Walk of Climb
Nine bronze markers along the Bahnhofstrasse in the centre of Zermatt remind each one of the first climbers of the Matterhorn. They reached the summit in July 1865. Now those interested can follow the “Walk of Climb.”
Hollywood has the Walk of Fame. Zermatt has the Walk of Climb. The bronze markers along Bahnhofstrasse honour eleven alpinists, including the seven first ascenders of the Matterhorn, who reached the summit on 14 July 1865. During the descent, four of the alpinists fell to their deaths on the north wall; three survived.
The first marker is near the Zermatt Catholic church. It bears the name of Peter Taugwalder, Zermatt mountain guide of the first climbers’ rope team. Following this are markers for his son, also called Peter Taugwalder, Michel Auguste Croz, from Chamonix (perished), the Englishman Edward Whymper, the Reverend Charles Hudson (perished), Lord Francis Douglas (perished) and Douglas Robert Hadow (perished).
Two further markers immortalise the names of the first ascenders to reach the summit from the Italian side on 17 July 1865: Jean-Antoine Carrel and Jean-Babtiste Bich, both from Valtournenche, Italy.
Since 2019, two further markers on the Walk of Climb honour the achievements of two women: Lucy Walker, who in 1871 became the first woman to reach the summit of the Matterhorn, and Meta Brevoort, who in the same year was the first woman to cross the Matterhorn from Zermatt to Breuil.
The Walk of Climb was inaugurated in July 2015 during the 150-year celebration week of the first ascent of the Matterhorn.