into the 20th century, with

Campanile Basso Campanile Basso is a mountain in the Brenta group (''It.: Dolomiti di Brenta''), a subgroup of the Rhaetian Alps in the Italian Region of Trentino-Alto Adige, with a height of (). It is of a slender, almost fully vertical shape on all sides, ri ...

(1899),Campanile Basso di Brenta
at summitpost :de:Campanile di Val Montanaia (1902), Torre Venezia (1909), Torre Trieste (1910) and Aiguille Dibona (

Angelo Dibona Angelo Dibona (7 April 1879 – 21 April 1956, nickname: Pilato) was an Austro-Hungarian and Italian mountaineer. He is remembered as one of the great pioneers of climbing in the Dolomites and is responsible for many first ascents throughout the ...

- 1913) perhaps being the last big prizes.

References

{{reflist Alpine Club (UK) History of the Alps History of mountaineering Mountaineering in the Alps Mountaineering in the United Kingdom