Editing Exploration of the High Alps

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{{One source|date=February 2012}}
{{More footnotes|date=February 2012}}
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{{Short description|Exploration and charting of the High Alps region}}
[[File:SchesaplanaGipfel06.jpg|thumb|A hiking team at a [[summit cross]] of the [[Schesaplana]], an early ascended, recorded Alpine mountains (1358; photo 2014)]]
Exploration of the [[High Alps|higher region of the Alps]] by travellers from outside the immediate region only became popular from the 18th century. About 20 glacier passes were known before 1600, 25 more before 1700, and another 20 before 1800. While an attempt in 1689 to "re-open" the [[Col du Géant]] by Philibert-Amédée Arnod, an official from the duchy of Aosta, may be counted as having been made by a non-native, historical records do not show any further such activities until the last quarter of the 18th century.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Montagnier|first=H.F.|year=1921|journal=The Alpine Journal|volume=33|pages=323–340|title=Early history of Col du Geant and the legend of Col Major|url=https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1921_files/AJ%201921%20Vol%2033%20323-340%20Montagnier%20Col%20du%20Geant.pdf}}</ref>  There are some records of very early ascents by non-natives, including that of the [[Rocciamelone]] in 1358 in fulfilment of a [[vow]]; that of the [[Mont Aiguille]] in 1492 by order of [[Charles VIII of France]]; and the ascent of the [[Gnepfstein]], the lowest and the most westerly of the seven summits by [[Conrad Gessner]] in 1555.

== Late 18th and early 19th century ==
The first people who systematically explored the regions of ice and snow were [[Horace-Bénédict de Saussure]] (1740–1799),<ref>{{cite web|title=Chamonix: History of Alpinism|url=http://www.chamonix.net/english/mountaineering/history-of-alpinism|website=www.chamonix.net|accessdate=17 November 2015}}</ref> in the [[Pennine Alps]], and the Benedictine monk of [[Disentis]], [[Placidus a Spescha]] (1752–1833), in the valleys at the sources of the [[Rhine]]. In the early 19th century the Meyer family of Aarau climbed the [[Jungfrau]] (1811), and the [[Finsteraarhorn]] (1812), and opened several glacier passes. Their activity was entirely confined to the [[Bernese Oberland]]. Their pioneering work was extended by several Swiss adventurers, including [[Gottlieb Samuel Studer]] (1804–1890) of [[Bern]] and [[Pierre Jean Édouard Desor|Edouard Desor]] (1811–1882) of [[Neuchâtel]]. The first-known English climber in the Alps was Colonel [[Mark Beaufoy]] (1764–1827), who made the fourth ascent of [[Mont Blanc]] in 1787. 

In the [[Eastern Alps]], serious exploration began with the first ascent of the [[Großglockner]] in 1800, initiated by Franz-Xaver Salm-Raifferscheid, [[Bishop of Gurk|Bishop of Gurk-Klagenfurt]]. Around [[Monte Rosa]], the Vincent family, Josef Zumstein (1783–1861), and Giovanni Gnifetti (1801–1867) did good work during the half century between 1778 and 1842, while in the Eastern Alps archduke John (1782–1850), [[Friedrich Prince zu Schwarzenberg]] (1809–1885), Valentine Stanig (1774–1847), Adolf Schaubach (1800–1850) and P.J. Thurwieser (1789–1865) were pioneers in the first half of the 19th century.

== Late 19th century ==
In the early 1850s the taste for mountaineering developed, with stimulus provided by the foundation of various national Alpine clubs. The first was the English [[Alpine Club]] (founded in the winter of 1857–1858), followed in 1862 by the [[Austrian Alpine Club]], the Italian and Swiss Alpine Club in 1863 and the [[German Alpine Club]] in 1869. In 1873, the German and Austrian clubs joined to form the [[German and Austrian Alpine Club]]. The [[French Alpine Club]] formed in 1874. Members of these clubs and societies carried out detailed exploration of the High Alps, built club huts, organized and trained guides, and published detailed information on routes and ascents in the club periodicals.

== First ascents of major peaks ==
The following two sub-joined lists give the dates of the first ascent of the greater peaks.

