The Deadly Race To The Summit Of The Matterhorn
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- The Matterhorn. An invincible mountain - until 150 years ago. It all changed on 14 July 1865, when two mountaineer groups raced to the top, wanting to be the first to reach the peak of the majestic mountain. The British-Swiss team were victorious. But the triumph soon turned into tragedy. During the descent, four mountaineers tragically died. But was it an unfortunate accident, or sabotage? Or even murder...
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#wonder #documentary #matterhorn
I just wanna say THANK YOU WONDER for all these amazing uploads. I've been around the world from the comfort of my 🛌
Totally agree! I’ve been binge watching these and they are entertaining and informative.
Agreed well said
Seems to mevv35dd
@@TheCarnivalguy me too! Binge!
me too!!!!
Am Swiss … when I was little my dad took me to visit the base of the Matterhorn …. when I announced grandly I want to go climbing up he visibly blanched and we left shortly afterwards… Am still doing a lot of global mountaineering in my seventies all late at night from the comfort of my bed 😂 ! Enjoying all your videos, thank you xxx
Your dad was a smart man to get you outta there quickly!!!
@@Riva2025absolutely!!
Yow dad loved you
@@AkoSiFranceenlp
The hero is the mountain guide who has the presence of mind to wrapped the rope around a boulder to save what is left to the group , and yet he didn’t get any recognition until the end much worst most blame him for the death.
Godbless his soul🙏
These videos are addictive i swear
Agree!!
Aggreed
@@clownkiller_god I know, “very addictive”. Thank you heaps for the videos.
Sorrynotsorry 😉
Yeah..very agree
Just the thought of going up a mountain in a 3 piece suit is all you need to gain my respect.
I've been watching documentaries of the 1924 Malloy Irvine Everest 45:18 summit attempt, they also had old style clothing. Obviously the 1922 -24 climbers used a lot of layers but this gear load out was of similar weight to modern gear but unlike nylon, less likely to tear on sharp rocks
But the shoes!😮
A rough diamond that hasn't been cut ! What a perfect description for this mountain. The Matterhorn has àlways been my idea of the perfect mountain.
Have you heard about the Shivling mountain in India?Its called the Matterhorn of the East,very similar shape,design
i swear these are some of the best quality documentaries on youtube
That's because they are discovery Channel documentaries being posted
They are good
@@ScottyC304WV That's because it's a discovery Channel TV show
Just watched 7 Everest videos.... Here we come everest base camp
Why are you swearing!?
Is it worth risking the life for a mountain peak? After 30 plus years doing just that both as an amateur and later as a professional guide; I climb no more, I now enjoy a walk in the nature, on occations I visit the mountanis to see if they still know me, and I take my children on nice trips in the nature. I would like to visit Zermatt, to see this mountain, and to see the monuments, that would have been great. The answer? Don`t know, some do, I did. Wonderful documentary. When climbing, we allways used to talk about the pioneers, what they did and what they used for climbing gear. Allways huge respect for that.
The aerial shots on this documentary are the best I've ever seen on a mountain climbing film.
Right??? This was LOTR level mountain shots.. Unreal!
When he spoke to Hadow in his grave I almost cried. That was so sweet. It’s also extremely obvious that Tagvalder did not cut the rope; the way it broke in that experiment looked exactly the same. I feel so bad that he didn’t get the recognition that he deserved.
Fabulous documentary and recreation, well done! Man, that's basically the equivalent of climbing an extremely technical mountain in a 3 piece suit, with a backpack and a little bit of rope! That's hardcore. Massive respect to all who tried. Edit: PS, the craziest thing about mountain climbing, to me, is once you summit...you're only HALFWAY done. You still require the stamina and skill to get back down alive. CRAZY!
