Biner_Leseprobe

The Matterhorn 

and its mountain guides 

Rotten Verlags AG, 2015

HERMANN BINER 

THE 

MATTER 

HORN 

AND ITS MOUNTAIN GUIDES

© 2015, Hermann Biner, Zermatt 

Published by the Mountain Guides’ Association Zermatt 

Author Hermann Biner, Zermatt 

Frontispiece by Ludwig Weh 

Layout by Sven Frachebourg, Rotten Verlags AG 

Translated by Dana Widmer, Zurich 

Publishing house Rotten Verlags AG, Visp 

Printed by Mengis Druck AG, Visp 

ISBN 978-3-906118-32-1 

Printed in Switzerland

Table of contents 

Preface 7 

The conquest of the Zermatt Mountains 

The first mountain guides 8 

Background on the first ascent of the Matterhorn 21 

Did the rope break? 36 

Interrogating Peter Taugwalder Senior 45 

The account of Peter Taugwalder Junior 51 

Jean Antoine Carrel 58 

The Silver Age 64 

Between two World Wars 75 

The end of the last millennium 83 

Matterhorn North Face and Furgggrat 96 

On faraway peaks 102 

The huts around Zermatt 110 

The Zermatt Mountain Guides’ Association 

The first association founded in 1858 114 

The new association 118 

The Matterhorn 123 

Mountain guide office and mountaineering school 127 

Social institutions 133 

Alpine events and incidents 136 

National and international mountain guides’ associations 139 

Rescue 142 

The mountain guide band 149 

Comrades who died in the mountains 152 

Historic table 156 

Annex 

Sources /picture credits 159 

Acknowledgements 163

Preface 

The Matterhorn – mystical, majestic, the mountain of all mountains. Its fascinating 

and captivating nature eludes no one; neither locals nor guests. 

The Matterhorn emits some kind of magical attraction, and a great many 

dream of standing on top of this mountain at least once in their lives. 

On July 14 of 1865, the Matterhorn was conquered for the first time. Four 

of the seven men lost their lives in the attempt. Zermatt and the tragedy at 

the Matterhorn resounded through the land; until this day, there is speculation 

on how this terrible accident occurred. The rope used to tie Edward 

Whymper, Taugwalder Senior and Taugwalder Junior to the rest of the 

roped party broke in the descent; the remainder of said rope can be found 

at the Matterhorn Museum, next to other relics of the first ascent. 

The first ascent of the Mont Blanc in 1786 initiated the Golden Age of Alpinism. 

This term is used to describe an era in which the highest and most 

challenging alpine mountains were conquered systematically. The alpinists 

of that time were usually scientists, lawyers or clergymen who took on the 

formidable icy giants with the help of local mountain guides. 

In the past years, several writings on early alpinism in Switzerland and other 

European countries were published. While reference was usually made 

to the mountain guides, virtually none of them are the protagonists in any 

of the publications. This book intends to bridge that gap by telling their 

story; it explains the importance of the mountain guides for the touristic 

development in the region. 

The information provided in this book is based on the research of numerous 

historical documents. The author successfully reconciles and documents the 

history of the mountain guides and the Zermatt Mountain Guides’ Association 

and created a piece that is of immeasurable value to them. 

Very special thanks go to our colleague and honorary member Hermann 

Biner. It was his deep bond with the mountains and the mountain guides 

that made this book possible in the first place. 

Benedikt Perren, President of the Zermatt Mountain Guides’ Association 

7

The conquest of 

the Zermatt Mountains 

The first mountain guides 

At the end of the 18 th century, the motivation to climb mountains was 

grounded in the quest for scientific knowledge and pure curiosity; with the 

exception of summits that had already been climbed in the early period for 

military reasons. Also, hunters reached the odd summit when following the 

trail of game. To the local population, however, the mountains rather posed 

a threat. In winter, they faced the danger of avalanches, and in summer, 

landslides and rock falls loomed. It was common belief that the summits 

were inhabited by spectres and demons. On the summit of the Matterhorn, 

there were believed to be remains of an ancient city. Moreover, the locals 

had plenty of work as peasants during summer; therefore, they had no 

reason to take on the extra effort of climbing a mountain. 

In Gressoney, a Valais legend circulated according to which a heavenly 

and pristine valley was located beyond the Lysjoch pass. This ‘lost valley’ 

was most likely to be found in the Monte Rosa region, maybe in the Gorner 

Valley. It did not have anything to do with the Findeltriftje above Zermatt, 

where in recent years the term ‘lost valley’ has become quite popular. 

Historically speaking, it is to assume that the Gorner Valley was free of 

ice during the Medieval Warm Period (900 to 1,200 – the exact period is 

disputed) and consisted of a large lake surrounded by forests and fertile 

ground. Proof of this lies not only in Valais legends, but also in the findings 

of modern glaciology, for measurements have shown that the glacial 

soil beneath the Monte Rosa Hut is deeper than further out, close to the 

end of the terminus. If the ice were to melt today, we would again see the 

formation of a lake. Or, maybe, it was just wishful thinking by the Walser, 

hoping that there be a paradise somewhere out there where life would be 

8 The conquest of the Zermatt Mountains

Monte Rosa and Lyskamm 

with Gorner Glacier around 

1900. At the time, glaciers 

were significantly larger. 

easier. Such a legend actually exists on the Zermatt side. Here, as well, 

people dreamed of a paradise beyond the mountains. 

That is probably the reason why, in 1778, a group of Walser tried to reach 

the highest summit possible out of the Monte Rosa group. The goal of 

their expedition was to find that ‘lost valley’ beyond the Lysjoch pass. They 

started out in Gressoney and ascended to the Monte Rosa. It is not known 

how they moved across the glacier, which bore numerous rather dangerous 

crevasses. They reached the Entdeckungsfels (‘discovery rock’, 4,366m, 

at the foot of the Lyskamm), from which they were able to see the Zermatt 

side. When they realised that they had still more glaciers and mountains 

ahead of them, they gave up their endeavour. 


9

Around the year 1780, strangers set foot in Zermatt for the first time. 

They were researchers, botanists, mineralogists and geologists. The locals 

gazed at them as if they had come from another planet. Stanislaus 

Kronig, past president of Zermatt, wrote the following, based on a report 

by a tourist: “The population was terrified when they saw the strangers 

arrive, armed with their knives and picks, carrying large cans as they 

had never seen before. Immediately, several groups formed and they exchanged 

theories, they whispered into each other’s ears, until the whole 

of Zermatt thought that these strangers were secret agents who wanted 

to spy on passes and crossings in order to take the sheep grazing in 

the Alps with them on their way back. Soon, the people gathered outside 

the clergy house, where the strangers were staying, and since they were 

thought to be spies, the mob demanded the pastor turn them over. To 

protect them from verbal slander and insults, the pastor accompanied 

them on their expeditions.” 

Old Zermatt church 

with Gorner Glacier in 

the background. 


On August 13 of 1792, natural scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure 

climbed the Klein Matterhorn (3,883m) for scientific purposes, together 

with mountain guide Joseph-Marie Couttet from Chamonix and 6 other 

guides. He measured the height of the Matterhorn with surprising accuracy: 

4,501m – exceeding today’s official measurement only by 23m. 

De Saussure explored the Alps in their entirety. He recorded barometric 

measurements, humidity and the intensity of the blue sky. In 1787, he undertook 

the first scientific ascent of the Mont Blanc, only one year after 

its first ascent. On the Italian side of the Monte Rosa, there were also 

scientists going about their investigations, among them topographer Joseph 

Zumstein and physician Friedrich Parrot. 

Back in those days, the clergy house was the only accommodation available 

in Zermatt. As of 1812, the pastor kept a visitors’ log. He recorded 

about 10 people a year. It was only after the Britons began exploring the 

Alps that the athletic aspect was added to alpinism, namely in the 1830s. 

Apparently, mountain guides started professionalising in Zermatt around 

1830, as well. In 1832, a certain Johann Biner called himself “the first 

botanical mountain guide of Zermatt”, whatever that meant. Peter Taugwalder 

Senior, who in 1865 (at the age of 45) belonged to the group of 

mountaineers who first ascended the Matterhorn, took up his profession in 

1840. By 1865, he had already climbed the Monte Rosa about 90 times. 

In 1838, ‘barber surgeon’ Joseph Lauber let three beds in his private 

house and quickly named the house Hotel Cervi. His hotel sign carried 

the inscription “Hotel Mont Cervi, bon loge à cheval et à pied” (French for 

‘good lodging for riders and pedestrians’). In 1852, Joseph Anton Clemenz 

of Visp, a member of the cantonal government, founded the first ‘real’ 

Hotel in Zermatt, the precursor of the Hotel Mont Cervin. In its first year, 

the hotel registered 12 guest-nights. Lauber was not able to keep up with 

this kind of competition, so he sold his house to Alexander Seiler in 1854, 

who then changed its name to Hotel Monte Rosa. He refurbished and expanded 

the house, which then counted 28 beds. In 1867, Alexander Seiler 

also bought the Hotel Mont Cervin. In the early days of alpinism, the Seiler 

family contributed significantly to the boost in tourism in Zermatt. 


