Matterhorn: Europe's KILLER Mountain

Situated between Switzerland and Italy is a 60 million year old giant arrow of rock which claims the lives of climbers every year and its name is the Matterhorn. It's perhaps the most recognizable mountain in the entire world due to its razor-sharp slopes and pyramid-like shape and for a lot of people because of the Toblerone packaging. The Matterhorn's attraction however goes beyond its physical greatness. It's steeped in mountaineering history. The first successful ascent in 1865 was considered the last ascent in the golden age of alpinism yet it ended in both triumph and tragedy. Edward Winther and a team of seven other climbers reached the peak of the Matterhorn but four of them never made it back down. Mountaineering has advanced astronomically since then and so has the amount of people trying to climb it. It's estimated that three to four thousand people attempt to reach its summit each year with less than half of those being successful and in the case of over 500 people never made it home. Whilst the Matterhorn has a much lower death rate than its Asian counterparts such as Annapurna and K2, it still provides relentless challenges for those who seek to conquer it. To truly understand the danger that the Matterhorn possesses we need to discuss its location, the altitude, its unique weather, the deadly rockfalls, its popularity and finally the climb itself. This is the Matterhorn, Europe's most dangerous mountain. If you've watched my previous videos about K2 and Annapurna you'll know that the location of the mountain often adds a great amount to its danger. This is usually due to its remoteness making a potential rescue harder and also there is a long dangerous trek towards base camp. The Matterhorn however is the total opposite of this. Its location doesn't actually add to the danger of the mountain, in fact its surroundings make it safer. Most people who seek to climb the Matterhorn will start in Zermatt, a picturesque and car-free town regarded by many as Switzerland's top ski resort. To get there you simply need to take a three and a half hour train from Zurich airport which has scenic views along the way. Zermatt itself is home to around 6,000 permanent residents but hosts tens of thousands of tourists each year due to its proximity to the Matterhorn and access to other peaks. It's a hub for hikers and skiers and even has the nickname Matterhorn Ski Paradise. The town blends old with new and has a great atmosphere allowing people to settle in days before their ascent. For some people however it may increase their anxiety due to not being able to escape the view of the Matterhorn anywhere you turn. The day before the ascent you would then leave Zermatt and you have an option of either the highest open air railway in Europe, the Gornergrat railway or a cable car. From here you have a roughly two hour hike towards the Hornli hut. This hike is often very busy due to different walking routes crossing over and also a lot of people go to the base of the Matterhorn with no intention of climbing it. Because of this popularity there is a lot of permanent infrastructure in place making this hike very pleasant and safe and it's also basically impossible to lose your way as you're walking towards the only huge mountain in your view. The Hornli hut was opened way back in 1880 and had just 17 beds but it now has 130. It costs 150 Swiss francs per night which is roughly 130 pounds or 167 dollars. That price includes dinner and breakfast which is fairly good value when you consider its location. I mean just look at this viewing terrace. Also because the location is relatively accessible so are the search teams. Air Zermatt carry out regular rescue missions and are regarded as one of the best aerial search teams in the world. They have a team of salaried paramedics and clinicians so you can rest easy knowing that if you do have an accident a very high level of rescue will be on its way. Red Bull have made a fantastic six-part free-to-watch documentary about Air Zermatt which I've linked in the description below. So yeah so far so good but I promise it does get harder from this point especially the climbing route which we'll come to soon. Standing at 4,478 meters tall or 14,692 feet, the Matterhorn isn't anywhere near as tall as some of the most deadly mountains in the world such as K2. It's also not even the tallest mountain in the Swiss Alps. However its altitude still adds to its difficulty to climb. Altitude sickness can start with a mild form known as acute mountain sickness but can quickly turn into high altitude pulmonary edema which is where your lungs begin to fill up with fluid or the most severe form high altitude cerebral edema where your brain begins to swell. These conditions can arise when you cross the 2,500 meter level. This is why spending time in Zermatt at 1,608 meters than a night in the Hornley hut at 3,260 meters above sea level is critical as it allows the body to acclimatize to the higher altitudes. A lack of understanding of how the altitude can affect your body can quite easily be fatal especially on the Matterhorn's most dangerous feature but before we get into that we need to discuss the weather. Some of the most famous dangerous mountains in the world like Mount Everest are situated in a cluster of other mountains but the Matterhorn is not, it's isolated. Due to that and its position on the main alpine watershed it's subject to rapid changes in weather. As