Matterhorn, July 14, 1865: a tragic first Although it is now one of the most climbed mountains in the Alps every year, the Matterhorn has long resisted attempts to climb it: it was one of the last mountains to be climbed and, along with grandes Jorasses and the Eiger, is considered one of the last three problems of the Alps. The first ascent of the Matterhorn took place on July 14, 1865. Rivalry and stakes Many people wanted to be the first to set foot on the Matterhorn's summit . Two in particular: Englishman Edward Whymper and Italian mountain guide Jean-Antoine Carrel. After six unsuccessful attempts, Whymper hired ...

Part II - second half of the 19th century International renown earned in blood If the Matterhorn gained notoriety in the first half of the 19th century, it wasn't until the second half that it acquired international renown. Unfortunately, this was largely due to a tragic event: the death of four climbers during the first ascent on July 14, 1865. This event caused a scandal in the European and international press, not least because, although accidents had occurred in mountaineering before, none had been so tragic. In the wake of this fatal first ascent, many ...

Means of transport underwent significant development in the 19th century, as we'll be discussing in a later article. Here, we'll take a look at an "extreme" project that never saw the light of day, that of a train and funicular that was to have taken passengers... to summit of the Matterhorn, no less! In June 1892, engineers Leo Heer-Bétrix and Xaver Imfeld were awarded the concession for a railway line to the Matterhorn. It was in fact a double concession: one line was to link Zermatt to the Gornergrat and another Zermatt to the Matterhorn. The ...