An ascent of the Matterhorn via the NE Hornli ridge, one of the classic climbs of mountaineering.
Approach & night in the Hornli hut.
The climb of the Matterhorn takes place over two days; the first day a short hike from Zermatt up to the Hornli hut. We could not have been luckier with the weather as the high pressure that had stayed over the Alps for most of the week was here to stay with virtually zero wind. After parking at Tasch with lunch at a restaurant across from the railway station we took the bus into Zermatt. From there it was a short walk through the town streets to the Matterhorn Express/Schwarzee cable car.
From the top of the cable car a leisurely 1hr 45min hike took us to the Hornli hut. The mountain appears dominating from the Zermatt village & appears to take on different appearances as you approach it. There were times when it seem incredibly daunting and I seriously doubted my ability to climb it, yet from other angles and ranges it did not appear that it would be a problem. Strangely these views were not at all dependent upon distance to the mountain. Sometimes it would appear un-climable further away, sometimes closer.
The hut can accommodate about 100 people and was reasonably busy even for this latter part of the year. We arrived around 5pm and after finding our bunks & sorting out gear we spent some time generally staring up at this enoromous rock fact that towered above us trying to figure out the route that would lead us to the summit. After dinner there isin’t really much else to do in the evening except try and relax, double-check gear and ensure it is all ready for the morning. Lights out occurs at 9pm, as a very early start was the order of the morning.
Great nights sleep and early start.
Around 4am, people in the bunks start to stir and soon after the hut is a throng of climbers putting on their necessary gear and wolfing down a quick breakfast. I couldn’t manage much food but tried to drink as much liquid as possible. Luca, my guide and I were outside and ready to go just before 05:00.
As we tied together on the rope I looked up to the ridge and already it was possible to see the stream of head lights, brightly silhouetted against the dark mountain face, heading upwards. The first two hours were climbed in the dark and I don’t remember much, apart from feeling the altitude for the first half hour where I really felt out of breath. This was slightly worrying as this was the easiest part of the climb, but once we reached the rock scrambling I soon got into a rhythm. Luca was good and allowed me to go at my own pace though we didn’t stop at all until the Solvay hut, shortly after the light. We had reached the hut just after 2.5 hrs and 2 hrs is a good time.
Moreover, I felt good and strong and the exposure, which had been my possible cause for concern hadn’t had any effect upon me at all. I could now see a large group of climbers just ahead making their way up to the steep part just below the shoulder.
We started off again & shortly after encountered the fixed ropes. Further beyond we reached the shoulder, a convenient point to stop & put on crampons. From here we made our way further up fixed ropes and started to encounter bottlenecks of people going up as well as coming down. As the fixed ropes petered out the angle became less steep and from here it is only a couple of hundred metres to the top. We criss-crossed back and forth slowly and carefully in the soft shallow snow. It is extremely important to take extra care at this point as this slope lies directly above the steep North face. Glancing upwards I saw a budha statue appear on the horizon and I knew now that we were not far from the top. I still felt good and had no issues with the altitude at all.
Summitting the Matterhorn….
Within minutes we stepped up onto the snowy, narrow ridge and we were on top of the Matterhorn! The exposure was tremendous on both sides but I just kept concentrating on placing my hands and feet carefully as I had done all through the climb. The weather was still clear and the views amazing. We arrived around 10:10 am and sat down near the edge and had a quick bite to eat. Apart from ourselves there were only two others on the summit at that time. We didn’t stay long, probably 10 mins at most (which is something I slightly regret), took a few photos and then started the descent.
The descent is actually harder than the ascent and involves a lot of down climbing but I enjoyed it. We abseiled down some of the fixed ropes to save time. I don’t remember much other than being totally focused and telling myself that the summit was only halfway. From the Solvay hut it seemed a lot longer than our ascent but that was probably because we had climbed the first part in the dark.
We eventually arrived at the Hornli hut and to Luca’s surprise and pleasure we had made it down in just over 4 hours. Normally it takes 4 – 4 ½ hrs to the top and also the return. After enjoying the sunshine on the terrace of the Hornli hut and resting for half an hour we then took to the path back to catch the cable car back to Zermatt. We were back by 4:45pm and walked through the centre of town to meet with the others. I felt on top of the world but very, very tired. We met up with the others who had descended earlier than us at the far end of town and everyone shook our hands and the guides were generally delighted that we had made it to the top. A lifetime ambition achieved.