The Matterhorn

Following the author's struggles on the mountain of Matterhorn, this book offers an account of the mountain's history, including the legendary first ascent in 1865, as well as a factual description of the symptoms and mechanisms of altitude sickness.


No other mountain in the world is as fascinating as the Matterhorn. Since the dramatic first ascent in 1865, the drama and the myths have created a unique interest in this mountain, which has probably caused the deaths of more mountaineers than any other. Each year, thousands of climbers attempt to reach the summit, but only one in five succeeds. And every season, the mountain claims the lives of ten to twenty climbers.