The descent is where most die
Back then mountaineering was all about which country could reach the top first, not which climber could make it to the top first. My problem why Whymper is he didn’t care about his team. He made decision after decision based purely on getting to the top with no regard for his “team.” I put team in quotes because a team is a group of people who together are greater than the sum of their parts. Whymper did not see them as that. He saw them purely as a means to an end and him unroping towards the top confirms that. The safety of his team means nothing when he has the option to be the first to the top. Then he heckles the Italians down below. Whymper is not someone who should ever be seen as a hero or looked up to at all. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he cut that rope
I probably would have saved the celebratory bottle of whiskey for the ground but of course I don't know anything about mountain climbing
@@poutinedream5066 I wonder if alcohol is more potent up at those heights as it is on an airplane.
Most mishaps occur during the trip back down.
Over *600* people have died on the Matterhorn. Making it one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. I think part of that is because it's much more accessible & affordable than Everest, K2, or Annapurna. A lot of people, including myself, could not afford an Everest climb. But I could afford a Matterhorn climb. Because of that there must be tons of beginners & people who don't belong on a mountain flocking to this place.
Yes, actually that is true. I walked up to the base of the Matterhorn in August 1979. It was a bit of a strange experience. I grew up in Washington state with the Cascades in our back yard, so I was accustomed to being in mountains. But I'd never seen anything like this. On the way up to the Hornli hut there was a "traffic jam" of people...a man, with his guide, at the top of a switchback was blocking the trail. He was a afraid to descend because someone had fallen there the day before. This was not even on the mountain proper. When I finally made it to the top of the ridge, the hut was full of beer drinking climbers, there were stands set up selling water, food, soft drinks, and booze. There were so many people there. And I could look up and see yet more climbers descending. Rocks were falling down the east face; no one paid any attention. The rock at this location was terrible - all pulverized, huge boulders balanced on top of each other, enormous fissures in the rock. I found it to be a weird, very overrated place.
@@jackcarl2772 that sounds about right. I saw another video that said the Matterhorn is getting more dangerous. Mainly because the rock is breaking off. The entire climbing route is falling apart. They said that's due to the freezing, thawing, & heating climate in that area in addition to the huge amount of human traffic climbing up the same route year after year. You don't need to worry about an avalanche of snow, but the showers of rock are a different story.
Did you summit?
My goodness, as if the mountain itself isn’t dangerous enough, now you have to deal with a herd of intoxicated, obviously inexperienced climbers stumbling around on a dangerous path you are forced to be on🫢🫣
@@mistyblue7072 maybe the reason some of the climbers are intoxicated is because that is the only way they can build up their courage to go up! I know if it was me, I would be as drunk as a skunk!!!🥴
Even if the rope had been cut it doesn't mean murder or wrong doing. In those situations you do what you have to in order to save as many as possible.
Agreed. Even if he had cut it, which I doubt, cutting it wouldn't have been killing four men, but saving the other three. Those four were dead as soon as they slipped.
Fascinating, but man people were so proper back in the day, wearing their Sunday best for what they made look like a simple hike up a 4478 m snow covered hill. I’m surprised they didn’t get frostbite and/or hypothermia when they overnighted it. Crazy. Thanks for the upload I learned something new!
I know. I have a photo of my folks camping in a rented motor home. All in dresses. Suits. Ties. 🥹
Sigh. Now one can’t go to a grocery store without inevitably seeing someone in their slippers. 😢
I said the same thing. I was amazed at how nicely dressed they were and very under dressed for the elements.
Probably all warm wool.
The man who portrayed Peter Taugwalder is a phenomenal actor
omg i have been DYING for someone to cover this story for YEARS! thank you for finally bringing this to life for me, its my favorite climbing disaster story
You're welcome, Adam!
@Gaylord Rasp don't be a Debbie Downer :p
@@adamkahn8645 Debbie wouldn’t like it either
Mine too! I was just referring my sisters to it and my old brain stored it as Everest 🙄. That fall was brutal!
A favourite….? Oh dear, oh dear 😬
Thank you for educating me about a story I never knew about with such an amazing documentary.
It literally looks like the actors climbed the matterhorn
If I find out the actors did not really climb the mountain, I will be greatly disappointed!😮
This Mountain has fascinated me all my life. This brings it to life. Thank you.
