Historedia
EuropeEvent

First ascent of the Wetterhorn

When
1844–1856
Where
Swiss Alps; Great Britain
Episodes
3

Alfred Wills's 1854 ascent of the Wetterhorn is traditionally cited as the start of the golden age of alpinism, despite earlier ascents. Wills believed he made the first ascent, but guides Hans Jaun and Melchior Bannholzer reached the summit in 1844. His published account popularized mountaineering in Britain.

Episodes

  1. August 31, 1844 · Swiss Alps1844 Earlier Ascent

    Guides Hans Jaun and Melchior Bannholzer first reached the Wetterhorn summit in August 1844.

  2. September 1854 · Swiss AlpsWills's 1854 Ascent

    Alfred Wills and his party ascended the Wetterhorn in September 1854, believing it was the first ascent.

  3. 1856 · Great Britain1856 Publication Impact

    Wills's 1856 book helped make mountaineering fashionable in Britain and ushered in the golden age of alpinism.

Background and detail

Background. The Wetterhorn is a peak in the Swiss Alps above Grindelwald. The summit was first reached in August 1844 by guides Hans Jaun and Melchior Bannholzer. Alfred Wills's 1854 ascent is traditionally regarded as the start of the golden age of alpinism, though Wills mistakenly believed he made the first ascent.

Contested First Ascent. Wills's party ascended the Wetterhorn in September 1854. Wills believed he had made the first ascent, but earlier ascents by guides in 1844 were well-documented. His 1912 obituary lauded him as the first to stand on the highest peak, but a corrigendum admitted two earlier ascents.

Golden Age Impact. Wills's description of the trip in his 1856 book helped make mountaineering fashionable in Britain and ushered in the golden age of alpinism. This period, beginning with Wills's ascent, was dominated by British alpinists and their Swiss and French guides, leading to many first ascents in the Alps.

People involved

Sources

  1. Wetterhorn Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-16
  2. Golden age of alpinism Wikipedia, revision of 2025-07-16
  3. Alfred Wills Wikipedia, revision of 2025-07-06

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.