11

In 1854, three Zermatt clergymen, under the aegis of pastor Ruden, opened 

the Hotel Riffelberg, which Alexander Seiler rented later on. This hotel served 

as point of departure for most tours between the Strahlhorn and the Matterhorn. 

Nowadays, this would be considered unthinkable, but back then the 

glaciers were significantly higher, and therefore the mountains were very 

accessible from that location. 

Before the Gandegghütte was inaugurated, the ascent to the Breithorn was 

undertaken via the old route, departing from the Riffelberg: One traversed to 

the Gorner Glacier, climbed said glacier to reach the Theodul glacier, from 

which one continued on to the foot of the ridge delimitating the northwest 

face of the Breithorn to the right (southwest).This ridge led to the Plateau 

Rosa, from which one ascended to the summit, as it is still done today. 

Nevertheless, without an additional bivouac many ascents starting at the 

Riffelberg were impossible to make. 

First ascents before 1850 

1801 Punta Giordani 4,046m by Pietro Giordani, together with 

local hunters 

1813 Breithorn 4,164m by Henry Maynard, together with 

Joseph-Marie Couttet, Jean Gras, Jean-Baptiste and 

Jean-Jacques Erin 

1819 Vincent Pyramide 4,215m by Johann Niklaus Vincent, 

together with miners and chamois hunters from Italy 

1820 Zumsteinspitze 4,563m by Johann Niklaus Vincent and 

Joseph Zumstein, together with companions from Italy 

1842 Signalkuppe 4,556m by Giovanni Gniffetti and other 

Italians 

1842 Riffelhorn 2,927m by John B. William and Valentine 

Smith, together with Zermatt mountain guides whose 

names are unknown 

1848 Grenzgipfel 4,631m by Johann Zumtaugwald and one 

guest 


Zermatt and the Matterhorn 

around 1900. 

Zermatt Bahnhofstrasse 

around 1900. 

Even back then, the 

guests of the noble 

hotel were escorted 

in a carriage. 


13

Around 1850, tourist influx gradually increased and in the following years 

the Britons and their mountain guides (mostly native to Zermatt, Chamonix 

or the Bernese Oberland) climbed many of the great 4,000m peaks around 

Zermatt. In 1857, the British Alpine Club was founded – the very first alpine 

club in the entire world. To date, the Alpine Club gives relevant impetus to 

mountaineering worldwide. In Zermatt and other alpine centres, the British 

pioneers acted as a driving force, pushing to explore new heights and 

peaks. Almost all of them treated the mountain guides well, appreciated 

their skills and performance and compensated them accordingly. 

The Matterhorn represents the completion of all these first ascents. Just a 

few other peaks, which had been ‘overlooked’, were later added to the list, 

such as the Dürrenhorn. The following Zermatt guides at that time deserve 

special mentioning: 

The old Hotel Riffelberg. 

Up until the first huts 

were built, it served as 

point of departure for 

most tours between 

the Breithorn and the 

Strahlhorn. 


·· 

Johann Zumtaugwald (first ascents of the Dom, Täschhorn, Rimpfischhorn, 

Grenzgipfel, Dufour Peak) 

·· 

Johann Kronig (first ascent of the Dom, Dent Blanche, Allalinhorn via 

Feejoch) 

·· 

Johann Kronig and Johann Zumtaugwald were involved in an accident 

in 1869 on the Lyskamm due to a snow cornice that broke loose. Their 

guest, Mr. Chester, died in the accident. The two guides were able to 

return to the Riffleberg, severely injured. After this incident, they did not 

participate in any further first ascents. 

·· 

Peter Perren (born 1838, cobbler; in British literature, he was unfortunately 

mistaken for Johann Peter Perren, born 1834; first ascent of the 

Lyskamm E-Peak, Dent d’Hérens, Parrot Peak, Alphubel, Hohberghorn). 

Second ascent of the Aiguille Verte via the challenging Moine Ridge, just 

a few days after the first ascent of this peak by Whymper via ‘his’ couloir. 

Mont Blanc via Aiguille de Goûter. Attempt on the Matterhorn in January 

of 1862. In 1865, he planned the first ascent of the Matterhorn with his 

guest Thomas Stuart Kennedy. Kennedy, however, returned to England 

a few days before the ascent. 

·· 

Joseph Marie Perren, brother of Peter Perren (first ascent of Pollux, 

Lyskamm E-Peak) 

·· 

Franz Biner (first ascents of the Lyskamm W-Peak, Grandes Jorasses and 

Aiguille Verte together with Whymper, Hohberghorn. Also, Monte Cristallo 

and the Königsspitze. Attempted to climb the Matterhorn via the south 

face couloir). Later he specialised in climbing the Weisshorn and was 

dubbed ‘the Weisshorn Biner’. 

·· 

Peter Taugwalder Senior (first ascents of the Matterhorn, Pollux, Allalinhorn 

via Feejoch, Obergabelhorn NNW-Ridge) 

·· 

Peter Taugwalder Junior (first ascents of the Matterhorn, SE ridge of the 

Monte Rosa, Hohberghorn) 

Peter Taugwalder Senior and Peter Perren were the most experienced 

mountain guides in Zermatt at that time. Peter Taugwalder was the head 

of the mountain guides and Peter Perren was a ‘junger Wilder’ (young wild 

one). From among the foreign guides, mainly Melchior and Jakob Anderegg 

participated in several first ascents. Valaisman Johann Joseph Benet 


15

deserves a special mention (the Britons called him Bennen): He guided 

the first ascent of the Weisshorn and reached the summit structure of the 

Matterhorn on the Italian side. The most active guests were Thomas Stuart 

Kennedy, Leslie Stephen, John Tyndall, Lord Francis Douglas, Charles 

Hudson and, of course, Edward Whymper. 

Mountain guide Franz 

Biner (‘Weisshorn Biner’). 

He accompanied Whymper 

on his first ascent of the 

Aiguille Verte and participated 

in first ascents in 

the entire Alpine region. 


Weisshorn from the north. 

Today still, the north ridge 

is one of the great classic 

tours in the Alps. 

Mischabel group: Allalinhorn, 

Rimpfischhorn, Strahlhorn. 

Easy 4,000m peaks that were 

first conquered around 1860. 


