Information on the Ridges and Faces of the Matterhorn Mountain
There are now many routes to the summit of the Matterhorn, the least difficult being the first ascent route: Hornli Ridge (AD) which was also the route of the first ascent, and the Lion (Italian) Ridge (AD+) which was also the route of the second ascent. However these grades would be much harder if there were no long sections of fixed ropes and ladders to assist local guides to get their tourists up as quickly as possible. Apart from the popular routes the experienced climber may tackle the more classic routes such as the Zmutt which is considered an amazing route but is exposed to bed weather the majority of the time so it is frequently not climbed and Furggen Ridges which is considered an extremely difficult climb (D), while even more experienced climbers can test their skills on the North Face (ED1). Today the Matterhorn remains a significant challenge that should never be underestimated by climbers.