Edward Whymper

Edward Whymper (April 27, 1840 – September 16, 1911), was a British climber and explorer best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. On the descent, four members of the party were killed.

Early life

Whymper was born in London on April 27 1840, the son of an artist. He was trained to be a wood-engraver at an early age. In 1860, he made extensive forays into the central and western Alps to produce a series of commissionaed alpine scenery sketches. Among the objects of this tour was the illustration of an unsuccessful attempt made by Professor Bonney's party, to ascend Mont Pelvoux, at that time believed to be the highest peak of the Dauphin Alps. Whymper successfully completed the ascent of Mont Pelvoux in 1861, the first of a series of expeditions that threw much light on the topography of a area at a time very imperfectly mapped. From the summit of Mont Pelvoux, Whymper discovered that it was overtopped by a neighboring peak, subsequently named the Barre des Écrins, which, before the annexation of Savoy added Mont Blanc to the possessions of France, was the highest point in the French Alps. Whymper climbed the Barre des Écrins in 1864. The years 1861 to 1865 are filled with a number of new expeditions in the Mont Blanc group and the Pennine Alps, among them the ascent of the Aiguille Verte and the crossing of the Morning Pass.

Related Topics:
London - April 27 - 1840 - 1860 - Alps - Mont Pelvoux - Barre des Écrins - Savoy - Mont Blanc - France - 1864

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