First ascent of the Matterhorn

Background. Whymper first saw the Matterhorn in 1860 and attempted it multiple times, reaching only 4,100 m in his first seven tries. In 1865, he planned to attack the south face instead of the Italian ridge. Meanwhile, Charles Hudson and Douglas Hadow had hired the French guide Michel Croz to try the first ascent. The two parties joined, forming a combined team for the attempt.

The Ascent. The party left Zermatt on 13 July 1865, reaching the foot of the Hörnli ridge six hours later. On 14 July, they successfully reached the summit via the Hörnli ridge, guided by Michel Croz and the Taugwalder father and son. This success occurred just days before an Italian party reached the peak from the south-west ridge.

The Descent. During the descent, the order was Croz, Hadow, Hudson, Douglas, Peter Taugwalder Sr., Whymper, and Peter Taugwalder Jr. Hadow slipped, dislodging Croz and dragging Hudson and Douglas to their deaths on the Matterhorn Glacier. The rope parted, saving Whymper and the Taugwalder guides. Three of the four victims are buried in Zermatt.