How tall matterhorn

The Matterhorn formed millions of years ago when several land masses slammed into one another, forcing the ground upward. Geologists have determined that the hard gneiss rock on top of the mountain came from the African continental plate as it smashed into the Laurasian, or European plate. Hence, the mountain could technically be considered African. The resulting pyramid-shaped peak has four distinct sides that align with the cardinal directions : north, south, east and west.

The north side faces Zermatt Valley and the east overlooks Gornergrat Ridge, both in Switzerland, while the south face points toward the Italian town of Brueil-Cervinia and the western side overlooks the Swiss-Italian border. The igloo resort includes more than a half-dozen individual igloos or hotel rooms interconnected by a series of tunnels, as well as a bar and restaurant.

On July 22, an Englishwoman named Lucy Walker became the first woman to reach the top of the Matterhorn—and she did it while wearing a long flannel skirt. When she got word that her rival Meta Brevoort, a fellow climber failed to summit a few years earlier due to bad weather, was also headed to Zermatt, Walker made a beeline for the mountain and started climbing.

Soon, news of Walker's success spread across the globe. Undeterred, Brevoort made a successful climb to the summit too. She reached the top a few days after Walker—the first woman to reach the top via the Italian side of the mountain. Switzerland was one of the first countries in the world to use posters as a way to entice travelers to visit.

One of the most famous of those early travel posters is of the Matterhorn itself. Through this, there has been an increase in falling rocks along the climbing routes. In German. Available in English, German, French. View site in: I am already using the language I want.

Weather forecast. Adults, Children Adults 2. Children 0. Age of child ren. Extended search close. Find accommodation. Packages Holiday flats Hotels. Saturday, Attractions Matterhorn. Images Information Map.

Share Tweet. Tips in the village Zermatlantis, the Matterhorn Museum, with Matterhorn room: exhibits include the snapped rope from the first ascent original Hotel Monte Rosa with commemorative plaque for the first ascent. Guided tours. Hotel Matterhorn Lodge: Matterhorn-themed hotel. Detailed map. Calculate the route. Please enter your starting address here. The second route up the Matterhorn, the Lion Ridge from Italy, was completed just three days after the first, on July 17, Since the first ascent, more than people have died while climbing or descending the Matterhorn—an average of three to four per year.

About 3, people summit the Matterhorn annually. About 80 percent of Matterhorn climbers are either guides or clients. Both a railway and a cable car to the summit of the Matterhorn have been proposed.