The climbers from Valtournenche withdrew deflated, but three days later Carrel and Jean-Baptiste Bich reached the summit without incident. The Matterhorn was the last great Alpine peak to be climbed and its first ascent marked the end of the golden age of alpinism.

Yes, the Matterhorn has been summited by thousands of people since its historic first ascent on July 14, 1865, by a team led by the Englishman Edward Whymper. That first climb was famously marked by tragedy when four members of the party fell to their deaths during the descent. In 2026, the Matterhorn remains one of the most iconic and sought-after peaks in the world, with an estimated 3,000 people attempting the summit each year. Most modern climbers take the Hörnli Ridge, the same route Whymper used. Despite the modern equipment and fixed ropes available today, it remains a dangerous and technical climb that typically requires a professional mountain guide from Zermatt or Breuil-Cervinia. Since 1865, more than 500 people have lost their lives on the mountain, making it statistically one of the deadliest peaks in the Alps. Notable historical summits include Lucy Walker, the first woman to climb it in 1871, and a young Theodore Roosevelt in 1881.