World Mountaineering History
The history of mountaineering can be traced back to 1786 when two French individuals, one of them a doctor, undertook the ascent of Mont Blanc in Southeastern France, Europe’s tallest peak at 4,807 meters. World Mountaineering History chronology order :
Between 1850 and 1860, a series of successful ascents of all the major peaks in Switzerland and the Alps marked what we now call the golden era of European mountaineering.
This golden era, as it is often referred to, came to a close in 1865 when Matterhorn, one of the most challenging peaks in the Alps, was scaled.
As the 19th century drew to a close, mountaineers conquered the challenging routes to the summits of all the major peaks in Central Europe. Before the 20th century began, exploratory expeditions ventured into South and North American mountains, the Caucasus, and the mountains of Central Africa.
In 1897, Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Andes, was successfully ascended, standing at 6,960 meters.
That same year, Alaska’s Mount St. Elias (5,489 meters) witnessed a triumphant ascent.
In 1898, Grand Teton (4,190 meters) in North America was climbed, and in 1913, Mount McKinley (6,194 meters), North America’s loftiest peak, was conquered.
The first half of the 20th century saw not only British, French, and Swiss mountaineers but also climbers from various other nations making significant ascents. A remarkable achievement during this period was the ascent of Communist Peak (7,495 meters) in the Pamir Mountains of Central Asia.
In the 1940s, the construction of platforms on the summit of Llullaillaco Volcano (6,723 meters) in the Atacama Desert’s salt flats was symbolic of mountains being considered sacred places.
In 1950, following a period of stagnation caused by two World Wars, a pivotal moment arrived with the French successfully achieving the ‘first ascent’ of Annapurna I (8,138 meters) in the Himalayas. Subsequently, other 8,000-meter peaks were conquered by individual mountaineers.
On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay achieved the historic ascent of Mount Everest (8,848 meters), the world’s highest peak, via the South-Southeast Ridge route.
In 1953, a German team scaled Nanga Parbat (8,138 meters), and in 1954, an Italian team reached the summit of K2 (8,681 meters).
In 1955, Swiss climbers triumphantly scaled Lhotse (8,516 meters), while the French achieved the ascent of Makalu (8,463 meters).
The 1960s witnessed mountaineers attempting the most challenging winter routes on summits in Europe and the Americas. In 1970, American climbers made history by ascending El Capitan (7,914 meters) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in just 27 days.
After the 1970s, mountaineering focused more on increasing the difficulty of climbs, exploring uncharted routes, and conquering the highest peaks on all continents.
In 1978, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler broke through what had been known as the ‘death zone’ by ascending Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. Messner later became the first person to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters.
After 1980, mountaineering gained significant popularity, with millions of people in Europe and America taking to the mountains. Technological advancements in mountaineering gear and improved access to mountains were key factors contributing to this widespread interest.
International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation
