Timeline Of Climbing The Matterhorn
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1857

* July: First attempt (from Breuil) by Jean-Antoine Carrel, Jean-Jacques Carrel, and
Amé Gorret Amé Gorret (1836-1907), known in his native Aosta Valley as the "Abbé Gorret" (''"Father Gorret"''), was a priest and Alpinist (mountaineer). He was a member of the group which in 1865 undertook the second successful ascent of the Matterhorn, ...
.Pierre Staelen: La Conquête du Cervin
Retrieved 2010-01-18


1858

* August: Attempt by J. A. and J. J. Carrel. The ''Grande Tour'' is reached (3800 m).


1860

* July 2: Attempt from Zermatt (East face) by Charles, Alfred and Sandbach Parker (c. 3500 m)Edward Whymper, ''Scrambles amongst the Alps'' (table of attempts and ascents) * August: Attempt by
John Tyndall John Tyndall FRS (; 2 August 1820 – 4 December 1893) was a prominent 19th-century Irish physicist. His scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the p ...
, Vaughan Hawkins, J. J. Carrel (3960 m)


1861

* July 4: Second attempt by the Parker brothers (c. 3570 m) * August 29: J. A. and J. J. Carrel. The ''Crête du Coq'' is reached (4032 m) * August 29–30: First attempt by Edward Whymper and Swiss guide (Lion ridge)


1862

* January: First winter attempt (from Zermatt East face) by Thomas Stuart Kennedy guided by Peter Perren and
Peter Taugwalder Peter Taugwalder (4 April 1820 – 10 July 1888) was a Swiss mountaineer and guide. Along with his son of the same name, Taugwalder was one of seven men that made the first ascent of the Matterhorn in July 1865. He was also one of the three men th ...
(c. 3350 m) * July 7–8: Attempt by E. Whymper, Reginald J. S. MacDonald, Johann zum Taugwald, Johann Krönig, Luc Meynet (3657 m) * July 9–10: Attempt by E. Whymper, R. J. S. MacDonald, J. A. Carrel, Pession (3960 m) * July 18–19: Solo attempt by E. Whymper (4084 m) * July 23–24: Attempt by E. Whymper, J. A. Carrel, César Carrel, L. Meynet (4008 m) * July 25–26: Attempt by E. Whymper, L. Meynet (4102 m) * July 27–28: Attempt by J. Tyndall, , Anton Walters, J. A. Carrel, C. Carrel. The ''Shoulder'' is reached (
Pic Tyndall Pic Tyndall (from French: lit, ''Tyndall Peak'') is a minor summit below the Matterhorn (western shoulder) in the Pennine Alps, on the boundary between Aosta Valley (northern Italy) and Switzerland. Because of its small prominence it was included ...
, 4258 m)


1863

* August 10–11: Attempt by E. Whymper, J. A. Carrel, C. Carrel, L. Meynet and two porters (4047 m)


1865

* June 21: Attempt from the south east face (Furggen couloir) by E. Whymper, Michel Croz, Christian Almer, Franz Biner, L. Meynet (3414 m) * July: Attempt by J. A. Carrel, C. Carrel, Charles Gorret, . Pic Tyndall, 4258 m * July 14: First ascent (Hörnli ridge) by E. Whymper, Francis Douglas,
Charles Hudson Charles Hudson may refer to: * Sir Charles Hudson, 1st Baronet (1730–1813), English baronet * Charles Hudson (American politician) (1795–1881), American historian and politician, Congressman in U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts * ...
,
Douglas Hadow Douglas Robert Hadow (30 May 1846 – 14 July 1865) was a British novice mountaineer who died on the descent after the first ascent of the Matterhorn. Family Hadow was born in 1846 at 49 York Terrace, Regent's Park, London, the son of Patrick Do ...
, Michel Croz, P. Taugwalder (father), Peter Taugwalder (son). Death of Douglas, Hudson, Hadow and Croz on the descent.''Guide des Alpes Valaisannes, du Col Collon au Theodulpass'', 1992,
Swiss Alpine Club The Swiss Alpine Club (german: Schweizer Alpen-Club, french: Club Alpin Suisse, it, Club Alpino Svizzero, rm, Club Alpin Svizzer) is the largest mountaineering club in Switzerland. It was founded in 1863 in Olten and it is now composed of 111 s ...
* July 17: Second ascent and first from the Italian side by J.-A. Carrel and Jean-Baptiste Bich. A. Gorret, of the 1857 attempt, and Jean-Augustin Meynet stop just short of the summit.The Matterhorn Centenary
The Alpine Journal The ''Alpine Journal'' (''AJ'') is an annual publication by the Alpine Club of London. It is the oldest mountaineering journal in the world. History The magazine was first published on 2 March 1863 by the publishing house of Longman in London, ...
Vol. 50, pp. 9-14


1867

* August 15: 3rd ascent. Second ascent from Breuil by J. A. Carrel, J. B. Bich, and Salomon Meynet guiding
Florence Crauford Grove Florence Crauford Grove (12 March 1838 – 17 August 1902) was an English mountaineer and author, sometimes known as F. Crauford Grove. He led the first expedition to ascend the higher summit of Mount Elbrus and was at one time president of t ...
. * September 13: 4th ascent: First direct ascent of the Lion ridge as it is climbed today by Jean-Joseph and Jean-Pierre Maquignaz. * October 1–3: 5th ascent: From Breuil. J. J. and J. P. Maquignaz, C. Carrel and François Ansermin guiding William Leighton Jordan.Whymper, Edward
''Scrambles amongst the Alps''
Courier Dover Publications, 1996, p. 425


1868

* July 25: 6th ascent: Second ascent via the Hörnli ridge by and guiding Julius Elliot. * July 28: 7th ascent: First traverse of the summit (Lion and Hörnli ridges) by J. Tyndall, J. J. and J. P. Maquignaz. * August 4: 8th ascent Second traverse of the summit (Hörnli and Lion ridges) by J. J. Maquignaz, Victor Maquignaz and Elie Pession guiding François Thioly and O. Hoiler. * August 3–4: 9th ascent: P. Knubel, Hans Baumann, Peter Bernett guiding George Edward Foster. * August 8: 10th ascent: J. M. Lochmatter, P. Knubel and Niklaus Knubel guiding Paul Güssfeldt.


1869

* July 20: 15th ascent: J. A. Carrel, J. B. Bich, Alphonse Payot and guiding
James Eccles James Eccles FGS (1838 – 6 June 1915) was an English mountaineer and geologist who is noted for making a number of first ascents in the Alps during the silver age of alpinism. Life Eccles was born in Blackburn in 1838, the eldest son of Edw ...
. * August 26: 16th ascent: Ascent of the Lion ridge by Joseph, Pierre and Emmanuel Maquignaz and B. Bich guiding
Robert Boothby Heathcote Reverend Robert Boothby Heathcote (13 May 1805 – 19 September 1865) was a Church of England clergyman, who built Friday Hill House and other buildings in Chingford. Early life Robert Boothby Heathcote was born on 13 May 1805. He was the sec ...
; it was on this occasion that the guides fixed at the last bit the rope ladder which was called the Echelle Jordan, from the name of its donor.


1871

* July 22: First ascent by a woman: Lucy Walker reached the summit with her father Frank Walker and Frederick Gardiner, guided by Heinrich and Melchior Anderegg, N. Knubel, P. Knubel and P. Perren. * September 5: First traverse by a woman:
Meta Brevoort Marguerite "Meta" Claudia Brevoort (November 8, 1825 – December 19, 1876) was an American mountain climber. Brevoort was born on November 8, 1825, and spent her early years in a Paris convent school. She made a number of important ascents in t ...
with
W.A.B. Coolidge William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge (August 28, 1850 – May 8, 1926) was an American historian, theologian and mountaineer. Life Coolidge was born in New York City as the son of Frederic William Skinner Coolidge, a Boston merchant, and Elis ...
guided by Christian Almer,
Ulrich Almer Ulrich Almer was a Swiss mountain guide, born on 8 May 1849 in Grindelwald where he died on 4 September 1940. He made many premieres in the Alps, at the beginning with his father Christian Almer, one of the great guides of the golden age of mounta ...
and N. Knubel.


1872

* July 26: Traverse Breuil-summit-Zermatt in 18 hours by J. J. Maquignaz and Anton Ritz guiding J. Jackson.Guido Rey, ''The Matterhorn''


1876

* July 23: First ascent without mountain guides by John Brise Colgrove, Albert Harold Cawood and Arthur Cust.


1879

* September 3: First ascent via the Zmutt ridge by
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 ...
, Alexander Burgener, Johann Petrus and Augustin Gentinetta. ** One hour later
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 ...
, and Louis Zurbrücken finished the first ascent (partially) over the west face (significantly overlapping the Zmutt Ridge route) * September 6: Second ascent of the Zmutt ridge by Baumann with guides J. Petrus and
Émile Rey Émile Rey (August 1846 — 24 August 1895) was an alpine mountain guide from Aosta Valley in Italy. Dubbed "the Prince of Guides" in Courmayeur, he was one of the most renowned guides at the end of the 19th century, making many first ascents on ...
.


1880

* July 16: A. Burgener,
Benedikt Venetz Benedikt may refer to: *Benedikt, a spelling of the name Benedict *Benedikt, Benedikt Benedikt () is the central settlement in the Municipality of Benedikt in northeastern Slovenia. Before 1998, it was part of the Municipality of Lenart. It lies ...
and A. F. Mummery attempted the first ascent of the Furggen ridge. At the level of the Swiss Shoulder they were forced to traverse along the east face to the Swiss ridge, to climb to the summit by the ordinary route.


1881

* August 4: Ascent by future US President Theodore Roosevelt, guided by Taugwalder.


1882

* March 16: First winter ascent (Lion ridge) by J. A. Carrel, J. Baptiste Carrel and Louis Carrel guiding
Vittorio Sella Vittorio Sella (28 August 1859 – 12 August 1943) was an Italian photographer and mountaineer, whose photographs of mountains are regarded as some of the finest ever made. Life and career Sella was born in Biella in the foothills of the Alps an ...
. Descent via the Hörnli ridge (17th).


1889

* Ascent by Achille Ratti (later
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 â€“ 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
)


1894

* Polish ascent by
Marian Smoluchowski Marian Smoluchowski (; 28 May 1872 – 5 September 1917) was a Polish physicist who worked in the Polish territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was a pioneer of statistical physics, and an avid mountaineer. Life Born into an upper-c ...
and other team.


1895

* August 25:
Luigi Amedeo Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, (29 January 1873 – 18 March 1933) was an Italian mountaineer and explorer, briefly Infante of Spain as son of Amadeo I of Spain, member of the royal House of Savoy and cousin of the Italian King Vi ...
, Duke of the Abruzzi, A. F. Mummery and
J. Norman Collie Professor John Norman Collie FRSE FRS (10 September 1859 – 1 November 1942), commonly referred to as J. Norman Collie, was an English scientist, mountaineer and explorer. Life and work He was born in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, the second of ...
made the ascent with the guide Josef Pollinger. * August 31: First descent of the Zmutt ridge by Matthias Zurbriggen and J. Pollinger guiding
Lily Bristow Emily Caroline "Lily" Bristow (1864 – 5 August 1935) was an English mountaineer who made numerous ascents in the Swiss Alps with Albert F. Mummery in the 1890s. Early life Bristow was born in Brixton, Surrey, to George Ledgard Bristow and his ...
.


1898

* First solo ascent (Hörnli ridge) by .


1906

* September 1: First solo ascent of the Zmutt ridge by .


1911

* September 9: First ascent via the Furggen ridge by
Mario Piacenza Mario Piacenza was an Italian mountain climber, ethnologist and explorer. In 1911 with J.J. Carrel and J. Gaspard reached the summit of the Matterhorn from the Furggen ridge. In 1913 he organized and led an exploration of the Ladakh Ladakh ...
with guides Jean-Joseph Carrel and Joseph Gaspard. * January 31: First winter ascent via the Hörnli ridge by
Charles Francis Meade Charles Francis Meade (born 25 February 1881 – died 1975) was an English mountaineer and author. Origins Born in England, Meade was the only surviving child of the Hon. Sir Robert Henry Meade and Caroline Georgiana Grenfell. His mother died sh ...
with the guides Josef Lochmatter and J. Pollinger.


1923

* August 12: Attempt on the north face by and Franz Piekielko. The summit was reached via the Hörnli ridge.


1928

* August: Attempt on the north face by Kaspar Mooser and Victor Imboden.''Alpinisme Cervin/Dent Blanche Weisshorn, du Col Collon au Theodulpass'', 2012,
Swiss Alpine Club The Swiss Alpine Club (german: Schweizer Alpen-Club, french: Club Alpin Suisse, it, Club Alpino Svizzero, rm, Club Alpin Svizzer) is the largest mountaineering club in Switzerland. It was founded in 1863 in Olten and it is now composed of 111 s ...


1931

* August 1: First ascent of the north face by the brothers and . * October 15: First ascent of the south face by Enzo Benedetti with guides
Louis Carrel Luigi (Louis) Carrel aka ''Carrellino'' (1901–1983) was an Italian mountain climber, mountain guide and ski mountaineer. Biography Carrel was the son of the mountain guide Jean-Joseph Carrel and his wife Joséphine Pellissier. He was born in ...
and Maurice Bich.


1932

* August 12–13: First all-female unguided ascent by
Miriam Underhill Miriam O'Brien Underhill (July 22, 1898 – January 7, 1976) was an American mountaineer, environmentalist and feminist, best known for the concept of "manless climbing" – organizing all-women's ascents of challenging climbs, mostly in the Alps ...
(United States) and Alice Damesme (France). * September 19: First complete ascent of the east face by Enzo Benedetti and Giuseppe Mazzotti with guides Louis and Lucien Carrel, M. Bich and Antoine Gaspard.


1934

*
Paul Petzoldt Paul Kiesow Petzoldt (January 16, 1908 – October 6, 1999) was an American mountaineer and wilderness educator known for establishing the National Outdoor Leadership School in 1965. Early life and education Petzoldt was born in Creston, ...
traversed the Matterhorn and then retraced his route over the summit on the same day.


1936

* First winter solo ascent via the Hörnli ridge by
Giusto Gervasutti Giusto Gervasutti (17 April 1909 – 16 September 1946) was an Italian mountain climber, Alpini officer and skier. Biography Gervasutti, also known as "Il Fortissimo" ("the strongest"), was born in Cervignano del Friuli. He started climbing at th ...
.Robin G. Collomb, ''Pennine Alps Central'', London: Alpine Club, 1975, pp. 241–59


1948

* March 25: First winter ascent via the Zmutt ridge by Henri Masson and Edmund Petrig.


1950

* August 19: First ascent by a cat (Hörnli ridge). It climbed up entirely unaided, but made its descent in a guide's rucksack.


1959

* July 22: First solo ascent of the north face by Dieter Marchart.


1961

* Fast ascent by Ian Angell in 3 hours and 25 minutes.


1962

* February 4: First winter ascent of the north face by Hilti von Allmen and . * August 13: First complete ascent of the west face by Renato Daguin and Giovanni Ottin. All faces and ridges have been completely ascended


1965

* February 22: In winter and alone, Walter Bonatti climbs a direct new route on the north face, the "North Face Direct". Bonatti set off on February 18, accompanied by three friends in order to simulate an ordinary day of alpine skiing. He prepared himself in secret behind a boulder, then for the next four days struggled against solitude, cold and technical difficulties.Herve Barmasse and Luca Maspes, July 2006, "The Matterhorn", ''Alpinist'', 16 * July 13: Yvette Vaucher, climbing with her husband Michel Vaucher, becomes the first woman to climb the Matterhorn's north face.


1969

* Ascent of the north face by
Jean Troillet Jean Troillet (born 10 March 1948) is a professional mountain climber. Of Swiss and Canadian nationality, he obtained his mountain guide qualifications in 1969. Also in 1969, and at the age of 21, he set a speed record for an ascent of the Matt ...
in 4 hours and 10 minutes.


1970

*August Attempted ascent of the Swiss side of the Matterhorn by Japanese climbers Michio Oikawa and Masayuki Kobayashi who disappeared. Remains found in Sept 2014 and identified in August 2015


1971

* December 23: First winter ascent via the south face by Arturo Squinobal and Oreste Squinobal.


1975

* February 28: First winter ascent via the east face by René Arnold, Guido Bumann and Candide Pralong.


1977

* February 16: First winter solo ascent of the Schmid route on the north face by
Tsuneo Hasegawa was a Japanese alpinist. His achievements include the winter solo ascent of the "Great North Faces of the Alps" or "North Face Trilogy" (Matterhorn in 1977, Eiger in 1978, Grandes Jorasses in 1979) and the world's first winter solo ascent of the S ...
.


1978

* January 11: First winter ascent of the west face by Rolando Albertini, Marco Barmasse, Innocenzo Menabreaz, Leo Pession, A. Squinobal, O. Squinobal and Augusto Tamone. Death of Rolando Albertini. * March 10: First winter all-female ascent of the north face, the Schmid route, by Polish team
Anna Czerwińska Anna Czerwińska (10 July 1949 – 31 January 2023)Zmarła Anna Czerwińska, wybitna himalaistka
wa ...
, Irena Kęsa,
Krystyna Palmowska Krystyna is a Polish variant of name Christine or Christina. It may refer to: People with the name *Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz (born 1936), Polish naval engineer and sailor *Krystyna Janda (born 1952), Polish actress *Krystyna Kuperberg (bor ...
and Wanda Rutkiewicz.