The people interviewed for this are all exceptional choices. A great documentary. 🌄
Incredible but very sad story . These brave men put themselves to the test for sure but, people with no experience mountaineering should not attempt a mountain like this until they obtained the experience needed. Mountaineering is no joke. Even with proper equipment of today tragetys like this happen much less primitive equipment, not only that the men that made it almost froze to death, very dangerous conquest. Love the documentary .
A sharp rock can cut a rope as easily as a knife especially when the forces of four human bodies are pulling on it.
Yes but forensic would know exactly what cut it
Yes agree a sharp rock with a rope with that much weight swinging back and forth on it will cut the rope just like a knife.
@azurie580 But your mom? :O
Yup... there is a popular 50ft basalt cliff near where I live and lots of folks climb it. One night I saw a single rope hanging as I did my nightly jog and it was a guy dry tooling up it while self belaying. I watched him for a bit and was very distressed by his rope. The upper anchor was bomber but the rope had to cross 8 feet of jagged curved basalt (think multiple serrated rock edges) before finally hanging over the cliff. I yelled up to the guy saying I would feel easier watching if you put some carpet under his rope where it was contacting the basalt. We chatted about it a little, seen him 2 or 3 times since then, no change in his setup... Wouldn't surprise me to come across his chunks at the bottom of the cliff one day. Oh well... Then again, I'm a bigger guy and ropes under tension rubbing things are of a greater concern to me.
Nadie cortó ninguna cuerda, se cortó en el aire.Pasó en un momento
I’d no idea that walking from one end of London to the other, “right out into the countryside” would be the thing that made one the right man to scale the Matterhorn. 🤔
That’s what I thought!
Yeah I was like, uhh
The point was made that he was *very fit*. Yes, there is a substantial difference between level and vertical strength. The implication was he was willing to prepare properly (as defined in that time decades ago).
I'm scared of heights. Falling off the Matterhorn is my idea of hell.
What a very sad story though.
Is anyone else terrified of heights?
Depends on the point of view; whether you look at the height from above or below!😁
me,I break out in a cold sweat when I am on a step ladder
Oh yeah I am so scared of heights. When I watch videos of sky divers, glass bridges or those dangerous mountain roads, I just shudder. No way would you find me anywhere near those places.
К2 is a real danger and scary
I am afraid of heights and I found out in the worst possible way. I got on a scenic chair lift at a county fair once, I thought it would be a cool thing to do. It was 110 feet above the ground. Once I was up there I started to feel terror like I've never felt before and started hyperventilating. As the chair was moving along I could feel every bump of the cables and when I looked at the ground I could see myself falling down and splattering on the ground.
The chair felt so flimsy and the bar that goes on your lap was so loose and didn't lock. I was on the chair with my mother and brother and they were moving so much, turning and laughing and pointing at stuff. I had to yell at them to stop moving, looked straight ahead and held on for dear life until it ended!
I appreciate that Hadow's great-grandnephew was able to visit his grave and speak to him, in a manner of speaking. My grandmother was a trailblazer and an adventurer when she was younger - riding motorcycles across the country, climbing Mt. Whitney, doing thru-hiking long before it was as popular as it is today, writing books. She inspired me greatly to strive for greater achievements, for adventure. I can relate to this guy's instinct here, growing up with these stories and being inspired to make his own. It's the whole point of the human endeavor, isn't it? To reach further than your forebears did?
What’s your gran’s name? We want to read her books!
I'm the man! I conquered the Matterhorn! But somebody else had to guide me to the top. But I'm the man!
Yeah rite ...really 🦷🩷
U just go up a two year old could guide you. Must be suffering from edema
Buy all means go try climbing the cassin in a 3 man team with a guide. Tell me how easy it is😂😂😂
@@junioradult6219 done it no joke. Horrible horrible but survived, remember to go up sometimes you gotta go left right and down
I climbed in 1885. One of the best climb I’ve done so far, and I climbed Mt Whitney five times
Very interesting !!!! This is one of those documentaries that I’ll watch again just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I started off reading what happened in a book called Into Thin Air, and I've been hooked ever since! I'm happy I found your show! Thank You! How Wonderful! Prayers for the deceased! Everybody have a Happy Father's Day!😘😍😉😊💖
There two different events?
