Help-Crag Map. Due to the huge vertical difference you need clothing to cope with a broad range of temperatures; most likely +30 degrees on the approach to the hut, followed by a pre-dawn start with temperatures just above freezing. The Climb – A very long, serious route with continuous scrambling and short rock pitches. Silvia Mazzani - Nov 17, 2012 11:50 am - Voted 10/10 Re: 500 dead, Good evening Ejnar, how are you? We are a party of two and are planning a Matterhorn summit bid via the Hornli Ridge route this Summer. Climbing the Matterhorn via the Lion’s Ridge. The sustained terrain on the Matterhorn may feel comfortable enough in dry conditions but being caught in a storm high on the mountain is not one to savour. You can get information on conditions in the Alpincenter-Zermatt. It is essential that all participants have previous alpine mountaineering experience, are comfortable scrambling on steep and sustained rock, have familiarity with rope work; and experience using crampons on steep snow and ice, both in ascent and descent. Notice also the position of the Hornli Hut. It is a true ‘mountaineer’s summit’, and any ascent will require experience, training and practice, with its technical difficulty alone making it stand head and shoulders above Mont Blanc. I can’t give much information about the actual climb as I have no idea about climbing or what’s involved, but it’s good to be around the crowds and feel the buzz of all the climbers. The guide filled me in on the chaos in the morning- the local guides will go first, but if you're on the ball and ready you might as well get yourself close to that door, as there isn't really a set pecking order when going out, just who's there and ready. On the day before you plan to climb the mountain, it is a good idea to arrive at the hut early, in order to check out the first section of the route in daylight. Sadly, 1,220m on a step machine in the gym is simply not going to cut it, and time in the mountains will be well spent. HOW TO GET THERE: Fly to Zurich, and then either catch a train or drive to Zermatt or Breuil-Cervinia where you will be based. It requires a long traverse on ice to get into the ridge, but it saves a lot of time in terms of route finding. Each of these ridges contains their own experience. Join Jean Pavillard and his team of Internationally Certified Mountain Guides on their next trip. Climbers switching to crampons at the site of the ruined Solvay Hut in snowy conditions. Even for experienced alpinists with a good tick list behind them, it is important for both climbers (with a Guide or not) to be moving well together and have considerable trust in each other’s abilities. After an initial 3 days of acclimatisation you will head to Zermatt to climb the Matterhorn by the Hornli or Italian ridge. I'm not a soloist, so this climb had me thinking a lot before hand- a nervous trepidation was rolling thru my mind. Ouch! Our guided climb up the Matterhorn is perfect for mountaineers who want to climb one of the most classic routes in all of the World. As a Guide, I personally think of the Matterhorn as a unique challenge, the overall itinerary being a much greater undertaking than its constituent parts. With a guide, you can move together roped without an anchor for much of the route. You can either stay overnight or do the climb all in one day. I'll reconsider my desire to climb it and also will most likely give it a go solo...thanks again. Graham on the way back to the Hornli Hut, the Matterhorn is already behind us. Snowdonia, the Highlands and North West Highlands, and the Isle of Skye all offer fantastic scrambling terrain on which to practise. With a couple days of acclimatizing above 10,000' I left Kim and Spencer behind in Zermatt and headed up to the famous Hornli Hut. .. Once leaving the hut a good indicator of how long it will take to climb the route is the time you arrive at the Slovay hut- it's about halfway. This is one area where I would always consider investing in a new pair of boots before other items; you will feel a heavy traditional mountaineering boot when you have been on a giant rock-based step machine for 1,200m! Shortly after 10 I started the descent down. The best time to climb the Matterhorn is usually mid-June to mid-August. Well done to Jon and Alberto who packed in the climbing before the arrival of poor weather later in the week and managed to squeeze in both ascents of the Matterhorn Hornli Ridge and Eiger Traverse in 2 days, good going! Fiona and I climbed the Matterhorn this early October, just hours before the first winter storm moved in. The most common route up the Matterhorn is the Hornli Ridge, which rises above Zermatt, Switzerland. I favour quite a light but stiff boot for the this sort of climbing, the stiffness allowing the effective use of small footholds as well as fitting a crampon. Hide Search . Oh, and don’t forget that it’s not always good to join the back of the queue…, WHEN TO GO: July and August are the only months sensible to try this route, as snow will still be lying before this. The author regularly guides on this route, see his website at. I would say the level of