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Matterhorn

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Matterhorn

The Matterhorn is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, whose summit is 4,478 metres (14,692 ft) above sea level, making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. Sometimes referred to as the "Mountain of Mountains" (German: Berg der Berge), it has become an indelible emblem of the Alps and is claimed to be the most photographed mountain in the world. The Matterhorn has four faces, each roughly oriented toward one of the four cardinal points. Three of these (north, east, and west) are on the Swiss side of the border and watershed, while the south face lies on the Italian side. These four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, are separated by the Hörnli, Furggen, Zmutt, and Leone (Lion) ridges. The mountain overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt, in the canton of Valais, to the northeast, and the Italian town of Breuil-Cervinia in the Aosta Valley to the south. Just east of the Matterhorn is Theodul Pass, the main passage between the two valleys on its north and south sides, which has been a trade route since the Roman era. The Matterhorn was studied by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure in the late 18th century; this was followed by other renowned naturalists and artists, such as John Ruskin, in the 19th century. It remained unclimbed after most of the other great Alpine peaks had been attained and became the subject of an international competition for the summit. The first ascent of the Matterhorn was in 1865 from Zermatt by a party led by Edward Whymper, but during the descent, a sudden fall claimed the lives of four of the seven climbers. This disaster, later portrayed in several films, marked the end of the golden age of alpinism. The north face was not climbed until 1931 and is among the three biggest north faces of the Alps, known as "The Trilogy". The west face, the highest of the Matterhorn's four faces, was completely climbed only in 1962. It is estimated that over 500 alpinists have died on the Matterhorn, making it one of the deadliest peaks in the world. The Matterhorn is mainly composed of gneisses (originally fragments of the African plate before the Alpine orogeny) from the Dent Blanche nappe, lying over ophiolites and sedimentary rocks of the Penninic nappes. The mountain's current shape is the result of cirque erosion due to multiple glaciers diverging from the peak, such as the Matterhorn Glacier at the base of the north face. Since the end of the 19th century, when railways were built in the area, the mountain has attracted increasing numbers of visitors and climbers. Each year, numerous mountaineers try to climb the Matterhorn from the Hörnli Hut via the northeast Hörnli ridge, the most popular route to the summit. Many trekkers also undertake the 10-day-long circuit around the mountain. The Matterhorn has been part of the Swiss Federal Inventory of Natural Monuments since 1983.

Infobox

Elevation
4,478 m (14,692 ft)
Prominence
1,043 m (3,422 ft) ↓ Col Durand[note 1]
Parent peak
Weisshorn
Isolation
13.8 km (8.6 mi) → Liskamm-West Top[note 2]
Listing
Alpine four-thousanders Great north faces of the Alps
Coordinates
mw- 45°58′35″N 7°39′31″E / 45.97639°N 7.65861°E / 45.97639; 7.65861
Native name
Gran Bèca (Arpitan)Horu (Walser)
English translation
(German) "Peak of the Meadows"(Arpitan) "Great Mountain"(French) "Wooded mountain"
Location
Valais, Switzerland Aosta Valley, Italy
Parent range
Pennine Alps
Topo map
swisstopo 1347 Matterhorn
First ascent
14 July 1865 by Edward Whymper Charles Hudson Francis Douglas Douglas Robert Hadow Michel Croz Peter Taugwalder (father) Peter Taugwalder (son)
Easiest route
Hörnli ridge (AD, rock/mixed climb)

Tables

Height measurements by year[28] · Height
4,501.7 m (2309.75 T)
4,501.7 m (2309.75 T)
1792 (Saussure's Travels in the Alps)
4,501.7 m (2309.75 T)
1862 (Dufour Map)
4,482 m
1868 (Giordano)
4,505 m
1880 (Siegfried Map)
4,482 m
1934 (S. M.)
4,481 m
1946 (National Map)
4,477.5 m
1999 (TOWER)
4,477.54 m
2010 (N. M.)
4,478 m
1792 (Saussure's Travels in the Alps)
1862 (Dufour Map)
1868 (Giordano)
1880 (Siegfried Map)
1934 (S. M.)
1946 (National Map)
1999 (TOWER)
2010 (N. M.)
4,501.7 m (2309.75 T)
4,482 m
4,505 m
4,482 m
4,481 m
4,477.5 m
4,477.54 m
4,478 m
· Climbing routes
Ridges
Ridges
Col 1
Ridges
Routes
Hörnli
Start
Hörnli Hut
Time of ascent
6 hours
Difficulty
AD/III-
Zmutt
Zmutt
Col 1
Zmutt
Routes
Hörnli Hut (or Schönbiel Hut)
Start
7 hours (10 hours)
Time of ascent
D/IV
Lion
Lion
Col 1
Lion
Routes
Carrel Hut
Start
5 hours
Time of ascent
AD+/III
Furggen
Furggen
Col 1
Furggen
Routes
Bivacco Bossi
Start
7 hours
Time of ascent
TD/V+
Faces
Faces
Col 1
Faces
Routes
North
Start
Hörnli Hut
Time of ascent
14 hours
Difficulty
TD/V
West
West
Col 1
West
Routes
Schönbiel Hut
Start
12 hours
Time of ascent
TD/V+
South
South
Col 1
South
Routes
Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi
Start
15 hours
Time of ascent
TD+/V+
East
East
Col 1
East
Routes
Hörnli Hut
Start
14 hours
Time of ascent
TD
Routes
Start
Time of ascent
Difficulty
Ridges
Hörnli
Hörnli Hut
6 hours
AD/III-
Zmutt
Hörnli Hut (or Schönbiel Hut)
7 hours (10 hours)
D/IV
Lion
Carrel Hut
5 hours
AD+/III
Furggen
Bivacco Bossi
7 hours
TD/V+
Faces
North
Hörnli Hut
14 hours
TD/V
West
Schönbiel Hut
12 hours
TD/V+
South
Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi
15 hours
TD+/V+
East
Hörnli Hut
14 hours
TD

References

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  2. Retrieved from Google Earth. The nearest point of higher elevation is the Western Liskamm.
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  5. Considering summits with at least 300 metres prominence, it is the 6th highest in the Alps and Europe outside the Caucas
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