Thank you for the upload.
The brits making a scene because a lord died and blaming the swiss guide, how mature and dignified.
They died because the brits were rushing to beat the italians.
YEAH ...I have to say this is one the best videos Ive seen put together about the subject
Incredible documentary. Unlike other docs that use questionable close ups and stock photography, this had actual actor/climbers on location recreating everything. Amazing production.
I find it humorous that you consider close ups and stock phots questionable but reenactments accurate. I guess it's the world we live in today...fake.
@@simrdownmon6431 comicbookguy.jpg
For some reason I'm glad I never heard of Whymper before. Great documentary though.Thanks.
Dang, I was feeling tired, saw this video, and put it on. Hour and a half later, I’m immersed in the story
It's so devastating that no one but Whymper is commemorated or celebrated for their achievements.
gotta say it takes balls to stroll up the mountain with those hats on like they're not going to fly right off lol
Balls the size of watermelons .
I skied past this mountain when I skied the Haute Route, it’s a very imposing mountain…… mesmerizingly beautiful, even though about hiring a guide and climbing it myself 😵💫
Shows the truth of the old saying that History is written by the survivor!!!
It's amazing to me to think with all the technology we have now and everything for people to go mountain climbing with all the advantages we have and back then they had nothing except the clothes on their back and just whatever little thing would help them go up the mountain and they still did it I'm just amazed by that part alone
No tik tok 😂
@@RobbielazarYup, no selfies.
Apparently they preferred wearing suits when they climbed mountains back then, had to look good when they summit. Lol
It surprises me how so many experienced climbers are so egoistic while climbing is supposed to have a very humbling effect.
Egotistical maniacs. Just look at Everest.
I would choose humble Sherpas over rich Westerners every time.
It’s more impressive he did it in a suit
They
Gentlemen climbers, eh?
And none of them had his hat blown away by the wind...
I can't believe they just casually walked up there with normal clothes and hats on and a bit of rope. These days people would be covered in protective gear.
This was before Eddie Bauer was born lol. Today they would be climbing as a paid commercial like a Nascar driver, and the sponsors and film documentary companies would be paying for all that expensive equipment.
Especially just wearing plain hiking boots, idk how it was even possible to climb up there in those tbh
Well yeah. They died because of poor gear. It is possible to climb that peak in tennis shoes and shorts, just not recommended....
They looked more dressed for a Sunday stroll, then back home for a nice roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Cheers
yeah well it's a very stupid film...
Rocks are very sharp at the summits of mountains, it very well could have been a sharp rock that cut it.
You would still be able to tell the difference
Strongly agree with you nomis
Great documentary….some closure for all of the descendants left behind I think, by having the chance to tell their family’s story and perhaps finally set the record straight as to what happened. I hope they are able to finally be at peace w the lasting effects that rippled down through the years…..
It strikes me as odd that people were so shocked that there was an accident. Isn't the danger part of the thrill of rock climbing and part of what makes people want to do it?
Apparently common sense is not common for most of us
This was an era of exploration, no phones no media only a picture if you were so lucky. I don't think people had the exposure to understand the danger.
People knew it was dangerous but it wasn’t until people began to really push their boundaries that people realized how dangerous it actually is.
okay, as a rock climber and novice mountaineer in the modern age.
let me explain the situation.
if a group of my friends simual climbing in this style where all dragged down the mountain by someone physically inept to be in that kind of environment I would probably have the same reaction. frozen in shock, disbelief. Just by chance you survived at the end of the party. Everyones gone you're now the leader, This was also one of the first accidents in mountaineering, witch is not rock climbing as its know today,
@@chrisminichello1698 ....i'd have serious issues tying myself to two other people. I'd be ok dying by my own error, but not due to someone else's. I rarely trust others to maintain absolute focus in risky situations.
The rope broke, end of story. Maybe it had help from a sharp rock making it look like it was cut, maybe not. But no way did someone, in a few seconds and while hanging on for dear life, shuffle a few meters down the mountain and cut it with a knife. That's ridiculous.