actual rock climbing was about the same on the both, but the Matterhorn just having more of it. High above the Second Roof, there is the last steep snow slope, a good track on the hard snow took us shortly to St. Bernard Statue, in two hours sharp from the Solvay we got our feet on top of the Matterhorn. Our route follows the same line as the first ascent up the steep, exposed Hornli Ridge. Route finding is paramount on the Hornli ridge- there are NO carins up there, the guides must knock them down as carins would make it too easy for people to climb the route without them. On top of the Matterhorn. Feedback Always Hide βeta. Hide Search . Visit his website for a full list of the services he offers: www.zermatt.ch/en/Webcams/Berge-1/Untere-Riffelalp-2-111-m, 5 reasons why you need BMC Travel Insurance, £100,000 search, rescue and recovery cover. The most common method of ascent starts in the town of Zermatt, from which you take the cable car to Schwarzsee before walking to the Hörnlihutte at 3,260m (recently renovated in 2014 and opening this summer). The crux of the climb is below the hut, a short section of 5.4 climbing know as the lower Mosley Slabs. By the time the sun was rising we were way above this point and the Hut was a tiny dot below us! There is no feedback for this climb. For weather conditions, check the webcam at www.zermatt.ch/en/Webcams/Berge-1/Untere-Riffelalp-2-111-m and weather forecast at www.zermatt.ch. We begin our excursion at Zermatt at an altitude of 1608 meters. 1200m of climbing, very little of which can be rappeled on the way down. So you want to climb the Matterhorn? 5 Replies . This climb requires climbers to have previous experience rock climbing (5.7 grade) in boots and being comfortable climbing on steep firm snow and ice. Just about every mountaineer wants to climb the Matterhorn at some point. I was dressed and ready to go @ 5:10, looking back I should have been more aggressive in the line when the hoard of people left the breakfast table. For weather conditions, check the webcam at, Fly to Zurich, and then either catch a train or drive to Zermatt or Breuil-Cervinia where you will. The author regularly guides on this route, see his website at www.jamesthacker-mountaineering.co.uk. All Rights Reserved. Well written and nice pictures too. We spend 3 days preparing for the ascent in the equally famous alpine resort of Chamonix before moving east to Switzerland for the climb itself. Route-finding is really important to ensure that you stay on well-travelled rock. Most everyone else was out the door ASAP. The routes. For guiding, that means eight thousand feet of non-stop short-roping and short-pitching to the summit. Route finding is paramount on the Hornli ridge- there are NO carins up there, the guides must knock them down as carins would make it too easy for people to climb the route without them. The east ridge is a scramble with a few short pitches of climbing, and will take about 45 minutes. It must be said that this ten day program is ambitious and will provide you with a large amount of “mountain time”. I've done both the OS on the Grand and the Matterhorn (liongrat-Hornli traverse) this year. To save a bit of weight I usually take a 40m rope, which is a good compromise between the added burden and usable length for abseils and lowers on key sections. Thanks for posting! Once above the shoulder you'll experience some exposure and au chaval style moves across ridges- the views are spectacular. The peak lies above Zermatt and is even more stunning in … The Matterhorn represents much more than its surveyed height however, forming an iconic symbol of Switzerland and the Valais region in particular. This is one occasion where ‘light is right’ or, more correctly, ‘light is right because you are going to be carrying it up and down 1,200m’. Visit: www.alpineaddiction.no Small pitches, or rope lengths of climbing, are involved throughout the route’s length, while slick ‘moving together’ on the rope with you partner (or Guide) is imperative to ensure a timely ascent, since the summit is also very exposed to any deterioration in the weather. As I leave the hut I will already be wearing my harness and helmet as the route starts immediately with some fixed ropes. The mountain’s sheer size, the route’s length and complexity, its countless hidden dangers, paired with the altitude and harsh environment, make this an extremely challenging ascent. On a recent ascent, I was riding the lift up to Schwarzsee and a confident and articulate British tourist described how you simply didn’t need a Guide for the Matterhorn; it was, of course, far too “easy”. This quickly gives way to warmer temperatures in the afternoon as you descend into the heat of the day. It is a true ‘mountaineer’s summit’, and any ascent will require experience, training and practice, with its technical difficulty alone making it stand head and shoulders above Mont Blanc. James Thacker is a British Mountain Guide working in the Alps, Scotland, the Peak District and beyond. The four main ridges separating the four faces are the main climbing routes. 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