Publisher's Synopsis
‘A classic of mountaineering literature and all storytelling.’ - Daily Telegraph
Includes the 56 forgotten photographs, published for the first time
Armed with a pick-axe, clad in tweeds and hobnailed leather shoes, Edward Whymper was the first to climb the Matterhorn in 1865. It created a scandal, as four of his party fell to their deaths. These vivid memoirs propelled the birth of mountaineering, capturing the triumph and tragedy that would hover over the new sport. Causing over 500 deaths since, the Matterhorn remains treacherous for climbers.
When Whymper set out from Zermatt for the summit of the Matterhorn on 14 July 1865 on his ninth attempt, he would both achieve success and failure. Of the seven of his team, only Whymper and two Swiss guides would return alive. Disaster struck on the way back down under circumstances still not fully explained. The controversial death of the three British climbers – a heartthrob, an aristocrat and a nineteen year old – spread like wildfire around the world. It made Whymper’s and Zermatt’s names notorious around the world and Whymper’s book on the ascent the first exploration classic.
