150 years ago this month, on July 14th 1865, 25-year-old British climber Edward Whymper reached the summit of the Matterhorn with his rope team. It was the first ascent of the fabled peak. Yet, tragically, on the way down disaster struck. Several members of the team fell to their deaths when their rope snapped.

To read the classic account of the climb, the short-lived triumph and its tragic aftermath, get hold of a copy of The Day the Rope Broke by Ronald W Clark, published by Northern Eye Books. See: https://northerneyebooks.co.uk/shop/the-day-the-rope-broke/