Ascending Matterhorn via Hornli Ridge

At 4478 m, the Matterhorn is one the highest mountains the Alps, on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Reaching its summit is every climber's dream.

In fact, it is one of the most famous mountains in the world and has an awesome ridge line. There's an impressive view of it from the city of Zermatt.

The Hornli ridge to the summit is a wonderful route and it will be our chosen route on this 6-day trip. 

Not everyone agrees about the best time to climb the Matterhorn. Ideally, the route has to be snow free to the shoulder. It should also have snow above the fixed ropes, in order to make the summit snow field easier to approach.

The best conditions can often be found by mid-June. However, there may be afternoon thunder showers and full-on storms that last a day or more. When temperatures are high after a snowfall, the route comes quickly back into shape.

On the other hand, in mid-summer, the huge amount of climbers on the route turn this adventure into a little bit of circus. To avoid this, my favourite weeks to climb this peak are early July and the last week of August through the first week of October.

During the first days of this trip, we will be climbing and acclimatizing in Zermatt. This will also give us the opportunity to pick the best time to hike towards the Hornli Hut and then climb Matterhorn the following day.

Please feel free to contact me if you want to join me for this ascent to this iconic mountain. I will guide you there with much pleasure!

You can also take a look at some of the other trips I organize, like the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt.