ZERMATT, Switzerland The Matterhorn’s peak juts into the sky like a medieval spear. My crampon points dig into a rim of blue ice as I stand on its tip, and I feel as if the sky has swallowed me. From the gaping void emerges a nearly infinite vista of Switzerland to the north and Italy to the south. The actual ascent to reach the summit of this iconic mountain is so fragile and challenging 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) of decaying spires, jutting walls, and slick inclines covered in debris that it’s difficult to believe that the mountain was first summited exactly 150 years ago.
The Matterhorn captivated mountain lovers long before Everest took over the world. Merely half as tall as Everest, at 14,690 feet (4,477 meters), it is a dwarf in comparison to the Himalayan mega summits. At 18,510 feet (5,642 meters), Mount Elbrus in the Russian Caucasus claims the title of tallest peak in Europe, and it is far from winning it. Because of its gently sloping gradient, which doesn’t require sophisticated technical climbing skills, Mont Blanc, which is almost a thousand feet higher, was ascended as early as 1786 and isn’t even the tallest Alp.
On the other hand, the Matterhorn emerges as a four-walled, four-ridged, mercilessly steep pyramid. You have to actually climb it by putting your feet on the smallest ledges, grabbing tiny rock ripples with your fingertips, and dragging your body straight up. Because of the rock’s eroding gneiss and the steep inclination, you must continually maintain excellent balance and be ready for a handhold or foothold to give way at any time. Climbing this mountain requires skill, bravery, and mental toughness.
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