9 Astonishing Matterhorn Fun Facts That'll Blow Your Mind

1. Geological Speed-Dating

You might say the Matterhorn is quite the "continental player," mingling with both African and oceanic crust in an elevated rendezvous that would make geologists blush: This majestic mountain's peak, standing tall at 14,692 feet, is actually made of African granite perched atop a slab of oceanic dark rocks, a result of a geological speed-dating event that brought two different crusts together and shifted the entire formation northward.
Source => rocdoctravel.com

2. Whymper's Bittersweet Saga

When Edward Whymper decided to defy gravity and conquer the Matterhorn, little did he know his eastern adventure would become a bittersweet saga, worthy of a mountain-sized episode of Game of Thrones: On July 14, 1865, at the age of 24, Whymper finally succeeded in scaling the Hornli Ridge, only to have his triumph turn to tragedy during the descent, when four of his noble companions, including Lord Francis Douglas, fatally lost their footing and fell into the abyss.
Source => aboutse11.com

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=> Fun Facts about Mount-Everest

3. Matterhorn's Height Shrinkage

The Matterhorn: once just a pebble, but we're taking it for granite! This iconic mountain might seem rock-solid, but it turns out it's a little "boulder" every year: Erosion and weathering cause the Matterhorn's 4,478-meter stature to shrink up to a centimeter annually, despite its impressive 20-million-year lifetime.
Source => nenadsaljic.com

4. Queen Victoria's Unintended Consequence

When climbing mountains, you ought to "peak" carefully: Queen Victoria considered banning British climbers from attempting the Matterhorn after Lord Francis Douglas' fatal tumble in 1865. Ironically, the royally dangerous rep inspired a flood of Brits to take the challenge, forever transforming Zermatt into a bustling tourist hub.
Source => zermatt.ch

5. Matterhorn's Deadly Profile

If the Matterhorn had a social media profile, it would probably list its hobbies as mountaineering, photobombing European postcards, and ensnaring adventurous climbers: Shockingly, this colossal icicle has claimed over 500 lives, making it one of the deadliest peaks in the world. Despite its grisly track record, daredevils still flock to the iconic Hörnli ridge each year for their chance to conquer the so-called "Mountain of Mountains."
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Rocky Horror Mountain

Who knew climbing a mountain could be a rocky horror experience? The Matterhorn is like Dr. Frank-N-Furter's castle, except instead of singing, visitors meet their untimely demise on its perilous slopes: Since 1865, this natural beast has claimed over 500 alpinists' lives, making it one of the deadliest peaks in the world, and yet, as many as 150 brave souls tackle its treacherous terrain daily during the summer climbing season.
Source => justfunfacts.com

7. Toblerone's Facelift

Climbing the chocolate mountain of tasty Swiss icons, it seems that Toblerone's iconic peak is getting a facelift that not even the Matterhorn can reckon with: Due to changes in manufacturing and Swiss laws, Toblerone is trading the Matterhorn image for a new streamlined mountain logo, still keeping the hidden bear as a nod to its Bern-roots though!
Source => npr.org

8. Riffelsee Selfie Spot

If you're looking for a picture-perfect reflection on your journey to the Matterhorn, the Riffelsee hike's got you covered – it's like the mountain's ultimate selfie spot: The scenic hike offers not only an impressive reflection of the Matterhorn on Riffelsee lake, but for those wanting more, continuing to Gornergrat will reward you with a panoramic spectacle of the Gorner Glacier and its surrounding peaks, putting all those Instagram influencers to shame.
Source => journeyera.com

9. Disneyland's Matterhorn Trailblazers

Taking a ride on the wild side of Matterhorn history: Disneyland's very own Matterhorn Bobsleds trailblazed its way into the future not only as the world's first tubular steel track roller coaster, but also by being the first Disneyland ride to feature a single-rider line after a revamp in 2012, resulting in shorter queues for solo adventurers, and making sure no one has to share a lap with a stranger ever again.
Source => en.wikipedia.org