Matterhorn

The Cervino Mountain (in Spanish and Italian), Matterhorn (in German), Mont Cervin or Le Cervin b> (in French) or Hore or Horu (walser) is possibly the most famous mountain in the Alps for its spectacular pyramid shape, often reproduced. Its summit, at 4,478 meters, is the fifth highest peak in the Alps. It is located on the border between Switzerland and Italy. It lies above the city of Zermatt, in the canton of Valais, to the northeast, and Breuil-Cervinia, in the Aosta Valley, to the south.

Name

The German name of the mountain, Matterhorn, derives from the words Matte, meaning "meadow,", and Horn, meaning " 34;horn". The migration of the name "prado" from the bottom of the country to the peak is common in the Alps. The names in Italian and French (Cervino and Cervin) come from Mons Silvius (or Mons Sylvius), from the Latin word silva, meaning forest (again, with the migration of the name from the bottom to the peak). The change of the first letter "s" a "c" It is attributed to Horace Bénédict de Saussure, who thought the word referred to a deer (French: cerf and Italian: cervo).

In the work that Sebastian Münster, Cosmography, published in 1543, the name Matter is given to the Theodul pass, and this seems to be the origin of the current German name of the mountain. On the topographic map of Münster, this group is marked with the names Augstalberg ("Aosta Mountain") and Mons Silvius. A hypothesis by Josias Simler (De Alpibus Commentarius, 1574) on the etymology of the name Mons Silvius was adopted again by T. G. Farinetti: "Silvio was probably a Roman chief who passed with his legions through the land of the Salasians and Seduni, and perhaps crossed the Theodul Pass between these two places." This Silvius could have been the same Servius Galba whom Caesar commissioned to open the Alpine passes, which from then on the merchants became accustomed to crossing with great danger and grave difficulty. Servius Galba, to carry out Caesar's orders, passed with his legions from the land of the Allobroges (Savoy) to Octoduro (Martigny) in the Valais, and pitched his camp there. The passes that he was ordered to open from there could not be more than the San Bernardo, the Simplón, the Theodul and the Moro; therefore it seems probable that the name Servius, whence Silvius and later Servin, or Cervin, was given in his honor to the famous pyramid." It is not known exactly at what period the new name Servin, or Cervin, replaced the older one, from which it appears to derive.

Height

The Matterhorn is an isolated mountain. Due to its position on the main Alpine watershed and its high altitude, the Matterhorn is exposed to rapid changes in weather. Furthermore, its steep slopes and isolated location favor the appearance of orographic cloud formations, with air flowing around and creating vortices, with condensation on the leeward side.

The Matterhorn has two distinct summits, both located on a 100-meter-long rocky ridge: the Swiss summit (4477.5 m) in the east and the Italian summit i> (4476.4 m) in the west. Their names come from the first ascents, not for geographical reasons, since both are located on the border. In August 1792, Genevan geologist and explorer Horace Bénédict de Saussure made the first measurement of the height of the Matterhorn, using a 50-foot-long chain stretched across the Theodul glacier and a sextant. He calculated a height of 4501.7 meters. In 1868, the Italian engineer Felice Giordano measured a height of 4505 meters, using a mercury barometer that he climbed to the summit. The Dufour map, which was later followed by Italian explorers, gave 4,482 meters, or 14,704 feet, as the height of the Swiss summit. A recent measurement (1999) with GPS technology gave the height of the Matterhorn with an accuracy of one centimeter. The result was 4477.54 m s. n. m.

Geography

The Matterhorn has a pyramidal shape with four faces pointing to the four cardinal points: the north and east faces are above, respectively, the Zmutt Valley and the Gorner (Gornergrat) Ridge in Switzerland, the south face (the only south of the Swiss-Italian border) faces the city of Breuil-Cervinia, and the west face faces the Dent d'Hérens mountain, which straddles the border. The north and south faces meet at the summit to form a short final east-west oriented ridge.

The faces are enormously steep and only small plates of snow and ice cling to them, with frequent avalanches of snow, which accumulates in the glaciers at the base of each face. The largest is the Zmutt glacier, to the west. The northeastern Hörnli ridge (the central ridge seen from Zermatt) is the normal route of ascent.

Well-known faces are the east and north, visible from Zermatt. The east face is a thousand meters high and, because it is "a long, monotonous slope of lousy rocks", it presents a high risk of falling rocks, which makes the ascent dangerous. The north face is 1,200 meters high and is one of the most dangerous north faces in the Alps, particularly due to its risk of rock falls and storms. The south face is 1350 meters high and offers many different routes. The west face, the longest, at 1400 meters, has the fewest climbing routes.