Before a neck injury at work sidelined me from my Mountaineering goal of the Monte Cervino, this is so well done it is as close as it gets to experiencing the climb!! A buddy just summited this last year and said the exposure was epic! This is a guy I climbed with so that says a lot! I congratulated him wholeheartedly and said that I will have to just dream.... Thanks!!!
With Whimper's singular focus to beat the Italians and the totality of the circumstances, small details were missed. I don't think there was any malice. Now that time has passed, myth and legend grow. I was deputy sheriff for 15 years and have been on some exciting calls. It's funny to hear a fellow deputy talk about the very call I was on that he wasn't, describe what had happened. The legend had grown and embellishment had taken root.
The older guide, senior, did not cut any rope. He wouldn't do that and also would not want to lose the person who was going to pay him! Also they earlier had said that the sturdy rope was not long enough for 7 men.
Are you a mind reader ? How do yo know what someone was thinking ?
The Matterhorn has such an iconic profile.
There’s no chain of custody for the rope in the museum, which makes Professor Smith’s statement that it was cut irrelevant.
I first saw a photo of this beautiful mountain on a tin chocolate box which my mother had in the 1950s, it always looked impossible to climb
Those heights make my hands weak
Makes me kind of sick to watch this, so scary!
Fascinating documentary. I have always been mesmerized by Mt. Everest that I overlooked all others. At 39.52 I just said OH NO!!! I felt so bad but it was an accident; baloney that the rope was cut. I won't criticize because it was another time and I was not there. In my eyes they were all heroes regardless and all the descendants should be proud. Wonderful actors specially the man that played Peter Taugwalder. Thank you for uploading a very interesting piece of history, breath taking scenes.
Zermatt: Tear down Whympers plaque.....and put up a Taugwllder memorial.
This is impressively thorough. The achievement of their first ascent is remarkable, considering the primitive equipment at their disposal. And it makes modern hornli ascent videos laughable, as the difficult parts of the shoulder are all equipped with ropes.
Great documentary! Heart in my mouth throughout. Fabulous viewing.
Thank you for uploading this, love your channel!
In Italian Matterhorn is called CERVINO, the name GRAN BECCA ("great peak") is used by local villagers in Valtournenche Valley.
Wonderful! I don't know how they filmed the scenes with the men climbing on the side of the mountain, whether or not those are superimposed or they hired real mountaineers for the part, but it's just incredible!
i agree. What a well-filmed informational documentary.
@@patsyparkin3536 you cant be made foolish dangerous side maybe
@@m.klimbu7653 ?????
@@patsyparkin3536 @m.klimbu7653 gibberish talk
These docs are as good as National Geographic.
This is so, so good. I just keep wondering, over and again, at scenes for example like those at 26:00 to 27:00 min. HOW in the world do they get this incredible film footage~? It seems a "Making of a Mountaineering Documentary" is due and would be just fascinating. Kudos, all involved in the making of this one.
Helicopter. And in winter, no less. Probably because the number of climbers during summer would have interfered with filming. Helicopter rides, from Zermatt, over the Matterhorn are offered to tourists. Some of these are on UA-cam and show the very same terrain.
@@jackcarl2772 oh, ok. Do you think these close ups of the 7 on the various ridges & cliff faces are at/on the actual high parts of the mountain?
@@govindagovindaji4662 Yeah, believe it or not, they were able to film on the high ridges and cliff faces, no easy feat I'm sure. So this video is really showing the seven men on the real mountain. If you look up other UA-cam videos of helicopter flights over the Matterhorn, you'll see the exact same locations, on the shoulder, the ridge leading up the "roof," and the summit ridge. This documentary is probably some of the best footage of the mountain that I've seen, though.
@@jackcarl2772 Thanks, Jack!
Really cool, thanks for the info. Could you also get this kind of footage using drones, or is it too high/cold/windy (etc.) for them to work properly?
600 lives lost on the matterhorn...damn
Believe it or not these videos are sleep therapy for me
Me too. Put them on in bed, start watching, then listening, then sleeping.