1990

* Mountain guide
Ulrich Inderbinen Ulrich Inderbinen (December 3, 1900, Zermatt, Valais – June 14, 2004) was a Swiss mountain guide famous for his longevity and love for mountain climbing. He had been on the top of Matterhorn The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm ...
makes his 370th and last ascent of the Matterhorn, before his 90th birthday.


1992

* August 20:
Hans Kammerlander Hans Kammerlander (born 6 December 1956, Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy) is an Italian mountaineer, living in Ahornach, a hamlet nearby Sand in Taufers. He has climbed 13 of the 14 8000m peaks. In 1984, together with Reinhold Messner he was the ...
and climb the Matterhorn four times in 23 hours and 26 minutes. The route they followed was: Zmutt ridge–summit–Hörnli ridge (descent)–Furggen ridge–summit–Lion ridge (descent)–Lion ridge–summit–Hörnli ridge (descent)–Hörnli ridge–summit–Hörnli Hut (descent).


1994

* March 11: Second ascent of the North Face Direct (Bonatti route), and first female ascent, by
Catherine Destivelle Catherine Destivelle (born 24 July 1960) is a French rock climber and mountaineer who is considered one of the greatest and most important female climbers in the history of the sport. She came to prominence in the mid-1980s for sport climbing by ...
(started on 8th).


1995

* August 17:
Bruno Brunod Bruno Brunod (born 10 November 1962 in Aosta) is an Italian athlete, a bicyclist who began running late, when he was in his thirties. He is twice world champion of the Skyrunner World Series and holds numerous speed records for climbing and descen ...
sprints up and down the Lion ridge from Breuil, ascending and descending 2469 vertical meters in 3hrs and 14 minutes.Kilian Jornet Shatters Matterhorn Speed Record
/ref>


2007

* September 6: Mountain guides Simon Anthamatten and Michael Lerjen, both of Zermatt, ascended and descended the Hörnli ridge in a record retour (combined time of ascent and descent) of 2 hours and 33 minutes (ascent: 1 hour and 40 minutes, descent: 53 minutes).


2009

* January 13:
Ueli Steck Ueli Steck (; 4 October 1976 – 30 April 2017) was a Swiss rock climber and mountaineer. He was the first to climb Annapurna solo via its South Face (though this is disputed by some), and set speed records on the North Face trilogy in the Alps ...
climbs the classic Schmid route on the north face in 1 hour and 56 minutes. * June: Swiss mountain guide
Jean Troillet Jean Troillet (born 10 March 1948) is a professional mountain climber. Of Swiss and Canadian nationality, he obtained his mountain guide qualifications in 1969. Also in 1969, and at the age of 21, he set a speed record for an ascent of the Matt ...
climbs a 600 meters new route on the north face.


2011

* August 23:
Andreas Steindl Andreas Steindl (born 8 April 1989) is a Swiss mountain climber, ski mountaineer and mountain guide. Steindl was born in Zermatt, where he worked as a carpenter before he earned his mountain guide diploma in 2011. He also competes in alpine ski ...
runs 2915 vertical meters from Zollhaus, Zermatt, up the Matterhorn over the Hörnli ridge in a record time of 2 hours and 57 minutes.


2013

* August 21:
Kilian Jornet Killian or Kilian, as a given name, is an Anglicized version of the Irish name Cillian. The name Cillian was borne by several early Irish saints including missionaries to Artois and Franconia and the author of the life of St Brigid. The name is s ...
sprints up and down the shortest ridge of the Matterhorn in 2 hours and 52 minute, breaking Brunod's Lion ridge run from Breuil by 22 minutes


2015

*April 22:
Dani Arnold Dani Arnold (born 22 February 1984) is a Swiss extreme mountaineer. He is famous for his fast climbs, holding speed records on several routes including the Matterhorn in Switzerland and the Cima Grande di Lavaredo in Italy. Life and career Da ...
climbs the classic Schmid route on the North Face in a one-hour and 46 minutes, 10 minutes faster than Ueli Steck in 2009.Dani Arnold Breaks Matterhorn Speed Record
Climbing, 30 April 2015


References

{{reflist * Helmut Dumler and Willi P. Burkhardt, ''The High Mountains of the Alps'', London: Diadem, 1994 Matterhorn History of mountaineering Regional timelines Mountaineering in the Alps Mountaineering in Switzerland Mountaineering in Italy History of the Alps