Biner_Leseprobe

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
12 The conquest of the Zermatt Mountains