Inexperienced climbers overstep their abilities on the rock face

The Matterhorn, one of Switzerland’s most famous mountains, is a magnet for climbers. Thousands tackle its 4,478 metre peak every year, many of them using the latest climbing gear. But good equipment is no substitute for experience, as rescue teams are finding out. (SF/swissinfo.ch)

This content was published on August 25, 2011 - 15:02

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Two people in silhouette look at mobile phones while a contrail of an aircraft is seen in the sky in the evening twilight, at Zurich Kloten Airport, pictured in Ruemlang, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (KEYSTONE/Michael Buholzer)

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August marks deadly period in Swiss Alps

This content was published on Sep 4, 2011 The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) said mountain accidents in the first six months of 2011 were up by around ten per cent from last year, mainly due to the increase in visitors. Many of the fatal high-mountain incidents involved foreign tourists. On Wednesday a Dutch man died after falling off the south face of the Mönch…

Zermatt fights to weather strong franc storm

This content was published on Aug 25, 2011 swissinfo.ch visited Switzerland’s most popular mountain resort, which relies exclusively on tourism, to find out how it was coping with the strong Swiss franc. Bruno waits in the doorway of the Monte Rosa Hotel. Despite the hustle and bustle in the street, his dozen tables are almost empty. “It’s a bit quieter than usual,” the…

Inexperienced climbers overstep their abilities on the rock face

The Matterhorn, one of Switzerland’s most famous mountains, is a magnet for climbers. Thousands tackle its 4,478 metre peak every year, many of them using the latest climbing gear. But good equipment is no substitute for experience, as rescue teams are finding out. (SF/swissinfo.ch)

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