17

First ascents between 1850 and 1865 

1848 Grenzgipfel 4,631m by Johann Zumtaugwald and 

Johann Madutz 

1854 Strahlhorn 4,190m by Franz-Josef Andenmatten and 

Ulrich Lauener, together with 2 Englishmen 

1855 Dufour Peak 4,634m by Matthäus and Johann 

Zumtaugwald and Ulrich Lauener, together with Charles 

Hudson and 4 other Englishmen 

1856 Allalinhorn 4,027m by Franz-Josef Andenmatten and 

Ferdinand Imseng 

1858 Dom 4,545m by Johann Kronig, Johann Zumtaugwald 

and Hieronymus Brantschen, together with an 

Englishman 

1858 Nadelhorn 4,327m by J. Zimmermann, Alois Supersaxo, 

B. Epiney and Franz Andenmatten, who had the task to 

install a triangulation point signal 

1859 Rimpfischhorn 4,199m by Johann Zumtaugwald and 

Melchior Anderegg, together with Leslie Stephen and 

another Englishman 

1860 Alphubel 4,206m by Peter Perren and Melchior Anderegg, 

together with L. Stephen and one other Englishman 

1860 Allalinhorn starting at the Feejoch by Johann Kronig, 

Peter Taugwalder Senior, Franz-Josef Andenmatten and 

Moritz Anthamatten, together with L. Stephen and 3 

other Englishmen 

1861 Weisshorn 4,505m by Johann Joseph Benet (Bennen) 

and Ulrich Wenger, together with John Tyndall 

1861 Castor 4,228m by Michel Croz, together with 2 

Englishmen 

1861 Lyskamm East Peak 4,527m by Peter and Joseph Marie 

Perren, J.P. Cachat, Franz Lochmatter, Karl Herr and 

Stefan Zumtaugwald, together with 8 Englishmen 

1861 Nordend 4,609m by Michel Payot, together with 3 

Englishmen 


First ascents between 1850 and 1865 

1862 Dent Blanche 4,356m by Jean-Baptiste Croz and Johann 

Kronig, together with Thomas Stuart Kennedy and 

William Wigram 

1862 Täschhorn 4,490m by Peter-Joseph Summermatter, 

Johann and Stephan Zumtaugwald, together with 2 

Englishmen 

1863 Dent d’Hérens 4,171m by Peter Perren, Melchior Anderegg 

and Jean-Pierre Cachat, together with 4 Englishmen 

1863 Parrot Peak 4,436m by Peter Perren and Melchior 

Anderegg, together with 3 Englishmen 

1864 Lyskamm W-Peak by Franz Biner and Jakob Anderegg, 


1864 Pollux 4,092m by Peter Taugwalder Senior and Joseph 

Marie Perren, together with one guest 

1864 Zinalrothorn 4,221m by Melchior and Jakob Anderegg, 


1864 Dent Blanche SW-Side by Christian Lauener and Franz 

Zurfluh, together with one guest 

1865 Obergabelhorn 4,063m (E-Side) by Jakob Anderegg, 

together with 2 Englishmen 

1865 Obergabelhorn 4,063m NNW-Ridge (a few days before 

the first ascent of the Matterhorn) by Peter Taugwalder 

and Joseph Vianin, together with Lord Francis Douglas 

1865 Matterhorn 4,478m by Peter Taugwalder Senior and 

Junior, Michel Croz, together with Charles Hudson, Lord 

Francis Douglas, Douglas Robert Hadow and Edward 

Whymper 

1865 Matterhorn 4,478m via the Italian Ridge by Jean 

Antoine Carrel and Jean-Baptiste Bich, who bypassed 

the last rock step via a traverse in the west face (Galerie 

Carrel) and completed the ascent via the Zmutt Ridge 

(Zmuttgrat) 


19

Alphubel from the west. In 

1879, the face was climbed 

for the first time, namely 

by mountain guides Peter 

Taugwalder Junior and 

Abraham Imseng, together 

with one guest. 

The kings of the Mischabel 

group are the Dom and the 

Täschhorn. Both 4,000m 

peaks rank among the 

highest in the region, 

and their ascent is long. 

Traversing both peaks is a 

great classic tour. 


Background on the first ascent of the Matterhorn 

The innumerable pieces written on the first ascent of the Matterhorn are – 

with few exceptions – based on Edward Whymper’s account in Scrambles 

amongst the Alps and The first Ascent of the Matterhorn. These texts were 

the foundation for further books published in many different languages. 

They portray Whymper’s extraordinary achievements, but also describe 

what he thought of the valley dwellers and the skills and performance of 

the mountain guides, in particular. Whymper discusses the poverty, the 

lack in education and the primitive way of living of the ‘natives’. From 

where he was standing, one might be able to understand his perception, 

but these natives were human beings nonetheless. Human beings who 

had very hard and simple lives before tourism brought a certain degree of 

upswing. By way of example: in 1865, the last famine in Valais lay barely a 

decade in the past. In those years, almost one fourth of the Valais population 

was forced to emigrate to Argentina or Algeria due to dire straits. Visp 

and the outer Visp Valley suffered from the aftermath of the catastrophic 

earthquake of 1855. 

Edward Whymper: Probably 

the most successful 

alpinist of his time. 


21

Nevertheless, Edward Whymper’s mountaineering skills and achievements 

were excellent. The trail of his first ascents leads from Dauphiné 

to Chamonix to Zermatt. He was beyond the shadow of a doubt one 

of the driving forces on the Matterhorn. His merits notwithstanding, all 

these achievements would not have been possible without the help of 

the mountain guides. Whymper undertook first ascents in the Ecuadorean 

Andes with Jean Antoine Carrel as his guide. He had a great interest for 

the scientific aspects of alpine regions, as can be seen by his numerous 

analyses of natural phenomena such as glacial movements, of rock layers 

on the Matterhorn, the effects of a glacial stream, the formation of 

moraines, etc. 

Whymper wrote three different versions of his account of the first ascent. 

The first version was put down on paper by Whymper just a few 

days after the tragedy and was addressed to Edmund von Fellenberg. 

It was meant to be published in the Journal de Genève, but that did not 

happen. An almost identical article appeared in The Times on August 

8 of 1865. The second version is part of Whymper’s book Scrambles 

amongst the Alps, published in 1871. The third version was released in 

August of 1895 in the Journal de Zermatt. Also, Whymper had added 

an entry to the visitors’ book at the Hotel Monte Rosa a few days after 

the accident. This record was later ripped out of the visitors’ book, an 

outrageous act. When Whymper returned to Zermatt in 1869, he was 

furious to find the entry missing and added a new one, stating that he 

had written down an account of the devastating tragedy; an account that 

had apparently disappeared. 

As opposed to Whymper’s reports, the statements made by Peter Taugwalder 

Senior and Junior were barely acknowledged. Taugwalder Senior 

was interrogated by a judge after the accident, and the transcript of said 

interrogation remained sealed for 55 years. No one ever found out why. In 

1905, Peter Taugwalder Junior described the events leading to the incident 

to Theophil Lehner, who recorded it on paper – a document that got lost. 

In 1918, Peter Taugwalder Junior was interrogated once more on behalf 

of Mr Montagnier. A copy of this account has been preserved in the report 

of Danger & Blakeney in the Alpine Journal of May of 1957. The original 

document is filed in the archive of the Alpine Club. 


Lyskamm – one of the 

most dangerous mountains 

due to its cornices. 

Peter Perren, among 

others, was part of the 

party achieving the first 

ascent in 1861. 


23

Some authors took it upon themselves to find other sources. A thorough 

analysis was published in May of 1929 by the SAC (Swiss Alpine Club) 

in its monthly journal called Die Alpen. Further analyses and comments 

came from members of the Alpine Club: they were critical of Whymper’s 

one-sided account, which consistently cast a damning light on the Taugwalders. 

Especially Sir Arnold Lunn questioned the relationship between 

Whymper and Taugwalder Senior and Junior in several contributions, and 

he came to the conclusion that Whymper did not treat them in a fair way. 

For years, Charles Gos investigated all available sources, even from the 

French-speaking region. In 1948, he published his findings in a book 

called Le Cervin. In view of the 100 th anniversary of the first ascent of the 

Matterhorn in 1965, Ronald W. Clark had been tirelessly collecting all British 

sources still preserved. His insights were published in a book called 

The Day the Rope Broke. It was also translated into German and released 

under the title Als das Seil riss. In his book, he points out several discrepancies 

among the individual testimonies and discusses the question if and 

why the rope between Peter Taugwalder Senior and Lord Francis Douglas 

broke. In the beginning of the 19th century, Swiss Martin Jaggi did some 

research in Zermatt, including the questioning of contemporary witnesses 

of the first ascent. He left a comprehensive collection of documents to his 

son Christian Jaggi. He himself did not have the opportunity to publish 

them anymore. His son passed them on to Hannes Taugwalder, who published 

the results of this research on the occasion of the 125 th anniversary 

of the first ascent of the Matterhorn in a book entitled Der Wahrheit näher 

(‘closer to the truth’). In this piece, the story is told from the Taugwalders’ 

perspective, and there are several passages that diverge strongly from 

the British sources. 

It is known that the versions of Taugwalder and Whymper differ regarding 

crucial points, especially when it comes to the descent and the time after 

the accident. Whymper’s version, however, spread worldwide due to his 

book and the many lectures he gave in many places. In contrast, Peter 

Taugwalder Senior did not have the possibility to defend himself against the 

unfair accusations and allegations made by many. Additionally, Whymper 

either did not repudiate these reproaches at all, or he repudiated them too 

late. However, it was no coincidence that it was Peter Taugwalder Senior 

who had participated in the first ascent. He was one of the very few Zermatt 

mountain guides who believed that the ascent of the Matterhorn was within 

the realm of possibility. 


Between 1850 and 1865, Zermatt mountain guides mostly took on first 

ascents in the Mischabel group and in the Monte Rosa region. Worthy of 

mention in this context are, for instance, Johann Zumtaugwald, who participated 

in most of these expeditions; and Johann Kronig, who guided 

the first ascent of the Dent Blanche. Both of them attempted to climb the 

Matterhorn from the Italian side, but lost interest due to the high difficulty. 

Franz Biner, who took part in the first ascent of the Grandes Jorasses and 

the Aiguille Verte, also attempted to climb the south face of the Matterhorn 

together with Whymper and mountain guides Christian Almer and Michel 

Croz. They hatched the plan on the Theodulpass when they saw a prominent 

couloir in the south face leading up to the Furgggrat. They decided to 

climb up through said couloir and reach the Furgggrat; then they planned 

on traversing the east face in order to find a way for the ascent to the 

summit. It does not come as a surprise that their plan was not successful; 

furthermore, they faced severe rock fall in the south face. 

Matterhorn south face. 

The couloir leading to the 

Furgggrat is very visible. It 

was planned to climb the 

Matterhorn via this couloir 

and the east face. 