The four main edges that separate the four faces are the main routes of ascent. The least technically difficult, the Hörnli Ridge (Hörnligrat), is between the east and north faces, facing the city of Zermatt. To the west is the Zmutt ridge (Zmuttgrat), between the north and west faces. According to Collomb, it is "the classic route to climb the mountain, its longest ridge, also the most untangled. The León ridge (Cresta del Leone), which is between the south and west faces, is the normal Italian route and crosses Pic Tyndall; Collomb comments: "A superb rocky ridge, the shortest of the mountain, today covered with many fixed ropes, but a much higher ascent compared to the Hörnli. Finally, the south face is separated from the east by the Furggen ridge (Furggengrat), according to Collomb "the hardest of the ridges [...] the ridge still has an imposing reputation, but is not too difficult in good conditions because of the indirect ending".

The border between Italy and Switzerland is the main Alpine divide, separating the basins of the Rhône to the north (Mediterranean Sea) and the Po River to the south (Adriatic Sea). The Theodul Pass, located between the Matterhorn and the Klein Matterhorn, at 3300 meters, is the underpass between the Valtournenche and the Mattertal. The pass was used as a crossing and trade route for the Romans and Romanized Celts between 100 BC. C. and 400 AD. C.

While the Matterhorn is the culminating point of the Valtournenche to the south, it is just one of many four-thousanders in the Mattertal valley to the north, including the Weisshorn (4505 m), Dom (4545 m), Lyskamm (4527 m) and the second highest in the Alps: Monte Rosa (4634 m). The entire mountain chain forms a crown of peaks around Zermatt. The region, full of glaciers between the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa, is included in the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments.

Geology

Apart from the base of the mountain, the Matterhorn is composed of gneiss belonging to the tectonic island Dent Blanche klippe, an isolated part of the Austroalpine nappes, which lies above the Pennine nappes. The Austroalpine nappes are part of the Puglian plate, a small continent that was torn apart from Africa before the Alpine Orogeny. For this reason the Matterhorn has been popularized as an African mountain. Austroalpine nappes are very common in the Eastern Alps.

The Swiss explorer and geologist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, inspired by the view of the Matterhorn, anticipated modern theories of geology:

What power had to be needed to break and sweep away the missing parts of this pyramid; for we do not see it surrounded by fragmented remains; one sees only other peaks —the same broken to the ground — whose sides, equally torn, indicate an immense mass of rubble, from which we see no trace in the vicinity. This is certainly the rubble that, in the form of pebbles, shoulders and sand, fills our valleys and our plains.

Training

The formation of the Matterhorn (and the entire Alpine mountain range) began with the breakup of the continent Pangea 200 million years ago into Laurasia (containing Europe) and Gondwana (containing Africa). The rocks that form nearby Monte Rosa remained in Laurasia, those that formed the Matterhorn were located in Gondwana, separated by the recently formed Tethys Ocean.

100 million years ago, the extension of the Tethys Ocean stopped and the Puglian plate separated from Gondwana and moved towards the Italian continent. This resulted in the closure of western Tethys by subduction beneath the Puglian plate (with the Piedmont-Ligurian Ocean first and the Valais Ocean later). The subduction of the oceanic crust leaves remains still visible today at the base of the Matterhorn (accretion prism). The orogeny itself began after the end of oceanic subduction when the European continental crust collided with the Puglia continent and resulted in the formation of nappes.

The Matterhorn acquired its characteristic pyramidal shape in much more recent times, due to natural erosion over the last million years. At the beginning of the Alpine Orogeny, the Matterhorn was just a rounded mountain like a hill. Due to its height, it is above the snow line and its slopes are covered with ice, the result of the accumulation and compaction of snow. During the warmer period of summer, some of the ice melts and seeps into the bedrock. When it freezes again, its expansion (Gelifraction) fractures the rock forming a cirque. Four cirques led to the mountain's current shape. Due to its recognizable shape, many other similar mountains throughout the world were named or nicknamed the "Matterhorn" of their respective countries or mountain ranges.

Rocks

Most of the base of the mountain lies in the nappe Tsaté, a remnant of the Piedmont-Ligurian oceanic crust (ophiolites) and its sedimentary rocks. Up to 3400 meters the mountain is composed of successive layers of ophiolites and sedimentary rocks. From 3400 meters to the summit, the rocks are gneisses of the Dent Blanche nappe (Austroalpine nappes). They are divided by the Arolla series (below 4200 m) and the Valpelline zone (the summit). Other mountains in the region (Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn, Dent Blanche, Mont Collon) also belong to the Dent Blanche nappe.

Mountaineering and importance of the mountains

Since the 18th century the Alps have attracted and fascinated generations of explorers and climbers. The Matterhorn remained relatively unknown until 1865, but the successful ascent followed by the tragic accident of the expedition led by Edward Whymper caused a fever over the mountains surrounding Zermatt.