WOW- this is one of the BEST DOCUMENTARIES I have EVER seen!! Absolutely amazing, such great detail to every bit of it!!’🏆🏆🏆💚
Cut or broke both are evenly possible but the expedition was doomed from the start. Even so these were very brave men whose names are etched in the books eternally! Very good documentary!
Whymper is an example of a human being who is a man of contrasts that maybe covered it so well it wasn’t realized or maybe the glimpses of his true self were ignored because he was an accomplished climber. IMO, he shows just because you are a great mountaineer doesn’t mean you aren’t a POS.
Whymper is one of the few examples of a person who decides to be a POS and blame their shortcomings on the person most likely to have been blamed to begin with to cover the fact that they were unprepared to begin with because of Whymper's Ego and impatience.
Doing something as extreme as what they did, with someone like Whymper, will usually end in tragedy. As it sadly did in 1865.
When accidents happen around the arrogant like him, the coward comes out.
Great film ...
Seemingly well researched, balanced, with good (and not overwrought) dramatizations.
Thank you.
Some people, they just can't control their adrenaline.
you make me feel like I am there because your delivery is so good 👍 I am so glad I just found it ..I feel a long binge coming on and I will get all my Aussie friends to subscribe..I actually subscribed a while back but for whatever reason just started watching ...I am glad cos I have a to of stuff to watch now
looks alot like the "Paramount".
That's a beautiful mountain too.
Wow awesome sounds and high quality video😍😍😍
Maybe I'm just tired after a long day but I found the conversation with the gravestone powerful.
Interesting. I found it pretentious and embarrassing to watch.
Wow. Great story. Not to be forgotten anytime soon.
Great video, thanks for posting.
I think it was an extremely low and sly thing to do - claiming the older guide was too old and perhaps even mentally unfit to guide their group. Based upon the earlier part of the film, it is Wymper who looks and sounds dubious.
Sometimes you gotta cut that rope to stop all of you going over the edge..interesting documentary and slice of history.
Really?! No-way! That has never happened in history.
I feel for this story, genuinely. It reminds me of the story of Malcolm Hall, a young man who almost dragged his best friend to his death when he fell. RIP Malcolm Hall. Kudos to Faichney for surviving an impossible situation. Be dragged to death with his friend or cut him loose and save his own life…
I don’t know what I’d do in that situation. RIP
@@rinmedrano8869 That would be so awful
@@rinmedrano8869 if your brain works properly its not even a decision
I would!
If one guy slips causing 3 others to fail to hold, I'm guessing the chances are that those falling 4 would whip the remaining 3 off too... unless the rope breaks...
That was my thought too! All should have fell imo. I know they'll cut the rope if nothing can be done to save them but it didn't say that happened.
What a loathsome man, this Whymper.
Always look forward for a new upload This one didn't disappoint Very interesting ✌️
Wonder is best … period… ever
Thank You so much from Connecticut, USA. Very sorry to Families. Appreciate the Production.
It amazes me the risks human beings will take to get glory.
Glory is subjective. I don't find taking dangerous risks just to say you did it is anything noble.
Very true
@azurie580 Your own words are ONLY a Reflection of YOU. It wouldn't hurt for you to familiarize yourself with the definition of "noble".
Shots of the top made me dizzy. Incredible.
These men wore suits and ties while climbing one of the highest and most dangerous mountains in the world. Wow.
I know. And those hats! Remind me of the Amish.
They deserve an award just for that'll
Hadow had some serious cajones to try to climb as a novice. Every step of the way he had to conquer some serious fear. You can see the tip of the boot is crushed by Hadow trying to shove it into the ice over and over.
Yes, I think you are right. I was 19 when I walked up to the base of the northeast ridge of the Matterhorn. I had no interest in going any further. It's nothing to be trifled with. From a distance the mountain looks solid but up close you see that it's a jumble of very loose, poor rock set at very steep pitches. Sometimes the route is described as technically not difficult, but that doesn't mean it isn't dangerous. The older guides and Whymper showed very poor judgment in allowing Hadow on the climb.