25

The mountain guides consistently and actively interested in the Matterhorn 

were Peter Taugwalder Senior and Peter Perren. They had under their belt 

several technically challenging ascents comparable to the Matterhorn’s level 

of difficulty. Also, in 1862, they adventurously attempted to climb the Matterhorn 

during winter season, together with Thomas Stuart Kennedy. They 

assumed that the snow in the east face would provide better stability for 

climbing. However, on their way up to the Schwarzsee, the group was surprised 

by an avalanche; they barely made it out alive. They then reached 

the Chapel at the Schwarzsee, where the pastor allowed them to stay for the 

night. They set out for their journey at 6 am, facing bitter cold and stormy 

wind. They made their way through the knee-deep snow, over the Hörnli 

and up the ridge leading to today’s Hörnli Hut. Then, they continued on, but 

they realised that the dispersed powder snow was anything but helpful in 

their attempt to climb the mountain. The cold and the wind were so harsh 

that they had to abandon their plan. They built a large stone man, 1.8m 

tall, and left their names behind on a piece of paper sealed in a bottle. It 

remains unclear as to which height they had reached. However, in the first 

ascent several years later, the stone man was still visible and his location is 

estimated to be at 3,460m; it is more or less the section today called ‘auf 

dem Grat’ (‘on the ridge’). 

Mountain guide Peter 

Perren. Today, a faceless 

man – back then, one of 

the best mountain guides 

in Zermatt. 


Lord Francis Douglas was guided up the Gabelhorn by Peter Taugwalder. 

Peter Perren and Peter Taugwalder were Thomas Stuart Kennedy’s mountain 

guides for the attempt on the Matterhorn. Kennedy was friends with 

Reverend Charles Hudson, who recruited Michel Croz as mountain guide 

whenever possible. These three roped parties of two could have been the 

first to climb the Matterhorn; the fact that they were not is due to several 

coincidences or twists of fate, since they definitely would have had the skills 

necessary to succeed. Hudson, Kennedy and young Douglas held excellent 

reputations as mountaineers, and Michel Croz, Peter Perren and Peter 

Taugwalder received impeccable references from their British guests (with 

the exception of Whymper’s feedback regarding the latter two). They were 

recruited by the same clients over and over again – and Peter Perren was 

also hired to work in regions outside of Zermatt. 

Lord Francis Douglas. 

A gentleman whose life 

tragically ended at the 

Matterhorn. His body 

was never found. 

On the other side, there was Edward Whymper. He frequently changed his 

mountain guides and did not think much of most of them. He preferably 

worked with Michel Croz or Jean Antoine Carrel. 

Consequently, there were three predominant groups on the Zermatt side 

trying to conquer the Matterhorn: 

·· 

Thomas Stuart Kennedy with Peter Perren as his guide 

·· 

Michel Auguste Croz with Reverend Charles Hudson 

·· 

Peter Taugwalder Senior with Lord Francis Douglas 


27

Edward Whymper did not have any friendly relationships with the other 

Englishmen. He only met Douglas because Douglas visited him in Valtournenche 

just before the first ascent. Hudson and Kennedy were irritated 

by the fact that Whymper had ‘taken’ the Aiguille Verte from them and had 

made the ascent without informing them beforehand; they had been in 

Chamonix at the same time with the same goal in mind. 

Kennedy met Whymper in June of 1865, when they both stayed at the 

Hotel Monte Rosa. He allegedly told him about his intentions to be the 

first to climb the Aiguille Verte together with Peter Perren. At that time, 

the Aiguille Verte, apart from the Matterhorn, was the most discussed 

mountain in the British Alpine Club. Said ascent was supposed to be 

made together with Hudson, who was already in Chamonix. Back in 

England, Kennedy and Hudson had already made their plans for the 

summer. Whymper then decided to pre-empt them. He travelled to Valtournenche, 

where he met up with Michel Croz. However, Croz was only 

available for a few days before he had to go to Chamonix in order to 

guide Mr Birkbeck. That is why Whymper additionally recruited Franz 

Biner and Christian Almer as mountain guides. Together with his three 

guides, he then rushed to Courmayeur and was, in passing, the first to 

climb the Grandes Jorasses. The group lodged in Chamonix, but apparently 

without contacting Kennedy or Hudson. In the meantime, Peter 

Perren, together with Kennedy, had already made a first attempt to climb 

the Aiguille Verte through the north face; however, they had to give up 

due to the high level of difficulty and bad weather conditions. One day 

later, Whymper, together with Biner and Almer, successfully climbed to 

the summit via ‘his’ couloir. In Chamonix, this success was celebrated 

with gun salutes. Kennedy had to hear from his hotelier about Whymper’s 

victory and was deeply disappointed with his behaviour. He did congratulate 

Whymper, as good Englishmen do, but he made it very clear that 

he found it extremely irritating that Whymper decided to go behind his 

back in order for him to get the first ascent. 

Meanwhile in Chamonix, Mr Birkbeck, Michel Croz’ guest, fell ill; Croz found 

himself unoccupied and was immediately recruited by Hudson. Without said 

illness, Croz would not have been at the Matterhorn and the whole story 

would probably have taken a different turn. In the days to follow, Hudson 

was the second to climb the Aiguille Verte together with Croz, Kennedy, 

Peter Perren, Michel Ducroz and G.C. Hodgkinson. They had taken the 

Moine Ridge to reach the mountaintop – a route that is still considered to 

be very challenging today. The ascent took 16 hours and demanded the 

climbing of difficult and brittle rock. 


Aiguille Verte. Together with the 

Matterhorn, this mountain was 

one of the great alpine challenges. 

In 1865, Whymper achieved 

the first ascent of both summits 

just within a few days. 

Thomas Stuart Kennedy. 

He could have been the 

first to climb the Matterhorn, 

together with Peter 

Perren – could have. 


29

However, Whymper was not always the winner of these competitions. 

Peter Perren set foot on the summit of the Dent d’Hérens before Edward 

Whymper did. Only a few days before, Whymper, guided by Jean Antoine 

Carrel, had to stop and turn back. Thomas Stuart Kennedy beat Whymper 

to the Dent Blanche, with the participation of Johann Kronig. And when 

Whymper attempted to climb it shortly after, he turned around just before 

reaching the peak, because when he laid eyes on a stone man, he realised 

that someone had been there before him. He allegedly said that he 

was not interested in peaks that had already been conquered. 

Dent d’Hérens. Peter Perren 

participated in the first ascent 

as a mountain guide. Whymper 

and Jean Antoine Carrel were 

forced to throw in the towel a 

few days earlier. 


The Matterhorn from the Zermatt side – the parties 

involved and their ascents 

1855 Charles Hudson is the first to set foot on the peak of 

the Dufourspitze, guided by Johann Zumtaugwald and 

others. 

1860 Thomas Kennedy with Peter Taugwalder and F.F. 

Tucket with his guide Jean Teirraz attempt to climb 

the still unconquered Lyskamm (W-Peak), starting in 

Chamonix. Due to the bad weather, the expedition had 

to be terminated. 

1861 Peter Perren and other guides successfully climb the 

Lyskamm (E-Peak) for the first time, together with 8 

guests. Kennedy is not among them. 

1862 In January, Thomas Kennedy, under the guidance of 

Peter Taugwalder and Peter Perren, attempts to climb 

the Matterhorn east face. He thought the snow would 

make it easier to climb. Furthermore, Kennedy was 

convinced that the best way to climb the Matterhorn 

was from the Zermatt side. 

1862 Thomas Kennedy, guided by Peter Taugwalder, attempts 

to climb the Dent Blanche. They had to give up only just 

below the summit, probably at the foot of the last rock 

tower, which remains virtually unclimbable even today. 

1862 Thomas Kennedy, guided by Johann Kronig and 

Jean-Baptiste Croz, successfully completes the first 

ascent of the Dent Blanche. They largely bypassed 

the difficult last rock tower with the descent into the 

west flank. Peter Taugwalder and Peter Perren had 

been recruited by other guests and were therefore not 

available. Whymper arrives late. 

1863 Peter Perren and two other guides led 4 guests to the 

Dent d’Hérens. Just a few days earlier, Whymper had to 

terminate his attempt guided by Jean Antoine Carrel. 


31

The Matterhorn from the Zermatt side – the parties 

involved and their ascents 

1865 On June 28, Hudson and Kennedy, guided by Peter 

Perren, attempt to climb the Aiguille Verte, but through 

the north face – an impossible venture at that time. They 

turned around due to bad weather. 

1865 As soon as Whymper hears that Kennedy is on his way to 

the Aiguille Verte, he recruits Franz Biner and Christian 

Almer to pre-empt Kennedy. In passing, this group is the 

first to climb the Grandes Jorasses on June 24, together 

with Michel Croz. On June 29, Whymper, together with 

Biner and Almer, successfully completes the first ascent 

of the Aiguille Verte via the Whymper Couloir. Thomas 

Kennedy and Charles Hudson were disgruntled by the 

fact that Whymper did not inform them about his plans. 

