Matterhorn

Sunday – Approach
Our big adventure began on Sunday with the approach to the Carrel Hut. The climb had been planned for a long time, and we were well prepared. We knew that a lot of fresh snow had fallen and that strong winds were forecast. Around midnight, a French couple arrived at the bivouac, having lost their way in the fog; the man had mild frostbite on his fingers.

Monday – Storm & Rescue Mission
On Monday, any ascent was out of the question: strong wind and snowfall made the route impossible. It was absolutely the right decision not to start – that same day, a solo climber fell to his death on the Hörnli Ridge.
In the evening, around 7 p.m., we lay down to rest to start early the next morning. But suddenly, a confused Italian entered the hut and reported that his friend was stuck on the fixed ropes, completely exhausted. Soon we heard only disjointed words over the phone: “I am lying in the snow.” Then the connection was lost.
Together with the French couple – she was a doctor – we rushed outside, rappelled down, and pulled the man up from the nearly vertical wall in a one-hour rescue. He was severely hypothermic, with frostbite on his hands – but he survived. His partner hadn’t even thought to call mountain rescue. Only around 10 p.m. did we finally get some sleep.

Tuesday – Ascent (Start 4 a.m.)
At 4 a.m., we set off as the first rope team. Still in darkness, we lost the route two or three times, as many of the tracks came from other parties that had also gone astray. We lost about 60–90 minutes because of that.

Couloirs & First Fixed Ropes
Below the ridge, we crossed steep couloirs with snowfields. Route finding was tricky; false tracks could easily lead into dangerous terrain. The first fixed ropes helped us climb the steep sections.

Ridge Climbing
The climb then continued in very exposed terrain: a long, varied ridge of UIAA grade II–III, sometimes with loose rock but very impressive. Full concentration was required, especially with the snowy and icy conditions.

Pic Tyndall (~4’241 m)
This prominent ridge point was the next key section. The crossing was airy but manageable. From here, we could already see the final wall leading to the Italian summit.

Scala Jordan & Final Slope
The famous Scala Jordan, a steep wall equipped with fixed ropes, marked the last major obstacle. After that came the mixed final section of snow and ice. Finally, we stood on the summit of the Matterhorn – for us, the most beautiful of all 50 four-thousanders we had climbed so far. The view was overwhelming: Valais, Italy, the Mont Blanc Massif – a panorama like no other. Only the constant circling of helicopters and the arrival of guided parties slightly disturbed the peace.

Descent
The descent along the ridge was also very long. Many tricky sections were now better tracked; we found the route without further mistakes, but every step had to be precise. Anyone who thinks going down is faster than going up will be proven wrong here!

Notes on the Bivouac
We spent the night at the Carrel Hut – there is a small shelter. That was only possible because we arrived on Sunday and a storm on Monday grounded all helicopters. Normally, construction workers stay there and chase everyone out – so under normal conditions, it’s impossible to spend the night there!