Two climbers fell to their deaths on the Matterhorn late this week.
The two victims left Zermatt on Wednesday to climb the Hornli ridge, the most popular route on the Swiss side of the 4,478m peak. When the climbers failed to return to the Hornli hut — the traditional start/end point — an alarm was raised.
A helicopter from Air Zermatt rescue services did a reconnaissance flight around the peak and found the lifeless bodies at the foot of the north face, Swissinfo reported. Their location suggests that the climbers fell from the upper sections of the peak, possibly about 1,000m above the ground. However, no details, including the identities of the climbers, have been released.
The Matterhorn on a sunny day. The Hornli Hut stands (not quite visible) at the base of the northeast ridge on the right. Photo: Antonio Fernandez
The Matterhorn (called Cervino on the Italian side) is the most iconic peak in the European Alps. Nearly 600 people have died while climbing it. It registers between 2,500 and 3,000 ascents per year, according to Zermatt.ch.