1865 On July 5, Kennedy and Hudson, together with Peter 

Perren and Michel Croz, successfully complete the 

second ascent of the Aiguille Verte via today’s Moine 

Route; they did not simply want to follow the Whymper 

Route. Until this day, this tour is considered a long and 

difficult one. 

1865 On July 7, mountain guides Peter Taugwalder Senior 

and Joseph Vianin are the first to climb the Obergabelhorn 

via the NNW-Ridge, with Lord Francis Douglas as 

their guest. Just the day before, the first ascent of this 

peak was completed via the E-Flank. 


After the second ascent of the Aiguille Verte, in Chamonix, Peter Perren, 

Thomas Kennedy, Michel Croz and Charles Hudson discussed a possible 

joint ascent of the Matterhorn. The well-rehearsed roped parties Perren/ 

Kennedy and Hudson/Croz were, beyond the shadow of a doubt, among 

the best who could potentially take on the Matterhorn. They had just completed 

several tours comparable to the Matterhorn in terms of difficulty. 

Had they had fate on their side, they could definitely have been the ones 

to accomplish the first ascent of the Matterhorn, together with the roped 

party Taugwalder/Douglas; Lord Francis Douglas had decided to climb the 

Matterhorn after he reached the top of the Obergabelhorn and saw that 

the east ridge of the Matterhorn was not nearly as steep as it had seemed 

looking at it from Zermatt. 

However, that is not what happened: instead of travelling to Zermatt, Thomas 

Stuart Kennedy went back to England, for he was called back in a telegram. 

His leaving frustrated Peter Perren, since he was very passionate 

about the Matterhorn. In 1871, he was the first Zermatt guide to climb the 

Matterhorn after the tragic accident. 

In the meantime in Zermatt, Lord Francis Douglas was getting ready for 

the first ascent. He sent the Taugwalders to the Matterhorn to reconnoitre 

the routes. They reported that the ascent seemed feasible via the Hörnligrat; 

this prompted Alexander Seiler to motivate Lord Douglas to take on 

the ascent directly. Lord Douglas, however, decided to go to Breuil via the 

Theodulpass to meet Whymper there. Maybe he also wanted to take a look 

at the east face of the Matterhorn. 

In Breuil, Lord Douglas met up with Whymper and told him about his plan. 

According to Whymper’s account, he and Douglas agreed on a joint expedition 

to the summit of the Matterhorn. Together they returned to Zermatt 

and gave Peter Taugwalder the task to find an additional guide. In his 

opinion, Peter Perren would have been the best man for the job; however, 

he was recruited by another guest for the Monte Rosa during that time. He 

obviously did not know that he could be needed as an additional guide for 

the Matterhorn now that Whymper had joined the party. That is why Peter 

Taugwalder decided to take his son on board. 

Meanwhile, the group of Michel Auguste Croz, Charles Hudson and Douglas 

Robert Hadow arrived in Zermatt and lodged at the Hotel Monte Rosa, 

as well. It did not take long before they realised that there were two groups 

climbing the Matterhorn at the same time. After the previous events at the 

Aiguille Verte, one can only imagine that Hudson was not exactly keen on 


33

Dent Blanche. 

Here, Kennedy beat 

Whymper, guided by 

Johann Kronig and 

Jean-Baptiste Croz. 

joining efforts with Whymper. For the sake of being sensible, however, the 

Englishmen agreed to cooperate. Having said that, Hadow’s participation 

was disputed due to his lack of experience; the guides said that the situation 

would call for an additional guide – one guide per guest. Eventually, 

Whymper and Hudson decided they were just as capable as guides and 

that they therefore did not need another mountain guide. First, they also 

opposed Peter Taugwalder Junior’s participation. He was recruited as carrier 

and only later on became a guide, during the ascent. 

Mountain guide 

Michel Auguste 

Croz. One of the 

best at the time. 


Peter Taugwalder described Whymper as a rather mediocre alpinist. However, 

he attested Charles Hudson good mountaineering skills that came 

close to the guides’ capabilities. After all, with his 36 years of age, Hudson 

was the most experienced of all guests. Lord Douglas and Hadow were 

teenagers and Whymper was only 25 years old. 

The success on the Matterhorn was in great part the merit of Michel Croz. 

He guided the roped parties through the most difficult part of the route, 

when they had to sidestep onto the almost vertical north face. Since the 

discussion about the tragedy at the Matterhorn overshadowed all media 

coverage, Croz’ extraordinary performance was often overlooked. Croz was 

one of the best mountain guides of his time. His career was short but admirable. 

He successfully completed numerous and challenging first ascents 

in the Dauphiné and in the Alpine region between Chamonix and Zermatt. 

He was willing to take on any risk and no climbing problem seemed to be 

too difficult for him. Later on, Whymper sent him his last words of goodbye: 

“Michel Croz of Le Tour in the Valley of Chamonix, one of the best mountain 

guides I have ever had the pleasure to meet. He died pitifully, due to foolishness, 

in the first ascent of the Matterhorn on July 14 of 1865. Goodbye, 

dear Michel. St. Niklaus, July 26 of 1906. Edward Whymper.”[paraphrased] 

The first 

ascensionists of 

the Matterhorn. 

Only three of 

them survived. 


35

Did the rope break? 

This next part of the story is widely known. The seven mountaineers successfully 

reached the summit of the Matterhorn. The descent was taken 

on in the following order: Croz, Hadow, Hudson, Lord Douglas and Peter 

Taugwalder Senior. Whymper and Peter Taugwalder Junior were the last 

ones to attach themselves to the roped party, so in the end, they were one 

roped party of seven. Then the tragedy occurred: just below the summit, 

in the almost vertical north face, Hadow slipped, according to Whymper’s 

account. He dragged Hudson, Douglas and Croz down with him. The rope 

was under such tension that it broke off between Lord Douglas and Peter 

Taugwalder Senior. The first four mountaineers disappeared into the awful 

abyss of the north face and fell almost 1,000m to their deaths. Whymper 

and the Taugwalders were the remaining three survivors. This tragedy is 

still controversially discussed today, 150 years after the accident. 

In Whymper’s account, it seems as if he was the one leading the two 

mountain guides down, instead of the other way around. The Taugwalders 

described it as being quite the opposite. The fact that Whymper remained 

roped up between the two Taugwalders speaks in favour of the second 

version of the story. The leader of the roped party should definitely not be 

in the middle. Furthermore, Peter Taugwalder Senior’s quick reflexes saved 

Whymper’s life; he managed to fixate the lax part of the rope between him 

and Whymper behind a boulder before the pull of the falling companions 

got to them. 

Did Peter Taugwalder or one of the other survivors cut the rope? This claim 

was first made by an author who never in his life had anything to do with 

Zermatt or the Matterhorn: Alfred Meissner, an Austrian poet and writer who 

grew up in Bohemia. However, the same question had already been raised 

in Zermatt immediately after the accident. Nonetheless, several facts contradict 

this version. 


The fall at the 

Matterhorn. This 

is what might 

have happened. 


37

First of all, it begs the question whether such a thin hemp rope with a diameter 

of 8mm (which does not even measure up to today’s single static 

ropes) would have been able to withstand the force of four falling bodies at 

all. It has to be mentioned that the British Alpine Club carried out several 

tests regarding the resistance of ropes, and their findings were terrifying for 

all involved. The test consisted of holding a weight of 76kg, which is then 

dropped by a bare 1.5m. The Alpine Club reported that of the woven ropes 

normally considered to be very strong, not one resisted the strain of the 

fall; and of the carefully manufactured, spun ropes, not many withstood the 

forces inflicted on them. The ropes gave in in such an unsettling way that 

some of their members were deeply terrified, since they had been using 

such ropes regularly and fully relied on their integrity. They bestowed completely 

unjustified trust upon these cords. The only rope resisting all tests 

was the one made of Manila hemp. The Alpine Club stated that from that 

moment onwards, this type of rope would be carrying a seal of quality. One 

has to bear in mind that the rope used to tie Peter Taugwalder Senior and 

Lord Douglas together was not made of Manila hemp, and it was thinner 

that the ropes tested by the British Alpine Club. Furthermore, it had to carry 

the weight of four bodies roped up at an interval of about 8m. Therefore, 

the distance of the fall was far greater than the 1.5m in the tests. Also, the 

rope was hanging over an edge – something that even today leads to the 

breaking of ropes under relatively low strain. 