Agreed. I've done some mountains that have reputations claiming lives (nothing on this level, obviously) and there's something DEEPLY chilling about knowing if you slip just a little, there'll be nothing to catch your fall for 1,000 feet. I can't imagine doing something like the Matterhorn with relatively no training or experience. It must have been terrifying.
@@kaned5543 Hadow was the weak link in this climb. If anything was going to happen it would be on him. The guides had to babysit this fellow the whole way up and down. Any wonder there was accidents?
“Is it worth risking your life for a mountain peak?” is a matter at the individual’s discretion, or should be.
There should be no governmental control over these matters, it’s a step too far regarding every individual’s freedom to live their lives, so long as their actions do not compromise or threaten others.
This was a most enjoyable and reverent documentary. ❤️🇷🇴
That's true - to a point. The problem is that sometimes those actions do compromise or threaten others. There have been rescues required of climbers on Mt. Rainier that put the rescuers at risk - and actually there is a case where a rescuer died in the attempt to save a group of climbers who got into trouble on one of the glaciers. So yes it is entirely at the individual's discretion to engage in an activity. But the reality is that there are rescues (carried out by helicopter) on the Matterhorn every climbing season, because there are people on the mountain who have no business being there in the first place.
@@jackcarl2772
Of course I agree, but even the rescuers have chosen their activity at their discretion, it’s a chain of preferences, none of which are mandatory. That’s why we all have a responsibility not to be that someone who has no business being there. Whether a climber or a rescuer, each have their responsibility to train, be equipped, and competent to play their part. Accidents will always happen, whether crossing the street or climbing a mountain. I do a lot of 4x4 offroad, and I’ve always strived to be as knowledgable about the sport, what is safe, what not to do, and what to do in certain situations plus basic survival if things go pear-shaped. I’m also on-call in a group of rescuers, and yes, it’s depressing to see the mistakes that some folks make through a lack of general awareness of what they’re doing. But I get even more depressed by the “road-closed” signs and “unsafe for motor vehicles signs” prohibiting access. We’ll all end up as couch potatoes in another 20 years or so, not allowed to do anything that may involve a risk, if we don’t look after our own freedom to make an adventure out of this life we’ve been gifted. There’s a lot of camaraderie in the sport, human contact, social benefits, as well as the sport itself. Stop that, and another facet of humanity disappears. I’m 69 years old, so I’m on the last stage of my days on this planet, but I’m a firm believer in living life to the full, we can all be safe - but unfulfilled… ❤️🇷🇴
@@clivehorridge Excellent points, thank you for sharing your insights. And I agree with you, living life to the full is the way to go!
Whymper himself answers this question in Scrambles. "Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end."
Superb doc ...my brother climbed the mountain ....I knew it was dangerous and difficult.Very interesting and well made and balanced .
The "royal blood" shouldn't have been on the freaking Matterhorn if he wasn't experienced. Doesn't matter if there was a guide because he put everyone in danger. Mountaineering isn't for sheltered rich people to show off.
of course it is. it costs like 50k to climb everest
There are two aspects to this story that are usually overlooked. One is that Edward Whymper was a product of a Victorian, that is to say, a class society. Porters and guides would have been regarded as servants, not companions - and certainly not as equals - on a climb. The second is that Whymper essentially climbed alone. In today's jargon he would be labeled a solo climber. Even when accompanied by porters, guides and even other climbers, he still regarded himself as THE mountaineer. This is obvious when reading his book, Scrambles amongst the Alps. In other words, he was not a leader. He was for himself. The fateful moment was not on the mountain but in the Zermatt hotel when all seven men decided to join forces. Hired as the guide, Peter Taugwalder was put into an impossible position: responsible for six other climbers - including a novice, and his son, who was promoted from porter to guide for this climb - on a first ascent of a peak still considered by many to be impossible, and stripped of any real authority as Croz and Whymper took over during the ascent. Add to this shoddy equipment, poor judgment, asinine behavior (Whymper and Croz racing to the top, and then throwing stones down at the Italian Climbers) and it doesn't take much to understand that this venture was precarious at best. It does make for a sensational story. It also highlights Whimper's failings. Had Whymper been a real leader he would have taken full responsibility for the outcome of the climb, instead of using a superstitious village man as a scapegoat. He would not have pinned the accident on a nineteen year old novice, but would have admitted his poor judgment in allowing Hadow onto the mountain as part of his expedition in the first place. And if you look at photos taken of Whymper after this ascent, you can see that he paid dearly for this blunder for the rest of his life. He was no hero.
