On Thursday 13th of March Hervè Barmasse completed the first solo ascent of the four Matterhorn’s ridge, and the first winter solo ascent of the Furggen’s Ridge through the “via degli strapiombi”.

He started from the Bossi camp and climbed the Furggen’s Ridge, then he went downhill the Hornli’s Peak, crossed the base of the North face, ascended the Zmutt’s ridge, and went down the Leone’s Ridge and after 17 hours he arrived at the Carrel hut, where his father Marco was waiting for him. Then the Italian alpinist went on alone towards Matterhorn.

The route was covered completely alone and in winter, even knowing that nobody succeed in this project before, not even on roped. He wasn’t moved by the idea of braking a record; spring, summer or autumn were certainly the most suitable seasons for this kind of exploit.

The difficulties were a lot due to the big amount of snow that fell plentiful in the last months. It was waist-deep in many parts of the route and it made every movement very risky.

To this big course we add the first solo winter ascent of the Furggen’s Ridge throught the “Via degli strapiombi”. 

One more time Hervè Barmasse, after the 2011 trilogy, attracted the attention on the Alpine climbs without travelling far away, to Himalayan mounts or to lost valleys, but only using imagination and fantasy.

VIDEO - VIMEO LINK https://vimeo.com/89909722
VIDEO - YOUTUBELINK http://youtu.be/2Spo4JF7sPI