150 Years
  First Ascent

Matterhorn 2015

The First Ascent of the Matterhorn from Zermatt on July 14th 1865 was not exactly carefully planned. It was a chain of chance events that led to those seven climbers reaching the summit, then four perishing on the mountain and leaving Edward Whymper and Peter Taugwalder the subjects of intense speculation ever since.

Matterhorn 2015 takes the opportunity of its 150th Jubilee to re-live that epic event in mountaineering history. Follow Whymper on the journey across the Alps that culminated in the First Ascent of the Matterhorn and, along the way, work out what really led to the deaths of Michel Croz, Lord Francis Douglas, Charles Hudson and Douglas Hadow.

Read and experience the entire story via a Videobook, especially designed for tablets. A free App is available for download and enables you access to the history of the Matterhorn’s first ascent in any place and at any time.

Week by Week: A weekly Newsletter reports on the adventures of Summer 1865 ... as told by a contemporary of Edward Whymper. You can follow events “online” or pick up a printed version in Zermatt.

Day by day – Each afternoon an update on our website will be your gateway to the alpine exploits of that day 150 years ago.

As the action unwinds, we will keep you ud-todate either via our Live-Ticker or Twitter.

Become a Facebook friend of Edward Whymper, and hear what he has to say about the path towards the summit.

Exchange thoughts about the climb on our “Matterhorn 2015” Facebook community of adventure and nature lovers. Here you will also learn interesting fun-facts about Edward Whymper as well as his fellows, and reawaken your enthusiasm for wild adventures!

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Biographies

 
 

The Matterhorn 7

Charles Hudson

Charles Hudson - Adventurous Churchman with many years experience in the Alps and a good decade senior to Whymper.

Douglas Hadow

Douglas Hadow - Not long out of Harrow school, a novice mountaineer on an Alpine introduction with his former tutor, Charles Hudson.

Edward Whymper

Edward Whymper - English climber and wood-engraver, only 25 years old but five seasons’ experience in the mountans.

Lord Francis Douglas

Lord Francis Douglas - Young accomplished mountaineer and aristocrat.

Michel Croz

Michel Croz - Guide from the village of Le Tour near Chamonix, renowned for his skills and strength.

Peter Taugwalder Vater

Peter Taugwalder Vater - Well-known Zermatt guide.

Peter Taugwalder Son

Peter Taugwalder Son - Zermatt mountain guide who built a successful career.

 

British climbers

Adolphus Moore

Adolphus Moore - An upper-class gentleman with many first ascents.

Anthony Miles William Adams Reilly

Anthony Miles William Adams Reilly - Skilled map-maker and a good friend of Edward Whymper.

Horace Walker

Horace Walker - From a merchant family with a shared passion for mountaineering.

John Birkbeck

John Birkbeck - His family are North Yorkshire bankers and John is following his father’s passion for mountaineering; he is young but well experienced.

Joseph McCormick

Joseph McCormick - Churchman and good friend of Charles Hudson.

Thomas Stuart Kennedy

Thomas Stuart Kennedy - Successful businessman,bold mountaineer and dog lover, with many first ascents.

Reverend Woolmore Wigram

Reverend Woolmore Wigram - Churchman who loved the mountains but whose enthusiasm for climbing them was waning by 1865.

Arthur Girdlestone

Arthur Girdlestone - Churchman, friend of Whymper’s and proponent of skilled climbers learning to understand the mountains properly.

 

The men who lived among the mountains

Christian Almer

Christian Almer - Highly respected guide from Grindelwald, hired by Whymper most of the summer of 1865.

Franz Biner

Franz Biner - A Zermatt guide, whose career took off when he started guiding Edward Whymper in 1865.

Jean-Antoine Carrel

Jean-Antoine Carrel - Italian hunter, stone-mason and freedom fighter.

Jean-Baptiste Croz

Jean-Baptiste Croz - Guide from Le Tour near Chamonix; was like his brother Michel, renowned for his skills and strength.

Luc Meynet

Luc Meynet - A cheese-maker from Val Tournenche and Edward Whymper’s favourite porter.

 

Others

Felice Giordano

Felice Giordano - Italian scientist and engineer who worked towards making the first Matterhorn ascent for Italy.

Joseph Anton Clemenz

Joseph Anton Clemenz - Lawyer, hotelier and politician who presided over the Official Enquiry into the accident on the Matterhorn on July 14th 1865.

Alexander Seiler

Alexander Seiler - Owner of the Monte Rosa Hotel in Zermatt, very popular with the British climbers.