Mountaineering turns 150
A literary critic, a judge and an explorer were among a tiny group of wealthy Britons who conquered the Alps’ highest peaks 150 years ago, never expecting their “gentlemen’s” hobby would morph into a worldwide sport.
Mountaineering today attracts people from all walks of life, tackling summits well beyond Europe’s Alpine range where it all began in 1865.
“Everything changed in just two days,” says Claude Marin, a mountain guide organising 150th anniversary celebrations in Chamonix, one of France’s oldest ski and climbing resorts in the shadow of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps.
On July 14 that year, explorer, illustrator and author Edward Whymper made history when he reached the daunting 4,478-metre summit of the Matterhorn on the Italian-Swiss border.
On the way down, three other Britons and a guide, a legendary Chamonix alpinist named Michel Croz, slipped and fell to their deaths. The accident launched a fierce debate in Britain over whether the practice should be banned.
But the very next day, another British group made it to the even higher top of Mont Blanc, which straddles France and Italy.
While not the first to conquer the 4,810-metre peak – that feat was achieved in 1786 – they were the first get there via the arduous Brenva route on the Italian side.
Today, Mont Blanc attracts climbers by the tens of thousands each year though only a small number ever see the summit.
The year 1865 “was the beginning of mountaineering as the sport we still practise today,” says Marin.
Over the previous decade, what had largely been a scientific venture was increasingly seen as a challenge for clubs. “Science was no longer the sole motivation,” says Gilles Modica in his book, “1865 and the Golden Age of Mountaineering”.
Morin has documented 81 first-ever ascents that year in the Alps and the Pyrenees, the range between France and Spain, with Britons clearly at the forefront.
Of the 63 mountaineers who conquered 65 Alpine summits in 1865, 34 were British, followed by 13 Austrians, nine Swiss, six Italians and one Frenchman. A total 53 local guides assisted these teams, according to official Chamonix records.
Eight years earlier, an elite group of 28 British men had formed the world’s first mountaineering club, the Alpine Club in London. It promoted climbing as both a sport and a cultural endeavour, encouraging members to immortalise the majestic landscapes in writing, photographs and paintings.
The results include some genre classics like Whymper’s 1871 book “Scrambles Amongst the Alps”, and another tome the same year by author Viginia Woolf’s father, the literary critic Leslie Stephen, “The Playground of Europe”.
For the 150th anniversary, some of the Alpine Club’s prints, oil paintings and watercolours will be on show for the first time on the continent. There will also be a re-enactment in period costume of one of the 1865 ascents, while the Climbing World Cup was held in Chamonix over July 11 and 12.
Elsewhere, Switzerland’s famed resort of Zermatt hosted open-air performances to mark the first ascent of the Matterhorn, where climbing was banned on July 14 to honour some 500 mountaineers who lost their lives there since 1865.
Today’s practitioners, with sophisticated, high-tech equipment, are a far cry from the pioneers who blazed trails at high altitude with little more than energy, good sense and thick layers of sheepskin to brave the freezing night-time temperatures.
Mobile phones guide 21st-century climbers up well-mapped routes, with little left to chance in the Alps or other mountains around the world.
Climbing became “democratised, mainly thanks to cartography”, says the president of Chamonix’ mountain guides association, David Ravanel, who holds deep respect for his 19th-century predecessors.
Despite the sport’s popularity, Ravanel says uncharted territory remains. From valleys in Pakistan to spots in Antarctica, “there is still a lot to do”.
And not all are mountains, he says, pointing to “the huge growth of urban climbing” up the dizzying heights of some of the world’s tallest buildings.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
alps britain climbing france mountain mountaineeringLatest News
Voyages celebrates 40 years at Uluru with two new immersive experiences
No plans for celebrating your 40th this year? Here's a hot tip from us.
SkyDeck: The inflight entertainment you could never have imagined
Forget those external cameras you can live stream while in the air... With SkyDeck you can check it out for yourself.
Second Boeing whistleblower dies of ‘mystery infection’
Joshua Dean died from a fast-growing mystery infection on Tuesday.
Aussie winners of American Airlines ‘Sell Your Way to the USA’ announced
Show me the money! For the winners, Sell Your Way to the USA was worth getting involved in.