Another point concerns the injuries Peter Taugwalder sustained on his 

hand and his torso. According to Peter Taugwalder Senior’s account, 

the rope between him and Whymper was not taut, which allowed him to 

wrap it around a boulder above him as he saw his comrades fall. With 

his other hand, he tried to hold on to the thin connecting rope. Because 

of that, the pull of the falling companions was entirely absorbed by his 

hand and his upper body, since he had wrapped a large part of the thin 

rope around himself, as good mountain guides do. The subsequent injuries 

to his hand and torso were severe and still visible months after 

the accident. Peter Taugwalder showed them to his colleagues. He was 

probably lucky that the rope broke immediately; otherwise, his injuries 

would have been much worse. 

The part where the rupture was located was quite far away from Peter 

Taugwalder. Whymper said in his questioning by the investigating judge 

that the rope had broken midway between Peter Taugwalder and Lord 

Douglas. Since this report was sealed until after Whymper’s death, this 

statement of his was never considered. In his third version of 1895, in 

which Whymper described the events, he mentioned the breaking of the 


The fall site on 

the Matterhorn. 

Falling at this 

point meant a 

vertical drop of 

1,000m down 

onto the Matterhorn 

glacier. 


39

ope explicitly for the first time, and his estimate of the distance between 

Peter Taugwalder and the rupture was at 2.5m. In this version, he talked 

about the boulder which Peter Taugwalder said to have used to fixate the 

lax part of the rope. In Whymper’s account, Peter Taugwalder held on to 

the boulder with his bare hands. 

Peter Taugwalder was at the mercy of the pull of four falling bodies; how 

could he have taken out a pocket knife, opened the blade and cut the 

hemp rope at a distance of 2.5m, and all of that while under the strain of 

four bodies hanging from said rope? Those who consider this hypothesis 

to be likely are more than welcome to demonstrate it at the original site 

of the accident, namely the north face of the Matterhorn, and with the 

original equipment: with hobnailed mountain boots. Back then, they did 

not yet have Tricouni boots, which later were considered modern. 

Peter Taugwalder Senior declared in the accident report that the mountaineers 

could have been saved if their fall was stopped. When the judge 

asked him whether the accident could have been prevented, he said that 

if the rope had not broken, he and Croz would have been able to pull the 

others back up. 

Douglas Hadow’s shoe. It was 

extremely difficult to move 

across the steep and smooth 

north face with these shoes, 

without crampons. Today, 

no one would even remotely 

consider climbing this way. 


The Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt has a piece of the allegedly original 

rope used in the accident. Whether that is true has never been proven, but it 

is safe to assume it is. The remainder of the rope were examined to find out 

if the rope broke or if it was cut intentionally. An expert report, written several 

years ago, came to the conclusion that it broke. However, a more recent 

report states that the rope was cut. Both scenarios are possible, though 

it seems more likely that the piece kept at the museum was indeed cut. 

In any case, the rope involved in the accident was most certainly cut into 

pieces after the incident. It is not difficult to put oneself in the shoes of the 

survivors at the time. Below them were the most challenging part of the descent 

and the terrifying abyss of the north face. Their comrades had just fallen 

to their deaths. The survivors had no other choice but to take the same route 

down. Peter Taugwalder had still an auxiliary rope of about 60m with him 

and next to him was a solid boulder that had saved their lives. Every sensible 

alpinist would use said auxiliary rope to facilitate the descent. 

Accounts of other ascents starting in 1868 show that they actually did use 

the rope; for about 10 years, it was still visible at the site of the accident. 

It has been proven that at least part of it was used to assist the descent. 

So, the end of the rope involved in the accident presented with a rupture. 

Whymper himself reported in his third version of the first ascent that he 

made Peter Taugwalder give him the ruptured end of the rope. There are 

several people who were able to testify to that account. One week after 

the accident, the bodies of Croz, Hudson and Hadow were buried in Zermatt; 

an empty grave was dug for Lord Douglas. Croz was entombed on a 

Catholic cemetery, while the ceremony for the Englishmen took place on 

the cemetery next to the English Church. Apparently, only three Englishmen 

were present: Whymper, McCormick and Frederic A.Y. Browne. The 

latter later wrote that Whymper showed him the ruptured end of the rope. 

Many years after the accident, Whymper visited Bishop Dr George Forrest 

Browne, who later became president of the British Alpine Club. He wrote 

the following about their encounter: “The bag in which he [Whymper] kept 

the remainder of the rope was tightly sealed.” Well-known British alpinist 

Geoffrey Winthrop Young also expressed his doubts about whether the 

rope at the museum really was the part with the original rupture. In a letter 

to Charles Gos he quoted a friend of his, Mr Conway, who allegedly had 

proof that the piece of rope at the museum was merely a chunk that was 

cut out of the original rope. In another piece of writing, Whymper related that 

Peter Taugwalder suffered from an unjustified suspicion: “Peter Taugwalder 

was incapable of cutting the rope in the moment of the accident, and the 

remainder of rope in my possession are proof of that.” 


41

These bits of evidence show that the analysis of the rope at the Matterhorn 

Museum cannot clarify the question whether the rope broke, since it cannot 

even be proven that it is the actual piece with the ruptured end. It was most 

likely in Whymper’s possession. 

For a long time, Whymper did not comment on the question whether the 

rope broke or not, which gave the suspicions even more impetus. He 

raised another question, however; one that also concluded in an accusation 

against Peter Taugwalder Senior, even though the survivors most 

definitely owed him their lives. The question was: why did Peter explicitly 

use the thin rope? The accusation herein is that Peter intentionally used 

the thin rope so the breaking of the rope would save him in case someone 

in front of him slipped and fell. Whymper never actually said this out loud, 

but he never repudiated it, either. This was a treacherous accusation, and 

Peter Taugwalder suffered from it all his life, for he had no way of defending 

himself. After the accident, he did explain to the investigating judge 

why he used the thin rope, but the report was sealed and Peter did not 

speak English. Furthermore, the use of ropes with that diameter was very 

common at that time. Whymper himself said that he had also used such a 

thin rope in other ascents. 

There are some uncertainties regarding the ropes available for the descent. 

For one, Whymper names three types of rope in his book: A solid Manila 

rope, about 60m long; another rope of about 45m, not made of Manila 

hemp but thicker than the first one; and the aforementioned thin rope, about 

70m long. When describing the traverse to Zermatt, however, Whymper 

talks about 4 ropes, which were temporarily stored at the Schwarzsee. It 

goes to mention that the Manila rope supposedly consisted of two pieces 

of 30m each. In any case, it is safe to assume that this is the situation 

they were in at the time of the descent. When they were getting ready for 

the descent, Whymper and Hudson determined the order: Croz went first, 

followed by Hadow, Hudson and Douglas. Croz tied the 45m-long rope to 

his knapsack, in case he needed it as an auxiliary rope in the descent. 

Then, Croz roped up the first four comrades with a Manila rope, in intervals 

of 6-7m, according to Whymper’s later account. In any case, this specific 

rope was used and could not be applied anywhere else. 

While on the summit, Whymper decided to make a sketch. He ordered that 

young Peter stay with him and he kept the second Manila rope so both 

of them could rope themselves up with it. This left Peter Senior with the 

forth rope, which was the thin one. Additionally, he was not able to communicate 

with anyone else but his son. He only spoke the Zermatt dialect, 


The faulty rope at the 

Matterhorn Museum. 

Is it the original rope? 

Was it cut? 

no French or English. Young Peter had completed his military service in 

the French-speaking part of Switzerland, therefore he at least spoke some 

French and he knew a few words of English. Peter Taugwalder Senior 

then took the remaining thin rope, rolled most of it up around his shoulder 

and with the rest of it he tied himself to his guest Lord Douglas. As he 

described in the interrogation, he was convinced that said thin rope was 

strong enough to hold Douglas in case he slipped. 


43

It also remains unclear whether Whymper himself cut one of the ropes 

during the ascent; as they were climbing up, he unhitched himself and 

overtook Croz so he could be the first one to reach the top. Sir Arnold 

Lunn, however, wrote that Whymper had actually cut the rope in order to 

overtake Croz. At least that is what Whymper supposedly told A.E.W. Mason, 

a member of the Alpine Club. Leslie Stephen as well as Sir Arnold 

Lunn had always defended the Taugwalders against Whymper’s silent 

accusations (silent because he never really spoke up about them). 


Interrogating Peter Taugwalder Senior 

In both interrogations conducted by judge Josef Anton Clemenz on July 

21 and 23 of 1865 in the Hotel Mont Cervin, Peter Taugwalder described 

the events leading up to the accident on the first ascent. These records 

were kept under seal for 55 years. It was only in 1920 that the authorities 

released the report after the Swiss Alpine Club Geneva had requested it 

following the advice of Jean-Ch. Courten, district judge of Sion. 

The questions regarding the planning and execution of the ascent are of 

special interest in this interrogation. Said questions are listed here below; 

the figures indicate the numbers of the questions in the original transcript. 

