Advertisement

Austrian climber dies in fall from Matterhorn

The Local
The Local - [email protected]
Austrian climber dies in fall from Matterhorn
Photo: Valais cantonal police

A 33-year-old Austrian climber died on Thursday when he fell 600 metres down the side of the Matterhorn after ascending the iconic 4,478-metre mountain in the canton of Valais with a colleague.

Advertisement

The two climbers left the Solvay Hut, perched on a ridge of the mountain at 4,003 metres, to continue their descent at around 8am, cantonal police said.

About 100 metres below the hut, for a reason unknown, the victim fell 600 metres down the Matterhorn’s east face, police said.

The two men were not roped together, the force said.

The accident is a grim reminder of the risks undertaken by alpinists climbing the Matterhorn.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first ascent of the mountain overlooking Zermatt by a team led by English explorer and climber Edward Whymper in 1865.

On that climb four members of the party were killed during the descent.

Over 500 people have died climbing the mountain straddling the Swiss-Italian border since the first ascent and it claims an average of 12 victims a year.
 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also