The Ascent of the Matterhorn

by Edward Whymper

THE SUMMIT OF THE MATTERHORN IN 1874 (NORTHERN END).

So far as the Cabane there is now a strongly marked track, almost a path, [pg 312]over the mountain; and little piles of stones, placed in prominent situations, point out the way even to the dullest person. What the Cabane itself is like will be seen by reference to the illustration which [faces p. 309]. It is placed in a very insecure position, and will probably one of these days disappear by disintegration. It is not easy at this part of the mountain to find a good situation for a hut, though there is plenty of choice both higher up and lower down.

Amongst the ascents that have been made which are most worthy of note, that made by Signor Giordano may be mentioned first. This gentleman came to Breil several times after his famous visit in 1865, with the intention of making the ascent, but he was always baffled by the weather. In July 1866 he got as high as the “cravate” (with J. A. Carrel and other men) and was detained there five days and nights, unable to move either up or down. At last, upon Sept. 3-5, 1868, he was able to gratify his desires, and accomplished the feat of ascending the mountain on one side and descending it upon the other. Signor Giordano is, I believe, the only geologist who has ascended the mountain. He spent a considerable time in the examination of its structure, and became benighted on its eastern face in consequence. I am indebted to him for the valuable note and the accompanying section which follow the Table of Ascents. Signor Giordano carried a mercurial barometer throughout the entire distance, and read it frequently. His observations have enabled me to determine with confidence and accuracy the heights which were attained upon the different attempts to ascend the mountain, and the various points upon it which have been so frequently mentioned throughout this volume.

Questions having been frequently put to me respecting the immediate summit of the Matterhorn, and difficulties having been expressed as to the recognition of the two views given upon [pp. 279] and [281], I made an ascent of the mountain in 1874 to photograph the summit, in order that I might see what changes had occurred since our visit of ten years before. The summits of all high mountains vary from time to time, and I was not surprised to find that the Matterhorn was no exception to the general rule. It was altogether sharper and narrower in 1874 than 1865. Instead of being able “to run about,” every step had to be painfully cut with the axe; and the immediate summit, instead of being a blunt and rounded eminence, was a little piled-up cone of snow which went to a very sharp point. Our photographic operations were conducted with difficulty, for a furious north wind was blowing which would have whisked away the camera immediately if it had been set up in the most convenient position for taking a view; and we were compelled to cut a great gash in the snow and to work down upon the edge of the cliff overlooking Breil before we could escape from the gusts which were whirling away the snow in writhing eddies. My guides J. A. Carrel, Bic, and Lochmatter formed a strong party, and eventually we gained a position, protected from the wind, whence there was a good view of the summit; but our ledge was so small that we could not venture to unrope, and Carrel had to squat down whilst I photographed over his head. The [engraving upon p. 311] has been made from the photograph so taken. It will interest some of my readers to know that the nearest peak, seen below, is the summit of the Dent d’Hérens.

The light was not favourable for photographing the Cabane when we returned from the summit, and I stopped alone with Carrel in it for a second night in order to get the morning light on the next day. Whilst quietly reposing inside, I was startled to hear a rustling and crackling sound, and jumped up, expecting that the building was about to take itself off to lower quarters; and presently I perceived that the hut had a tenant to whom I certainly did not expect to be introduced. A little, plump mouse came creeping out over the floor, being apparently of opinion that there ought not to be any one there at that time of day. It wandered about picking up stray fragments of food, occasionally crunching a bit of egg-shell, totally unaware of my presence, for I made out that the little animal was both blind and deaf. It would have been easy to capture it, but I would not do so, and left it there to keep company with other solitary tourists.

The view from the Cabane extends from the Bietschhorn on the north to the Grand Tournalin in the south; and includes the Mischabel group, the Allalleinhorn and Alphubel, Mont Rosa, etc. etc. Its situation is not high enough to overlook those mountains, and so the prospect is very similar to the northern and eastern half of the view from the Riffel. The uppermost 800 feet of the Matterhorn can be seen from the hut, but the rest of the part above it is not visible, being hidden by a small ridge which projects from the face. Whilst stopping in the Cabane we had the insecurity of its position forcibly impressed upon us by seeing a huge block break away from the rock at its side, and go crashing down over the very route which is commonly pursued by tourists.

The year 1879 is a memorable one in the history of the Matterhorn, for in it there occurred two deaths upon the mountain, and two new routes were discovered. Sufficient information has not come to hand at the time I write upon what is termed the “affaire Brantschen” to enable one to form a correct opinion about that lamentable business, and it is enough to say that upon August 12 a party started from Breil, composed of Dr. Lüscher, Prof. Schiess, and the guides J. M. Lochmatter, Jos. Brantschen, and Petryson of Evolena. They gained the hut on the “cravate” in due course, and on the following day the party crossed the mountain to Zermatt, with the exception of Brantschen, who was left behind in the hut, some say only slightly ill, and others at the point of death. Which of these was the case is only known by those concerned. They sent back assistance to their comrade in a somewhat tardy fashion, and when the relief party gained the hut Brantschen was found dead.

At the time that this was taking place on the southern side of the Matterhorn, an accident occurred on the north-east face by which a life was lost. Messrs. A. E. Craven and Dr. Moseley (of Boston), with the guides Peter Rubi and C. Inabnit, left Zermatt at 10.30 P.M. on the night of August 13, and ascended the mountain by the usual northern route without stopping at the hut. They reached the summit at 9 A.M. on the 14th, and had returned to within a short distance of the hut, when Dr. Moseley (who had found it irksome to be tied up, and had frequently wished to go unroped) untied himself from the rest, doing so entirely upon his own responsibility. A few minutes later, and within quite a short distance of the hut, the party had to cross a projecting piece of rock. Rubi went over first, and planted his axe in position to give [pg 314]firm footing to Dr. Moseley, who followed. But, unhappily, he declined assistance; placed his hand on the rock, and endeavoured to vault over it. In doing so he slipped, lost hold of his axe, and fell with ever accelerating velocity down almost the whole of the north-east face. He fell about 2000 feet, and was of course killed on the spot. His body was recovered three days later, and was interred in the English burying-ground at Zermatt.

Many persons have talked at different times about the possibility of finding a way up the Matterhorn from the side of the Z’Mutt glacier; but it was not until the year 1879 that a way was found. On September 2-3, Mr. A. F. Mummery, with the guides ? and ? , succeeded in gaining the summit by first going up the long buttress of snow which runs out from the mountain to the Z’Mutt glacier, and then up the rocks above. I have been unable to procure any details respecting this expedition and my only information about it has been derived from Mr. Baumann, who followed in Mr. Mummery’s traces three days later. Mr. Baumann says: “We followed the long ice-slope to its extreme upper end, then the jagged arête above it for a short distance, and then deviated a little to the right, climbing by a secondary rocky ridge descending towards the Stockhi until within an hour of the summit, when we struck the main Z’Mutt arête and so completed the ascent by joining the Breil route.”

At the very time that Mr. Mummery was occupied in his expedition, Mr. W. Penhall, with the guides F. Imseng and L. Sorbriehen, was engaged in a similar enterprise, and also ascended the Matterhorn from the direction of the Stockhi. He, however, at the first took a route closer to the Tiefenmatten glacier, though he at last, like the others, eventually got upon the main Z’Mutt arête and completed the ascent by following a portion of the Breil route.