Excerpt from the first interrogation: 

23. Were you informed about the people participating in the ascent 

beforehand, and did you speak up regarding who should 

or should not take part? Also, did you mention the discrepancy 

between the number of tourists and the number of guides? 

They informed me on the number of participants, and I did not object. 

However, I did mention that, considering the number of tourists, there 

were not enough guides on the team. Whymper and Hudson replied 

that they were just as capable as the guides; I did not further comment 

on the issue. 

24. Who roped up the participants before the descent? 

The first four, namely lead guide Croz, Hadow, Hudson and Lord 

Douglas, were roped up by Croz. I tied myself to Lord Douglas with 

a special rope. 

25. Who was the first to be roped up? 

I do not remember exactly who was roped up first to Croz’ rope. 

26. Of what quality was said rope? 

It was a new, solid rope. 


45

27. Who roped you up to Lord Douglas? 

I did it myself. 

28. Why was another rope chosen to tie you to Lord Douglas? 

Because the other rope was not long enough to rope me up to it, too. 

29. In your opinion, was the rope used between you and Lord 

Douglas strong enough? 

Had I considered the rope to be insufficiently strong, I would never have 

used it to tie myself to Lord Douglas, since I would not want to put him 

or myself at risk by doing so. If I had thought the rope was too weak, 

I would have realised that before the ascent of the Matterhorn and I 

would have rejected it. 

Mountain guide 

Peter Taugwalder 

Senior. He may 

have survived, but 

the tragic outcome 

of the first ascent 

destroyed his life. 


30. Please, tell us more about the site of the accident. 

After we had descended about 200m to 300m from the summit, we 

reached the second of the difficult passages; there, the rock was completely 

smooth and it was very challenging to gain a foothold. It then so 

happened to be the spot where Hadow slipped and dragged down the 

others, which in turn pulled down Croz, but only after the rope between 

Lord Douglas and myself had broken. 

31. Do you believe that all necessary safety measures were taken? 

I do. However, it is deplorable that Hadow was such a poor mountaineer. 

32. How did the accident occur? 

I just told you. But I would like to add that Mr Whymper, my son and 

I wanted to leave the site of the accident immediately; nevertheless, 

we stayed there for a while longer. Eventually, we descended to 

find a place to camp for the night. The next day, we arrived safely 

in Zermatt. 

33. Was the rope taut in the moment of the accident? 

It was taut. 

34. What do you think of the rope breaking? 

I do not know. But the weight of three people and the force of the fall 

would even have caused a strong rope to break. 

Would you like to add or amend anything? 

I would like to add that, in order to gain better traction, I turned towards 

the mountain. Since the rope between Whymper and me was lax, I was 

fortunate enough to be able to wrap it around a boulder, which gave 

me the strength necessary to save myself. 

35. Would it have been possible to hold on to the four men after 

the rope broke? 

Impossible. 


47

36. Could you have saved the tourists had the rope not broken? 

I am convinced that I could have saved the tourists with Croz’ help. 

Excerpt from the second interrogation: 

53. Did anything you remember change since the last interrogation? 

Would you like to add or amend anything? 

No, nothing. Except that, before reaching the dangerous passage, I told 

lead guide Croz to use an additional rope for better safety. Croz replied 

that it was not necessary. 

54. Did your son know how the accident occurred? 

I doubt it, since he asked: “Are you still there, father?” 

55. How come there were three men between Croz and you, but 

only one man between you and your son? The investigating 

judge thinks that this distribution was unreasonable. What do 

you have to say to that? 

Lead guide Croz went first, followed by Hadow, then Hudson, who 

considered himself to be a guide. He was followed by Douglas, me, 

Whymper and then my son. If the investigating judge acknowledges 

Hudson’s capability as a guide, you can see that each tourist was roped 

up between two guides. 

56. Did the roped party acknowledge Hudson as a guide? 

He said himself that he did not need a guide and that he could take on 

the responsibility of a guide. 

57. Who provided the rope used to tie you to Lord Douglas? 

The gentlemen tourists. 


58. Was your son recruited as a guide or a carrier? 

On the first day as a carrier, on the second day as a guide. In the beginning, 

the gentlemen wanted to send my son back; they argued that 

Croz and I would be enough in terms of guides necessary. I then urged 

them to take my son as a guide, which they did. 

59. At what time did you leave Zermatt on July 13? 

Sometime between 5 and 6 o’clock in the morning. 

60. At what time did you arrive at the campsite where you spent 

the night? 

Around noon. 

61. When did you leave the campsite on July 14? 

Around 2 o’clock at night. We then had a delay of about half an hour. 

The gentlemen were in good spirits and had even uttered cries of joy. 

62. (Astonishingly, this question and its answer are missing from the 

transcript.) 

63. Mr Whymper said in his statement that Hadow was the first to 

slip, which dragged Croz down, and both of them then pulled 

down Hudson and Douglas. He further stated that he and the 

Taugwalders were able to gain a solid foothold in the meantime. 

That was the moment when the rope broke, according to 

Whymper. In your answer to question 30, however, you state 

that Hadow slipped first, then Hudson and Douglas, and then 

Croz, only after the rope had broken. Due to the discrepancy 

between Whymper’s statement and yours, you are herewith 

asked to tell us whether you want to adhere to your original 

statement. 

Since Mr Whymper was located above me, he probably had a better 

view of the situation and might be able to give a more detailed account 

on what happened. Therefore I do not want to set in stone that Croz 

only fell after the first three had slipped. Everything occurred within the 

blink of an eye; we were too surprised as to be able to give an exact 

account of the incident. 


49

64. Would you like to add or amend anything in your statement? 

I would like to add that, in order to gain better traction, I turned towards 

the mountain. Since the rope between Whymper and me was lax, I was 

fortunate enough to be able to wrap it around a boulder, which gave me 

the strength necessary to save myself. Because the others fell, the rope 

tying me to them was under such great strain that I sustained severe 

injuries to the parts of my body where the rope was wrapped around 

it; I am still in pain today. 

For months, Taugwalder Senior suffered from the injuries caused by the 

rope in the accident. The rumour that he had intentionally cut the rope destroyed 

his life. The people of Zermatt always considered him to be innocent; 

in the Alpine society, however, the suspicions lingered. He had no way 

of defending himself against these wrongful accusations, so he simply swallowed 

this injustice. For years, Whymper travelled the world as “conqueror 

of the Matterhorn” and gave lectures. Taugwalder Senior, on the other hand, 

withered away under the weight of the treacherous allegations. In 1874, he 

emigrated to the United States of America and returned to Switzerland in 

1878. No one knows what he had seen and done on the other side of the 

Atlantic. In 1888, he was found in the chapel of Maria zum Schnee (‘Mary 

of the Snow’), where he had died at the foot of ‘his’ mountain. 

The Chapel Maria 

zum Schnee. In 1888, 

Peter Taugwalder 

Senior was found 

dead at the foot of 

‘his’ mountain. 


The account of Peter Taugwalder Junior 

As early as 1905, Theophil Lehner, schoolteacher and postmaster in Zermatt, 

had conducted an interview with Peter Taugwalder Junior. There are 

no records left of this conversation. In 1918, the questioning was repeated 

on behalf of Mr Montagnier. Peter Taugwalder Junior’s account – he was 

75 years old at the time – is reproduced here: 

Mountain guide Peter 

Taugwalder Junior. He 

climbed the Matterhorn 

about 120 times. 


51

Peter Taugwalder: 

Mr Montagnier, dear Sir 

You asked me to give an account of the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 

1865, the reason for the tragic accident, in which four strong and distinguished 

men lost their lives. I am now 75 years of age, but despite the 53 

years that have passed since, I remember many things so vividly, as if it 

had happened only yesterday. The impression this terrible tragedy left is 

so strong that I will never forget it for as long as I live. 

It was the first half of July in said year, when young Lord Douglas came 

to Zermatt to undertake several climbing expeditions guided by my late 

father; the first ascent of the Obergabelhorn, amongst others. He had the 

intention to be the first to climb the Matterhorn, as well. It was then, on 

July 10 or 11, when Chamonix mountain guide Michel Croz arrived at the 

Hotel Monte Rosa, accompanied by the Englishmen Whymper, Hadow and 

Hodson, who had the very same intention to complete the first ascent of 

the Matterhorn. After hearing their plans, Lord Douglas and his mountain 

guide decided to join the group. 

At that time, I was indeed still very young; I had merely started growing 

the first facial hair on my upper lip. However, I was courageous enough 

to feel that no rock wall was too high, no glacier too steep. At only 16, I 

had already climbed the Monte Rosa, together with three British students 

and my father. He did not want me to go with them, because he feared 

that it would be too cold for me. I must tell you, the Monte Rosa was a 

notoriously cold mountain; many have lost their toes climbing it. Nevertheless, 

I insisted I go with them, since I was the one who convinced the 

students to attempt the ascent. That is why they were just as much my 

clients as they were my father’s. And I told him that if he did not want to 

lead said ascent, I would find another mountain guide who would. Long 

story short: I went with them and it was a great success; my joy alone 

would have carried me to the summit. 


