MATTERHORN 100TH

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30803, 15 July 1965, Page 15

MATTERHORN 100TH

(N Z P-A -Reuter—Copyright) ZERMATT (Switzerland), July 14. Many famous Swiss and foreign mountaineers, guides, artists and writers are taking part in the centennial celebrations of the first ascent of the 14,774 ft Matterhorn, Switzerland’s most majestic mountain, by the British climber, Edward Whymper. A climb is the highlight of week-long festivities from July 10 to 18 commemorating Whymper’s feat Other events include an open-air religious service on the summit and a wreathlaying ceremony in memory of climbers killed on the mountain. These include four of Whymper’s companions who plunged to their deaths while returning from the successful climb. Another feature of the celebrations will be the premiere of a work, “Symphony of the Alps,” by the Swiss composer, Jean Daetwyler. Its first movement is dedicated to the Matterhorn. The 46-strong Lucerne Festival Orchestra, under the baton of the composer himself, will play the symphony in the open air on the shores of the Schwarzsee, a tiny lake at the foot of the Matterhorn Whymper attempted to climb the mountain in four successive years, before he finally succeeded, on July 14. 1865. He and six companions, three British climbers, two Swiss guides, and a Swiss porter, achieved that day what had been considered until then virtually impossible. They reached the summit

by the South-eastern ridge, racing the village ot Zermatt, known as the Hoernligrat. In his book “Scrambles Among the Alps" Whymper described their rest on the summit as: “One crowded hour of glorious life.” But the mountain took terrible vengeance on its conquerors. During the return journey from the summit, one of the Britons, Robert Hadow, slipped and carried two more Britons, and a Swiss guide with him over the 3960 ft high precipice of the nort'~“rr face. The rope broke between the remaining three men of the oarty, saving the lives of Whymper. the second Swiss guide, and the Swiss porter. The survivors returned to Zermatt in mourning in spite of their victory over the peak.

For five years or' so after that, few climbers dared attack the mountain again. Then, about the beginning of this century, a flood of tourists began. They came in hundreds and thousands to Zermatt and many climbed the gracefully shaped ice-caked “horn.” Today, a climb on the Hoernligrat to the mountain’s peak is considered fairly easy, and anyone in good physical condition with some climbing experience can do it When the Hoernligrat offered no further challenge to crack climbers, they attempted more difficult routes, including the mountain’s almost vertical and in some places overhanging north wall. This is still considered one of the most treacherous climbs in the Alps. It was first scaled in August, 1922.