swissinfo.ch - 28.09.2013
Hard times for peak climbers
To mark the 150th anniversary of the first ascent to the Matterhorn in 1865, the Hörnli hut at the foot of the mountain is undergoing major restoration. Until the hut re-opens, only very few people will make it to the summit. (RTS/swissinfo.ch)
The Matterhorn is one of Switzerland's most popular mountains. The route to its summit leads via the Hörnli hut. Here, at an altitude of 3260 meters, mountaineers spend the night before making the climb up to the summit.
Now the hut is undergoing a major restoration. The new building will receive an entirely new annex, while a part of the old hut will be dismantled. The renovation will cost CHF8 million ($8.8 million). Until the new hut’s inauguration in June 2015, there will be no possibility for climbers to spend the night there. And, since the climb up to the peak will be too much to manage in one go for most, only very few climbers are expected to attempt to summit the Matterhorn in 2014.
The new hut will be modern and comfortable, but it will have fewer beds than the old one. According to the hut's warden Kurt Lauber, authorities would like to limit the number of people on the mountain.
The Matterhorn is a very tough mountain to climb. And in recent years there were too many people on the summit, which led to some problems and accidents. The hut will reopen in 2015 to mark the 150th anniversary of the first ascent to the Matterhorn in 1865 by the Englishman Edward Whymper.
Despite the limited accommodation, the Matterhorn will remain open to everyone - first come, first served.