Matthias Zurbriggen

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Matthias Zurbriggen (1856 in Saas-Fee, Switzerland - 1917 in Geneva) was one of the great nineteenth century Alpinists and mountain guides. He climbed throughout the Alps, and also in South America, the Himalayas and New Zealand. He made a considerable number of first ascents, the most famous of which was Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas.

The Zurbriggen Ridge on Aoraki/Mt Cook in New Zealand is named after him. Zurbriggen scaled the the ridge for the first time and in the process made his the second ascent of the mountain and the first solo ascent. He missed by only days the honour of claiming the first ever ascent of Aoraki/Mt Cook which was achíeved on Christmas day 1895 by a party of New Zealanders determined to prevent the first ascent being credited to a foreigner.

Later in life, his fortune declined. He lived his last decade as a vagrant in his home country, and was found hanged in Geneva in 1917.