Summit elevation4,478 m
22,390Cucumber lengths
89.6Olympic pool lengths
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Matterhorn
The iconic pyramid of the Alps/Mountains
The Matterhorn straddles the Swiss-Italian border and is probably the most photographed mountain in Europe. Its four steep faces align almost perfectly with the cardinal directions, creating that unmistakable pyramidal silhouette. First climbed in 1865 in a famous ascent that ended in tragedy when four of the seven climbers fell to their deaths on the descent.
Measurements
Prominence1,042 m
12,116Credit card lengths
10,968Chess kings
189Parking space lengths
Relatively low prominence since it sits among other high Alpine peaks
North face height1,200 m
1,000Coffee table lengths
40Lighthouse heights
13.1American football fields
The famous north face, one of the great Alpine climbing challenges
Average summit temperature253 K
9.9 tenthsDeep freezers
5.6 tenthsBaking ovens
2.9 tenthsCampfires
About -20 degrees C
Typical summit wind speed28 m/s
5.9 billionHair growths
3.5Rolled bowling balls
High winds are common and a major hazard for climbers
Hornli Ridge length1,200 m
3.4 trillionUranium atoms
600Cattail heights
789Desk widths
The most popular climbing route, vertical gain along the ridge