The construction of the railway linking the town of Zermatt with the city of Visp began in 1888. The first train reached Zermatt on July 18, 1891 and the entire line was electrified in 1930. Since 1930, the town has been directly connected to St. Moritz by the Glacier Express scenic train. However, there is no connection to the village of Breuil-Cervinia on the Italian side. Travelers have to hire mountain guides to cross the 3,300-meter Theodul Pass glacier, which separates the two towns. The city of Zermatt remains completely car-free and can be reached only by train.

Railways and cable cars have been built to make some peaks in the area more accessible. The Gornergrat train, which reaches a record altitude of 3,100 meters, was opened in 1898. Areas served by cable car are the Unterrothorn and the Klein Matterhorn (Little Matterhorn) (3,883 m, the highest transport system of Europe). The Hörnli hut (3260 m), the starting point of the normal route along the Hörnli ridge, is easily reached from Schwarzsee (2600 m), also frequented by climbers. Both Zermatt and Cervinia operate as year-round ski resorts and are connected by lifts over the Theodul Pass. A cable car is currently planned that would go from Testa Grigia to the Klein Matterhorn by 2014 and would link the Swiss and Italian sides of the Matterhorn.

The Matterhorn Museum (Zermatt) tells the general history of the region, from mountaineering to tourism. In the museum, which is shaped like a reconstructed mountain village, visitors can relive the tragic first ascent of the Matterhorn and see objects that belonged to the protagonists.

The Tour of the Matterhorn can be completed by hikers in around ten days. Considered by some to be one of the most beautiful trails in the Alps, it follows many ancient paths that have been linking the Italian and Swiss valleys for centuries. The circuit includes alpine meadows, terraced paths, large forests and glacial crossings. It connects six valleys embracing three different cultures: the German-speaking Upper Valais, the French-speaking Central Valais and the Italian-speaking Aosta Valley. Good physical conditions are needed to circumvent the peak. After reaching Zinal via the Augstbord and Meiden passes, the hiker crosses the Torrent before reaching Arolla. Then you must cross the Col Collon on the road to Prarayer and another to Breuil-Cervinia and back to Zermatt through the Theodul. In total, seven passes between 2800 and 3300 meters in relatively difficult terrain.

History

The Matterhorn was the last of the main mountains of the Alps to be climbed, not so much because of its obvious technical difficulty, but also because of the fear it inspired in the first mountaineers. The first serious attempts began around 1858, especially on the Italian side. Despite appearances, the southern routes are harder and the teams repeatedly encountered difficult rock passes that made them give up. These first attempts were carried out mainly by hunters from the Valtournenche area, from the Pression and Pelissier families. In July 1860, the Liverpool brothers Alfred, Charles and Sandbach Parker attempted it, reaching just under 3,700 metres. In August of that same year it was the turn of Vaughan Hawkins and his group, guided by J.J. Bennen reached 3962 meters high.

Its first ascent marked the end of the golden age of mountaineering. It was achieved on July 14, 1865 by a team led by Edward Whymper. It ended tragically, when four of its members fell and died on the way down. Ascending the Hörnli ridge, Edward Whymper, Charles Hudson, Lord Francis Douglas, Douglas Hadow, Michel Croz and Peter Taugwalder father and son reached the summit. They found it considerably easier than expected. However, on the descent Hadow slipped, hitting Croz on the feet and dragging Hudson and Douglas with him. The seven were tied together, and they all could have died, but the rope broke, sending the four named to their deaths on the Matterhorn glacier, 1,400 meters below. Their bodies were later found, except for Douglas, and buried in the Zermatt chapel.

Three days later, on July 17, a team led by Jean-Antoine Carrel reached the summit on the Italian side. Julio Elliott made the second ascent on the Zermatt side in 1868 and shortly after Juan Tyndall reached the summit. In 1871 Lucy Walker became the first woman to reach the top of the mountain, followed a few weeks later by her rival Meta Brevoort.

William Penhall and his guides made the first (partial) ascent of the west face, the more unknown and hidden Matterhorn, one hour after Mummery's first ascent of the Zmutt Ridge on September 3, 1879. It was not It was not until 1962 that the west face was completely ascended. The ascent was made on August 13 by Renato Daguin and Giovanni Ottin. In January 1978, seven Italian alpine guides managed to ascend in winter along the route opened in 1962 by Daguin and Ottin, which had not been repeated until then. On the descent, an intense storm caught them (accumulating two meters of snow in Breuil-Cervinia and Zermatt), and their achievement was marred when one of the climbers died during the descent.

The north face was one of the last major problems of the Alps until it was climbed in 1931. To succeed on the north face, good ice climbing technique and route-finding skills are required. On July 31-August 1, 1931, brothers Franz and Toni Schmid achieved the first ascent. They reached the summit at the end of the second day, after a bivouac. Because they had kept their plans secret, his promotion came as a complete surprise. Furthermore, the two brothers had traveled by bicycle from Munich and after their successful ascent, they pedaled back home. On February 3-4, 1962, Hilti von Allmen and Paul Etter achieved the first winter ascent. The first The solo ascent was done in five hours by Dieter Marchart on July 22, 1959. Walter Bonatti ascended the "Directa Cara Norte" alone between February 18 and 22, 1965.

