Descending Matterhorn - from the summit to Solvay Hut

The clip shows glimpses of the first part of the descent - from the summit at 4 478 meters to Solvay Hut at 4 003 meters. The climb of 1 218 altitude meters took 4 hours from Hörnli hut to the summit. Return from the summit to Hörnli took ca 4,5 hours including brief rest at Solvay. We started our climb at 4.30 am from Hörnli hut 7 August 2015. Guide: Christian Buchmann. Photo: Johan Borgstam.

[@jamesleem.d.7442]

Wonderful video. Who checks the integrity of large diameter fixed ropes like the one we see at 4:15 ?

[@lawrencewilliams1477]

THE BRAVE HEARTS 💕 💞 ♥ IT

[@emotionaladolf9969]

careful you aren't hit by the bobsled and eaten by the Yeti!

[@grapiken7766]

Amazing and terrifying. One loose rock, one false move and you fall. How does the rope become untied at the top once a climber has descended? I wish the inside of the hut was filmed.

[@Свободадляроссии]

He has another guy up there with the rope

[@bobelliott2748]

I remember climbing and descending Mt Assiniboine in the Canadian Rockies...standard route, nothing fixed. 4 hours up from the base and 5.5 hours down

[@rimrunz1795]

If there's long sections of rock, like that, without ice----and on a rope - - - why not take th crampons off for th time being? Just asking.... Never done th Matterhorn myself, but hav done many other climbs and descents.

[@DMBall]

Traffic jam on the Horn! Look out below.

[@Lucianrider]

So how does the last person get down? Looks insane!

[@sunshinemajaw6499]

Im scared of hight, but I ❤ those who dare.

[@afvet5075]

No way Jose.

[@freddiehunter8629]

How does your guide get down? Does he absiel or just downclimb with the only protection your rope around the metal spike? Thanks

[@johanborgstam3349]

It was a mix. Since Matterhorn is a lot about scrambling he in many cases simply down climbed pitches where he had secured me abseiling. But sometimes I also secured him for descent.

[@mwhite6522]

Why did you descend the roof w no belay? Also, just curious if anyone knows where the Whymper accident occurred, if there is anything marking the spot.

[@johanborgstam3349]

Long stretches of descent with guides is usually done as short roping, ie no belay. On some stretches not even that, just scrambling. Matterhorn is not technically difficult but demanding since continuous climbing for hours, substantial exposure and crowded (!).

[@mwhite6522]

@@johanborgstam3349 thanks

[@pieciki]

What boots are you wearing?

[@johanborgstam3349]

Jaroslaw Detko Scarpa boots! Dont know the name of the model but they were EXCELLENT! Happy climbing!

[@reborn3530]

@@johanborgstam3349 Scarpa HD Lite, HD or Tech 2.0 HD?

[@ioanabalsan8794]

good job! but looks crowded. Too bad Matterhorn became so popular :(

[@24June91]

It's only somwhat crowded on Fridays and Saturdays in peak season, other than that its no problem.

[@christianjohnson3205]

In the video it looked incredibly steep all the time. I know your climbing the matterhorn so its not joke, but does the video make it look a little steeper than it really was?

[@1daleym]

Just thinking the same, really steep in the video. It's never as bad as it looks in a video! Little comfort really because it looks vertical :-)

[@johanborgstam3349]

True, there's always a distortion with GoPro exaggerating steepness etc somewhat. However, remember that the movie clip shows the first part of the descent. And that part IS steep and with a lot of exposure. Major part of the climb from Hörnli Hut to Solvay hut is really more of a scramble though. Happy climbing!

[@pratimbishnu5954]

@@johanborgstam3349 Man how do u even climb that.Its like I would like to climb it but I have no cojones its a very bad feeling.

[@24June91]

It's a fish eye lens, like the ones NASA uses to fool you that the earth is curved. It makes everything looks a lot more steep.

[@24June91]

@@johanborgstam3349 Fish-eye lens. Use another lens.

[@brotherlouie7067]

Was it necessary to rappel down in some places or you could have used the fixed ropes instead without rappeling? Thanks

[@johanborgstam3349]

Hi, would not recommend fixed ropes as alternative to rappelling. For security reasons but also because primarily used by people on way up - as you can see in the clip quite a lot of traffic on Matterhorn! Best of luck !

[@brotherlouie7067]

Understood. Thanks!

[@jozefjamriska2857]

How is the guide going down? Is he rappelling or you wait for him until he descends to you?

[@johanborgstam3349]

Most of the time I descended and he followed

[@anthonymendoza1327]

The guides are really good climbers and the decent is not hard for a top-level climber. The rating of the climbing is AD. Typically, when I was alpine climbing, we would free solo that rating up and down. I am sure the guides do the same. They just have to be careful that the inexperienced client wouldn't pull them off the mountain by accident.

[@doctorshawzy6477]

climbing should be banned..signed scaredypants..