Golden age of alpinism

The First Ascent of the Matterhorn, by Gustave Doré. This ascent, by Edward Whymper and party in 1865, traditionally marks the end of the golden age of alpinism.
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The golden age of alpinism was the decade in mountaineering between Alfred Wills's ascent of the Wetterhorn in 1854[1] and Edward Whymper's ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865, during which many major peaks in the Alps saw their first ascents.[2][3][4]

  1. ^ Though Wills thought he had made a first ascent, the Wetterhorn had been climbed in 1844, and his was the fourth ascent. However, mountaineering became fashionable in Britain after the barrister's climb.
  2. ^ "The Matterhorn: Edward Whymper and the Golden Age of Mountaineering | Britannica Blog". Britannica.com. 2010-07-14. Retrieved 2014-03-22.
  3. ^ Scott, Doug (1974). Big wall climbing - Doug K. Scott - Google Books. ISBN 978-0-19-519767-9. Retrieved 2014-03-22.
  4. ^ "EUROPE | Alpine expedition goes online". BBC News. 2001-09-04. Retrieved 2014-03-22.