Weisshorn

Matterhorn (left, at 4478 m) and Weisshorn (in the middle, at 4506 m) are giants of the Pennine Alps, here photographed from Eggishorn. Weisshorn is a three-sided pyramid with three knife-sharp ridges touching each other at the summit. My highly subjective opinion is that Weisshorn is the most beautiful mountain in the Alps. Despite it's impressive looks and height Weisshorn is not as well known as its slightly shorter sister-mountain Matterhorn. Countless books, films, and travel stories have been devoted to Matterhorn, not to mention the Toblerone chocolate, and it's ridges are over-populated with climbers each summer. The reason for this is obvious: Matterhorn looks strangely odd-sized, it is visible in the famous tourist village of Zermatt and it is readily accessible from both Italian and
Swiss sides. In contrast to this, the serene, almost mathematically pure shape of the Weisshorn remains more or less hidden behind the vertical mountain walls of the Matter valley. So while Matterhorn got all fame and love Weisshorn appeared mostly in cameo roles as a distant snow-pyramid in photos taken from the ridges of Matterhorn or Monte Rosa. Ascent of Weisshorn via the most spectacular route, the north ridge, is still my dream..