The early days of mountaineering were so bizarre and hilarious. Nationalism and a stiff upper lip sure will make you do some wild things
"What a waste of noble blood." I say what a statement.
It cracks me up that the British can’t climb it without locals guiding them. Like you want to be first but you also have to have someone else hold your hand on it? Seems a bit odd to be in such need for people claiming to be breaking barriers when in reality they just bank roll the actual skilled mountaineers who guide them to their glory
Money talks
From our point in time, in hindsight, it appears that way. If you look at what happened in context, it's a bit different. Porters and guides in those days were the "pack mules" for provisions and supplies. Guides were also responsible for ensuring the safety of their clients. They were expected to put the life of their client before their own. This is why Taugwalder was in a tight spot after the accident, as he had been hired by Lord Francis Douglas. As a side note, to address the other part of your comment, had all seven returned from the expedition, Hudson and Douglas would have been credited with the first ascent of the Matterhorn; Taugwalder and his (newly promoted) son would have been acknowledged as the hired guides (and would have become famous, rather than infamous). Croz, Hadow, and Whymper would have been noted as companions to the Hudson (who was a much better climber than Whymper) and Douglas team. It was Douglas who financed the expedition, and with it the right for he and Hudson to claim the first ascent. But since he perished, all we have is the testimony given in Zermatt, and Whymper's account as given in Scrambles amongst the Alps. And Whymper, as has been thoroughly documented, was an insatiable self-promoter (check out his campaigns in British Columbia and Canada, where he "explored" on behalf of the Canadian Railway, receiving payment in exchange for promoting the company).
No crampons, radios, parkas, or modern energy food, ropes or climbing tools. I cant imagine the size of the pair between any guy's legs to attempt that climb. - Partially nullified by incessant fingerpointing later...
I'm curious: did the actors actually have to climb a mountain or....? Either way, I love the quality.
Si. Yes. They really climbed but to get shots for the doc
As we see in the video, there's the option to land near the top with a helicopter :)
But yeah, it'd be idiotic to let amateurs do the acting there, so to me it seems that professional climbers were acting the story out.
Best dressed mountain climbers every.
So glad I discovered your channel. Thank you so much.
Wymper was selfish
I've been to Zermatt, and the graveyard in the town. Filled with dead mountain climbers, some of them unidentified.
I SAW THE DISNEY FILM “THIRD MAN ON THE MOUNTAIN” IN 1960 when I was 10, WHICH INSPIRED ME GREATLY. IN 1972, I STOOD ON THE SUMMIT MYSELF. NOW AT THE AGE OF 75, I’M GLAD TO HAVE DONE IT. I SAW THE EXACT SPOT WHERE HADOW SLIPPED.
50:00 Guide or no, mountaineers should be held 100% accountable and responsible for themselves. What ridiculous laws~! A guide can only guide. They cannot plant your feet nor be held responsible for any lack of knowledge, experience, strength or footing.
Actually, if you study up on some of the literature from back then, it was not unusual for a guide to plant the feet of their client during descent (so the idea that this was something exceptional for Croz to do for Hadow is wrong). Also, the guides were in charge of provisions, equipment, and ensuring safe passage for their client. So yes, at that time, they were responsible. That is why there was an inquisition in Zermatt after the accident, and why it was important to clear the Taugwalders of any wrong doing.
Thank you for this amazing documentary.
i didnt realize walking across town qualified you to summit mountains
There is nothing that qualifies you to climb mountains aside from your ability to do so.
The real miracle were their hats not flying off in gale force winds and climbing in a 3 piece suit with 8 ft of rope and a walking cane. Lmao.
Keep these uploads coming. .you are our rock star🌟