After Bonatti's ascent, the best climbers were still concerned about the last big problem: 'Zmutt's Nose', a ledge on the right side of the north face. In July 1969, Italians Alessandro Gogna and Leo Cerruti tried to solve the problem: it took them four days, although they avoided its steepest part. In July 1981, the Swiss Michel Piola and Pierre-Alain Steiner crossed the Zmutt Nose following a direct route, the Piola-Steiner.

The first ascent of the south face was made by E. Benedetti with the guides L. Carrel and M. Bich on October 15, 1931, and the first complete ascent of the east face was made by E. Benedetti and G. Mazzotti with the guides L. Carrel, M. Bich and A. Gaspard on September 18-19, 1932.

In August 2013, Kilian Jornet achieved the speed record for ascent and descent of the Matterhorn from the town of Cervinia along the Lion Ridge, with a time of 2 hours 52 minutes and 2 seconds.

The Matterhorn is one of the deadliest peaks in the Alps. From 1865—when it was first climbed—until 1995, 500 climbers have died.

The Matterhorn has become an iconic emblem of the Swiss Alps in particular and the Alps in general. Since the end of the 19th century, when the railways were built, it attracted more and more visitors and climbers. Every summer, large numbers of mountaineers attempt to climb it via the Hörnli ridge, the most popular route to the summit.

Ascent routes

Today, all the edges and faces of the Matterhorn have already been climbed and in all seasons. Every summer, mountain guides accompany hundreds of clients along the northeast Hörnli route. By modern standards, the climb is quite difficult (AD Difficulty), but not too hard for trained mountaineers. There are fixed ropes on parts of the route to help. Still, several climbers die each year due to a number of factors including inexperience, falling rocks, and overcrowded routes.

The most common route in Zermatt is to take the Schwarzsee cable car to continue to the Hörnli hut (Hörnli-hütte, 3260 m), a large stone building on the base of the Hörnli Ridge, where you spend the night. The next day starts very early (2-3:30 a.m.), to have time to reach the summit and descend before the afternoon clouds and storms appear. The Solvay Cabin located on the ridge at 4003 m can be used only in case of emergency.

Other routes in the mountain include the Italian Ridge (León), whose difficulty grade is AD, the Zmutt Ridge (difficulty D) and the north face route, one of the six great north faces of the Alps (it was graded difficulty is TD+).

Statistics

Promotions and deaths

Every season, 2,500 to 3,000 climbers try to conquer the summit. On the busiest days there can be up to more than a hundred climbers. 70% of mountaineers choose the easier and more familiar route via the Hörnligrat. Each season, around 80 rescue missions must be carried out by helicopter.

Since the first ascent, not a year has passed without a fatal accident on the Matterhorn. Every year, eight to ten people die in accidents. Since the first ascent almost 150 years ago, more than 500 people have died on the Matterhorn, most of them on the Swiss side. On no other mountain in Switzerland do so many climbers die. Between 1981 and 2011, 223 climbers died on the Swiss side, 207 of them as a result of a fall, five as a result of falling rocks, three as a result of frostbite, three as a result of a fall on a rope and three as result of a search operation. 21 fallen climbers have not yet been recovered and are still missing.

A dead skier found on the mountain in 2005 was identified in 2018 as the Frenchman Joseph Leonce Le Masne (*1919), who disappeared in 1954.

Records

• The Italian Brunod needed 2 hours and 12 minutes for ascension in 1995. Spanish Kilian Jornet beat this record in 2013 and climbed the mountain from Italy in 1 hour and 56 minutes. Including the descent, Jornet reached a time of 2 hours and 52 minutes.
• On April 22, 2015, Swiss Dani Arnold beat this record. He got the fastest solo promotion on Matterhorn's northern face in 1 hour and 46 minutes.
• The mountain guide Richard Andenmatten (Zermatt) has climbed the Matterhorn more than 850 times.
• The mountain guide of Zermatt Ulrich Inderbinen climbed the Matterhorn 371 times and more recently at the age of 89.

• At Disneyland there is a roller coaster named Matterhorn Bobsleds, which simulates a bobsled trip through the Cervine.
• He was elected finalist for the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. You can vote for it by clicking here: [1]
• In the King of the Hill chapter of the series The Simpsons is referred to.
• In the Toblerone (Kraft) package, the Matterhorn mountain peak appears.
• In the video game Gran Turismo there are playable tracks where the mountain is appreciated.
• In 1989 Mt. Cervino was the central motif of the XXXIV Eurovision Song Festival, held that year in the Swiss city of Lausanne.