Obergabelhorn south face. Only 

in 1923, mountain guides Adolf 

and Alfred Aufdenblatten and 

their guest succeeded in climbing 

this face on a direct route. 

Mountain guides Peter Taugwalder 

Senior and Joseph Vianin, 

with Lord Francis as their guest, 

were the second party to climb 

this mountain in 1865. Their route 

led them through the north side. 

But to come back to the main subject: when it came to mountaineering, I 

was not an amateur anymore. At the time, I had already under my belt the 

ascent of the Breithorn and several others, which is why I suggested to my 

father to let me accompany them. Originally, he had planned on hiring two 

additional mountain guides, creating two roped parties, but his idea did not 

please Mr Hudson; he, the humble man he was, believed that he and his 

companions were more skilled than the mountain guides. 

In the morning of July 13, we fetched the necessary provisions from the 

Hotel Monte Rosa and started our journey at around 9 o’clock. The weather 

was wonderful; the Matterhorn, completely free of snow, was warmly 

welcoming us in the morning sun. We had lunch on the Hörnli. The view 

was magnificent; we were surrounded by great, majestic summits. Above 

the green of the valley, the dark scots pines thronged to the edge of the 

eternal ice. My heart was pounding out of joy, and I could barely await 

the next morning. When we reached the foot of the Matterhorn, we set 

up our tents and camped. However, Croz and I climbed quite a bit higher 

to approximately the same spot where they later built the so-called Altes 

Refugium (‘Old Refuge’). Everything went without a glitch and we did not 

have the slightest difficulties. We returned to our companions and told 

them the good news. We enjoyed the soup the others had prepared in the 

meantime and eventually laid our heads on our knapsacks to get some 

rest. I slept like an angel. 


53

All night, I dreamt about standing on top of the Matterhorn, sending a 

yodel down into the valley, loud enough to be heard in all of Zermatt. And 

then, suddenly, I was all alone on the summit. I was not able to see the 

others, and the terror of that woke me up. It was about 2 o’clock and the 

others had started to wake up, as well. We made some tea after which 

we started our attack of the enormous peak before us. Of course, we 

roped up immediately; Croz led the party, followed by Hudson, Whymper 

and Hadow, then my father, Lord Douglas and I. At about three o’clock, 

the day began to dawn and the sky in the east was shimmering like pure 

gold. There was not a single cloud in sight; the only audible sounds were 

the steps of seven passionate mountaineers and the clattering of the ice 

picks on the rock. 

We followed the same route Croz and I had reconnoitred the night before. 

Everything went smoothly until we reached the bit above the place 

where the Old Refuge is located today. From that point onward, the level 

of difficulty started increasing, but we were all of good cheer and able to 

quickly gain height. About 150 feet above where today’s Solvay Refuge 

is located, we rested and had a little something to eat in order to restore 

our strength. Then, we attacked the shoulder, into which Croz carved 

steps. Douglas, who was in front of me, had great difficulty placing his 

feet on the steps, and several times he slipped. But for most of the time, 

I pressed his feet firmly into the steps. Finally, we reached the shoulder. 

We left our knapsacks and provisions at the very top; nowadays, that is 

where the fixed ropes begin. We deliberated on the route we should take 

to overcome the most challenging part of the climb. We knew that it would 

get easier once we were above the roof. Croz was the one who took the 

decision to cross over to the west face, the so-called ‘in d’Lätzi’ (‘shady 

slope’). It was entirely free of snow, and there were small, naturally formed 

steps about one or two inches wide; we used them to climb our way up. 

Below us was a 6,000-feet vertical drop, as steep as it gets. Not a word 

was uttered while we were cautiously and tensely climbing up. We were 

all very well aware of the seriousness of the situation. 

Just one wrong movement or one wrong step and our bodies could have 

ended up down on the glacier, dashed to pieces. I was young and agile 

and I climbed the mountain like a cat climbs a tree. I was always able 

to observe the others and to secure Lord Douglas’ feet for him. He was 

not the best mountaineer. Slowly but surely, we safely made our way 

up; finally, we reached the bit above the roof. At around 2 o’clock, we 

reached the summit. 


The summit of the 

Matterhorn. Standing 

on top of it is 

an enormous rush. 


55

We did not stay for long. My heart was so light, I felt like I could have flown 

far away, above and beyond the mountains, maybe even down to Zermatt to 

see my sweetheart. Then, we made ready for the descent. Whymper traded 

places with Lord Douglas and was now directly in front of me on the rope. 

Croz was still leading the group. So we slowly climbed down across the roof, 

at approximately the same section where the descent still crosses today. 

After that, we traversed back to the west face, along a ledge. We moved 

very slowly and with the utmost caution, since the descent was considerably 

more difficult than the ascent. We got to the end of the ledge, where Croz 

started to climb down the north face together with the three men closest to 

him. From time to time, my father belayed the rope on a ledge. 

All of a sudden, the four men shot through the air, almost as if they were 

leaving behind a small cloud where they used to stand. The rope broke as 

if it had been a mere thread; the four young mountaineers were gone. It 

happened as fast as lightning strikes. No one made a sound. They had disappeared 

into the dreadful abyss. 

One can only imagine how we felt. We were barely able to move – that is 

how shocked we were. Eventually, we tried to continue our descent; but 

Whymper was shaking so much, he was almost incapable of taking a step 

forward. My father took the lead and kept turning around in order to secure 

Whymper’s feet while climbing down the steps. We had to stop repeatedly 

to rest, for we were deeply shaken by what had happened. Nevertheless, 

we kept going and, eventually, we were back on the ridge, where we tried 

to eat something; it was virtually impossible, though. Our throats felt as if 

we were being chocked, incapable of swallowing anything. This was not 

surprising, since further down we saw our unfortunate comrades lying on 

the cold ice of the glacier. My heart was aching and tears ran down my 

cheeks. Our poor, poor friends. Only that same morning had they been 

alive and full of joy; now their broken, lifeless bodies were lying on the 

bitter-cold glacier. 

And if only the good Mr Douglas had not traded places, then he would 

have been the one who survived; he would well have been a better and 

more loyal friend to us than this Mr Whymper, who had been so very 

unapproachable and distant – and still was afterwards, even though we 

had saved his life. Without us, he would have died, as well. He later told 

a different story, a story in which he was the hero, and he said things 

that were not true. I, for instance, never saw any of the three crosses Mr 

Whymper had allegedly spotted in the sky. Furthermore, he put words into 

our mouths, without any motivation. How could he have understood any 


of the things we were saying? He did not speak a word of German, and 

my father spoke no other language besides a dialect native to Zermatt. 

But let’s get back to the descent. We fetched the knapsacks and then, 

with great difficulty, made our way to a snow-free spot below the ridge, 

where we spent the night, sitting down. Just before dawn, temperatures 

were very low, despite them having been quite moderate in general. As 

soon as we had enough daylight, we continued the descent. We did not 

encounter any further difficulties; once we were on the move, we regained 

our agility, although we only reached Zermatt around 3 o’clock. 

Upon arrival, we went to see Father Seiler at the Monte Rosa right away 

to tell him about the tragic incident. Measures were immediately taken to 

recover the remains of the deceased. It was a Saturday, and because they 

were all undoubtedly dead, there was no reason for anyone to set out for 

the mission at night. The rescue team waited for the day to dawn before 

leaving Zermatt. I was not able to accompany them; I was still very much 

in shock. Whymper and my father were not able to go, either. 

The search party found our poor friends on the glacier, at the very spot 

we had indicated. Only Lord Douglas was missing – and until this day, 

his body’s whereabouts remain unknown. They had all been dashed to 

pieces, Croz being the worst case of them all. They had lost most of their 

clothes. A few days later, the whole community attended their funeral at 

the cemetery of the tiny Zermatt church. 

I have climbed the Matterhorn over one hundred times ever since, but 

never without thinking of my dear comrades who lost their lives in a terrible 

accident that day. My father and Whymper have already joined them in 

heaven, and soon, the angels of death will call for me, as well. 

I have now told you in a simple and wholehearted way, what I had seen 

and experienced at the first ascent of the Matterhorn. If you choose to 

preserve my story for posterity, I put my good name in the hands of those 

who read it. I herewith close my report. 

Peter Taugwalder Junior’s mountain guide skills were in high demand and 

he climbed the Matterhorn another 120 times after completing the first ascent. 

At the age of 50, he had to abruptly end his mountaineering career 

after a rock fall at the Matterhorn had shattered his knee. He retreated to 

‘zum Biel’, a lonely place between Zermatt and Täsch, where he had built 

a house in 1874. 


57

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