Probably the most famous mountain in the world...Matterhorn, Cervin, Cervino, so good they named it three times! Yes, it can be busy and the hut is very expensive (although the WiFi is "free") but standing on top of the Matterhorn is a great feeling and a highlight of many Alpine climbers' summer.
It's an unusual climb in lots of ways - no glacier, a 3 minute "walk-in" from the hut, fixed ropes - and perhaps that's why it is often underestimated. In fact, the climb is 1200m of sustained hard work and concentration. There's no easy walking where you can switch off, and success needs good fitness, strong legs, accurate route-finding and some careful ropework. Then of course, there's the descent - the mountaineering truism "the top is only halfway there" is never truer than on the Matterhorn!
.jpg "Matterhorn")
.jpg "Approaching the site of the \"old hut\" in the grey dawn light")
.jpg "The lower Mosely slab, just below the Solvay hut. Probably the hardest climbing on the route.")
.jpg "Tricky pitch to leave Solvay - the Upper Mosely slab isn't that \"slabby\"")
