Mountaineer falls to his death after falling rocks on the Matterhorn

The man wanted to climb the 4478-metre-high peak in Valais via the Hörnligrat ridge with a companion in a two-man rope team. At an altitude of around 3,650 meters above sea level, the two mountaineers were surprised by a rockfall during the ascent, according to the cantonal police.

For reasons that are still unclear, one of the two subsequently fell around 100 meters down the east face. The rescue team that was called out was only able to determine that the climber had died. The public prosecutor's office has launched an investigation in collaboration with the cantonal police to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.

A female mountaineer had already suffered a fatal accident on the Matterhorn on Thursday. The mountaineer fell around 100 meters down the east face at an altitude of around 3,460 meters above sea level.