Elevation

14,691 ft / 4,478 m

#9 in Wallis

#10 in Switzerland

Prominence

3,382 ft / 1,031 m

#10 in Wallis

#29 in Switzerland

Summits

27 summits

#4 in Wallis

#4 in Switzerland

Top climbing months

July   34%

August   20%

September  13%

Most climbed route

Hornli Ridge

Highlights

  • The Matterhorn, also known as Monte Cervino in Italy, is a 4000 meter peak in the Alps and perhaps the most iconic mountain in the world (peakery features the Matterhorn in its logo!).
  • The distinct, towering pyramidal shape has four faces facing the four compass points.
  • The Matterhorn's faces are steep and only small patches of snow and ice cling to them; regular avalanches send the snow down to accumulate on the glaciers at the base of each face.
  • The Matterhorn lies in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy.
  • The Matterhorn was the last great Alpine peak to be climbed and its first ascent marked the end of the Golden Age of alpinism.
  • The first ascent in 1865 by an expedition led by Edward Whymper ended tragically when most of its members fell to their deaths on the descent.
  • The Matterhorn's North Face is one of the 3 Great North Faces of the Alps. It was not climbed until 1931. By modern standards, the climb is fairly difficult (AD Difficulty rating), but not hard for skilled mountaineers.
  • The most popular route to the summit is the northeast Hornli ridge. There are fixed ropes on parts of the route.
  • The usual pattern of ascent is to take the Schwarzsee cable car up from Zermatt, hike up to the Hornli Hut (elevation 3,260 m / 10,700 ft), a large stone building at the base of the main ridge, and spend the night. The next day, climbers rise at 3:30 am to reach the summit and descend before regular afternoon storms move in.
1 summit • 14.1 km • 399 m gain • 15 hr 26 min
1 summit • 8.5 km • 1,320 m gain • 4 hr 34 min

Awards

Challenges