the air is pushed up its terrain it quickly cools which creates clouds and sometimes its own rain. This is why you can quite often see videos or pictures of a clear day but there's clouds surrounding the mountain. This can lead to severely reduced visibility which is why people attempting to climb the Matterhorn always start early to get down early. Climate change is also making the Matterhorn a more treacherous climb. Rising temperatures have meant routes that used to involve climbing on snow and ice now involve hiking on rough rock and dangerous terrain. When the snow melts on the mountain itself the ground sediments become soggy and wobbly making for more frequent rock falls one of the most deadliest traits of the Matterhorn. Imagine you're climbing up a mountain, you're tired you're struggling and you look to the left and you see this. As with any tall mountain rain seeps into cracks during warmer periods and freezes when it gets colder. When water freezes it expands which puts pressure on the surrounding rock. This repeated process gradually widens gaps and then causes chunks of rock to fall off but the Matterhorn is even more prone to deadly rock falls. Its shape can be described as a glacial horn and all four of its faces are steep. These slopes have strong gravitational forces which naturally pulls the loose rock downwards. On top of that the Matterhorn is mainly comprised of sedimentary rocks which are less stable and are more prone to fracturing than igneous rocks. When you combine its shape, the type of rock, the rainwater expanding and climate change you have a recipe for disastrous rock falls making the Matterhorn a potentially deadly climb. And there's also one more thing which can cause rock falls and that's people. Due to all the factors I've mentioned earlier such as the nearby village of Zermatt, the cozy hornly hut at the foot of the mountain, the defined hiking routes and its iconic pyramid shape, the Matterhorn has become a very popular place to visit which makes it even more dangerous to climb. Somewhere between 3,000 to 4,000 try to reach its summit each year with only 35% of those being successful. The failures may be due to lack of fitness or poor weather conditions. On a day with optimal conditions there can be up to 300 people trying to summit the mountain at the same time. The main issue being most of these people take similar if not the same route so they have to pass each other. These climbers are of varying fitness and skill levels which adds to the complexity of navigating around each other. Oh and you know I just talked about rock falls, climbers above you could set one of those off as well which just adds to the anxiety whilst climbing. Swiss officials are attempting to reduce the traffic on the mountain by eliminating camping outside the hornly hut and limiting its capacity. The goal is to cut the number of climbers by as much as a third. Now on to the fun part, how to actually climb the Matterhorn. So as we've already established we've reached the hornly hut on the northeast side of the mountain and I've stayed there the night before climbing. This is considered the easiest route but all four sides are possible and as I've mentioned the goal is to start early to be down early reducing the chance of an unexpected shift in weather. So the climb begins around 4am. As a general guide it may take four to five hours to ascend and five to six hours to descend. It begins with a well-marked path traversing rock and mixed terrain. The lower part of the ridge involves climbing over rocks with occasional fixed ropes in place to assist. Roughly halfway up the climb at 4003 meters is the Solvay hut. This was built in 1917 but it's to be used in emergencies only. From here the route becomes steeper and more technical. The ridge narrows and there are several exposed sections requiring climbers to navigate with extreme caution. In the upper sections there are fixed ropes and metal ladders to help people in particularly difficult sections but don't be fooled into thinking this makes it easy. Remember you're over 4000 meters above sea level, you're tired, light-headed and you're constantly worried about a rock fall and you've not even made it to the top yet. The final approach involves steep rocky terrain with significant exposure but then you've done it. You've successfully reached the peak of the Matterhorn. At the summit it really kicks in just how exposed you are as there isn't a great amount to hold on to but you're trekked with panoramic views of Switzerland, Italy and France in the distance. But now the hard part comes, the longer and more challenging descent. You're already tired, you've reached your goal but now you have to do it all again in reverse. This fatigue is why 80% of mountaineering accidents happen on descent. You have to trust yourself with each step. If you do not, the Matterhorn will not forgive you. With its dramatic pyramid-like silhouette, the Matterhorn pierces the skyline showcasing its beauty but deadly power. Its steep exposed ridges and frequent rockfall make it a treacherous climb for any who dare to ascend. The Matterhorn will forever be a timeless emblem of the invulnerable spirit of mountaineers. If you enjoyed this video and want to help out the channel, I've recently launched a Patreon. Any support would bring me closer to doing this as my full-time job so I can make more consistent and higher quality videos, so I really appreciate it. I'll see you in the next one.