The Matterhorn 4478m – A Unique Mountain
The Matterhorn, also known as Mont Cervino in Italian, is a striking mountain easily recognizable from a distance. Its steep and lengthy ridges divide the mountain from its base, creating a beautiful pyramidal shape with a sharp summit. This peak enjoys international renown for its iconic status, symbolizing the quintessence of the Swiss Alps and mountaineering.

Matterhorn was one of the last 4000m peaks to be climbed, and the successful ascent in 1865 by a party led by Edmund Whymper marked the ending of what today is called the golden age of alpinism—10 years when most of the major Alpine peaks were scaled. Edmund Whymper’s book describes the history of the first ascension party.

General info on Matterhorn
First ascent of the Matterhorn

A proper challenge
For enthusiastic mountaineers, an ascent of the Matterhorn is a highly desired goal in their climbing career. To attempt the Matterhorn, you need prior mountain experience, a relatively high technical level, and great fitness and endurance.

Two “normal” routes define the most commonly used routes to scale the Matterhorn. The Hörnli ridge (North-East ridge) is the most frequented and is the one we prefer doing. The South-West ridge from Italy, referred to as the “Lion Ridge,” is the second most climbed route to the summit.
Contrary to many other alpine routes, the Hörnli ridge has no big glaciers, crevasses, or any particular avalanche hazard. The complex route-finding, the length (1200 height-meters), the continuous steep terrain, and the rock-fall risk in some areas make it a challenging climb not to be underestimated.

6-day program – Training before the attempt
We propose a 6-day program with training and acclimatization before an attempt to climb the Matterhorn. The first 4fourdays are spent in Chamonix on multi-pitch rock routes and various alpine climbs. The goal is to refresh and fine-tune rock climbing skills, acclimatize, and have fun.

We will pay specific attention to moving efficiently together on terrain resembling what we find on the Matterhorn. As the Matterhorn is close to 4500m in altitude, we will, during the training days, spend at least one night in a high mountain refuge and climb at altitude for optimum acclimatization. The final attempt on the Matterhorn will highlight an exhilarating week of great climbing.

Matterhorn specifics
For the climb of the Matterhorn, every client will have a guide, and you will be roped to the guide for the entire climb. The guide will be short-roping most of the way while securing tricky passages as they arrive.

During the Matterhorn climb, we keep a certain speed to reach the summit within four hours. The descent from the top is considered as complex and time-consuming as the ascent. Making good time on our way up allows us enough time to descend the mountain carefully and swiftly before we get too tired or caught in an afternoon storm. The total time to climb and descend shouldn’t exceed 8 hours.

In case of bad weather or other conditions that render the climb of the Matterhorn too dangerous, the guide will turn the attention towards other significant climbs that are feasible at the time. This is something we will decide before leaving for Zermatt.

The guide could feel the need and has the right to turn around at any time during the ascent of the Matterhorn. This critical safety measure could happen if you have overestimated your abilities, are too slow, or conditions change rapidly.

Guide Ratio
1st – 3rd day – 1 guide for a maximum of 2 participants. (Two climbers booking together)
4th – 6th day – 1 guide for a maximum of 1 participant (Two climbers booking together)
1st – 6th day – 1 guide for a maximum of 1 participant (One climber booking individually).