MATTERHORN

French Mont Cervin, Italian Monte Cervino, one of the best-known mountains (14,692 feet ) in the Alps, straddling the frontier between Switzerland and Italy, 6 miles (10 km) southwest of the village of Zermatt, Switz. Though from the Swiss side it appears to be an isolated horn-shaped peak, it is actually the butt end of a ridge; and the Swiss slope is not nearly so steep or difficult to climb as the grand terraced walls of the Italian slope. After a number of attempts, chiefly on the Italian side, the Matterhorn was first conquered from the Swiss arte (ridge) on July 14, 1865, by the British explorer Edward Whymper (q.v.); but four of his party fell to their deaths on the descent. Three days later it was scaled from the Italian side by a party of men from the village of Valtournanche, Italy, led by the Italian guide Giovanni Antonio Carrel. It is frequently ascended in summer, especially from Zermatt (q.v.), the town after which the peak was named.