He is best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in ; four members of his party were killed during the descent. Edward Whymper was born in London, England as the second of eleven children. He learned and practiced wood-engraving starting at very young age.
In order to draw scenery pictures for a London publisher in the central and western Alps , Whymper began exploring the scenery quite often. His works included an unsuccessful an illustration of an attempt to ascend Mont Pelvoux. Only one year later, Whymper eventually managed the mountain as one of the first of numerous expeditions which threw much light on the topography of an area at that time very imperfectly mapped.
Moore and guides Christian Almer senior and junior in In the following years, Whymper successfully finished expeditions in the Mont Blanc massif and the Pennine Alps. When Whymper decided to climb the Matterhorn , he already had a huge rival. Jean-Antoine Carrel , an Italian guide previously attempted to reach its summit but failed several times.
He is supposed to have said that a native Italian should be the first to achieve this goal and not an English man like Whymper. By , the Matterhorn remained as the last unconquered great alpine summit and an Alpine Society was planned in order to support the local climbers.
After a longer rest, the group continued without ropes and reached the foot of the much steeper upper peak that lies above the shoulder. They rolled down the mountain, and were precipitated from rock to rock to a depth of 4, feet. The survivors arrived at Zermatt on the morning of the 15th. The bodies of the victims of the catastrophe were recovered the same day. The Rev. Dawson, the English chaplain at Geneva, has left that city for Zermatt.
The first ascent of the Matterhorn in The Matterhorn above Zermatt, Switzerland. Topics Mountaineering From the Guardian archive Switzerland holidays features.
Whymper and one of their guides were able to secure themselves, but the rope broke. The four slid out of sight, falling a distance of nearly four thousand feet. Three bodies were later recovered, while the fourth—that of Lord Francis Douglas —was never found. For this reason, the ascent of the Matterhorn is considered the end of the golden age of alpinism.
Public backlash included everyone from Queen Victoria downwards, and though Whymper went on to have other adventures, the Matterhorn clearly dogged him.
Kat Eschner is a freelance science and culture journalist based in Toronto. Whymper wrote: There were forests black and gloomy, and meadows bright and lively; bounding waterfalls and tranquil lakes; fertile lands and savage wastes; sunny plains and frigid plateaux.
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