ANZCRO celebrates 30th with special edition of iconic New Zealand Book
Choice bro! ANZCRO celebrates its 30th with a special edition of its iconic New Zealand Book. Chur!
Room to move at Cairns Harbourside Hotel with ‘spacious’ new family package
Moody teens can eat two-minute noodles while younger brothers and sisters get to eat free with mum and dad. Win, win!
A&K unveils lavish around the world wildlife adventure in private jet
The kind of holiday that if you need to ask the cost, you probably can't afford it.
Flight Centre and Reforest hit one million trees target early
Nice one Flight Centre, we think you've earned an early Friday knockoff.
New cruise options spearhead stacked APT 2025 program
Just in case you thought you were running out of cruise itineraries, APT's here with a fresh batch.
Travel Weekly announces a new team to helm Australia’s No.1 travel trade title
Some shameless self-promotion from us, but we thought you needed to know who's bringing you the news.
IHG reveals plans for Brisbane’s first Kimpton in 2028
Just another reason to book that trip to Brisvegas. But don't jump the gun, it's not open until 2028.
Cruiseabout’s first store in five years opens in Perth
Perth gets a break from being behind the rest of the country with the addition of the first Cruiseabout store.
ATAS complaints process acknowledges non-economic loss
A High Court case win over 'disappointment and distress' on a cruise gone wrong prompts ATIA complaints change.
Cunard previews new Queen Anne
Yep, this one does exactly what it says on the tin.
Bunnik Tours unveils latest expansion to Iceland
Just as the Icelandic vikings did many years ago, Bunnik is expanding into new territories.
Australia’s first glamping retreat turns 25
25th anniversary gifts usually come in silver. Ours comes in the way of a news story.
Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun
If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]
Tourism Western Australia MD Carolyn Turnbull departs
Turnbull hints her new role will see her staying in the tourism and hospitality industry and who can blame her?
DriveAway launches Brit-Euro Blitz campaign
If agents can put the foot down quick enough and get involved, there are some great prizes to be won.
Fly and Stay Free with the Great Southern
Unlike those dodgy scam phone calls you're getting more and more of, there's no strings attached to this deal.
Sober travel and TikTok guide Australian Gen Z trips
Can you call it a sober holiday if you enjoy a few glasses of red on the flight? We think yes.
Travel DAZE Exec Agenda REVEALED: top execs to speak on airline competition
As the industry reels from Bonza's implosion, it is more important than ever to ask the big questions.
TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips
The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]
Skroo says Rex will need deep pockets to fill lost Bonza slots
The door is open for Rex, and anyone else who wants to launch a regional Aussie airline...
Sno’n’Ski Holidays unveils 2025 mega famil to Colorado!
Let the games begin - this is certainly not a famil that you will want to miss!
Walk Japan launches Kyoto: Mountains to the sea walking tour
There are two types of people, one who enjoys walking on holiday and another who enjoys sipping Mojitos by the pool.
Which destination had a 48% boost in bookings following 10 MILLION TikTok views?
Here's a clue: it's not Malabar Beach.
Asher Telford appointed General Manager of SeaLink Whitsundays
Telford has plenty of reasons to smile after SeaLink doubles down and makes him GM after buying his tourism operation.
Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak
Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]
Hilton Expands Presence in North Queensland with the signing of Hilton Garden Inn Townsville
Heading to a North Queensland Cowboys clash? Hilton Garden Inn Townsville is set to open, but not until 2026.
Rail Europe ANZ: making dream journeys come true
Rail Europe's running a lottery! You're not going to win millions, but you might just snag a free holiday.
UPDATE: Bonza hole deepens as administrators investigate financial affairs
Administrators dig deeper as struggling airline unlikely to be revived.
Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa
Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]
Nielsen Data reveals brands spending big to attract Aussie tourists
Trip A Deal, Virgin and Ignite Travel walk into a bar, blow their cash on travel advertising instead of the pokies.
Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards
Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]
Jetstar offers 200,000 return for free flights to celebrate 20th anniversary
Jetstar hits 20 and everyone else gets the presents with free return flights to domestic and international destinations.