=== Before 1858 ===
* 1100 [[Untersberg]]
* 1358 [[Rocciamelone]]
* 1579 [[Serles]]
* 1610 [[Schesaplana]]
* 1739 or 1744 [[Titlis]]
* 1762 [[Ankogel Group|Ankogel]]
* 1778 [[Triglav]]
* 1779 [[Mont Velan]]
* 1782 [[Sulzfluh]]
* 1784 [[Dents du Midi]]
* 1786 [[Mont Blanc]]
* 1789 [[Rheinwaldhorn]]
* 1795 [[Großes Wiesbachhorn]]
* 1800 [[Großglockner]]
* 1801 [[Punta Giordani]]
* 1804 [[Ortler]]
* 1811 [[Jungfrau]]
* 1813 [[Breithorn]]
* 1819 [[Piramide Vincent]]
* 1820 [[Zugspitze]], [[Zumsteinspitze]]
* 1824 [[Tödi]]
* 1828 [[Kitzsteinhorn]], [[Mont Pelvoux]]
* 1829 (or 1812?) [[Finsteraarhorn]]
* 1830 [[Schalfkogel]]
* 1832 [[Hochvogel]], [[Hoher Dachstein]]
* 1833 [[Strahlkogel]]
* 1835 [[Piz Linard]], [[Piz Palü]]
* ~1840 [[Hoher Tenn]], [[Schrankogel]]
* 1841 [[Großvenediger]]
* 1842 [[Lauteraarhorn]], [[Punta Gnifetti]]
* 1843 [[Großer Löffler]], [[Wildhorn]]
* 1844 [[Johannisberg (High Tauern)|Johannisberg]], [[Wetterhorn]]
* 1845 [[Galenstock]]
* 1846 [[Piz Kesch]]
* 1848 [[Wildspitze]], [[Zimba (mountain)|Zimba]]
* 1850 [[Diablerets]], [[Piz Bernina]]
* 1853 [[Glockturm]], [[Hohe Geige]]
* 1854 [[Hochgall]], [[Königspitze]], [[Rötspitze]], [[Strahlhorn]]
* 1854 or 1855 [[Mont Blanc du Tacul]]
* 1855 [[Ankogel Group|Hochalmspitze]], [[Dufourspitze]] (Monte Rosa), [[Weissmies]]
* 1856 [[Aiguille du Midi]], [[Allalinhorn]], [[Lagginhorn]], [[Mönch]], [[:de:Reichenspitze]]
* 1857 [[Monte Pelmo]], [[Piz Calderas]], [[Uia di Ciamarella]]

=== 1858-present ===
* [[Dom (mountain)|Dom]], [[Eiger]], [[Nadelhorn]], [[Piz Morteratsch]], [[Wildstrubel]] (1858)
* [[Aletschhorn]], [[Bietschhorn]], [[Grand Combin]], [[Grivola]], [[Rimpfischhorn]] (1859)
* [[Alphubel]], [[Blüemlisalp]]horn, [[Gran Paradiso]], [[Grande Casse]] (1860)
* [[Castor (mountain)|Castor]], [[Lyskamm]], [[Monte Viso]], [[Schreckhorn]], [[Weisshorn]], [[Weißkugel]] (1861)
* [[Dent Blanche]], [[Fiescherhorn|Gross Fiescherhorn]], [[Monte Disgrazia]], [[Täschhorn]] (1862)
* [[Dent d'Hérens]], [[Parrotspitze]], [[Piz Zupò]] (1863)
* [[Aiguille d'Argentière]], [[Balmhorn]], [[Barre des Écrins]], [[Marmolata]], [[Mont Dolent]], [[Pollux (mountain)|Pollux]], [[Presanella]], [[Zinalrothorn]] (1864)
* [[Aiguille Verte]], [[Grand Cornier]], [[Matterhorn]], [[Ober Gabelhorn]], [[Piz Roseg]], [[Tschingelhorn]] (1865)
* [[Piz Cengalo]] (1866)
* [[Piz Palü]] (1866/1868)
* [[Monte Civetta|Civetta]], [[Piz Badile]] (1867)
* [[Bellavista (mountain)|Bellavista]], [[Grandes Jorasses]] (1868)
* [[Hohberghorn]], [[Langkofel]] (1869)
* [[Ailefroide]], [[Cimon della Pala]], [[Lenzspitze]] (1870)
* [[Portjengrat]], [[Aiguille du Plan]] (1871)
* [[Pierre Menue]], [[Levanna Centrale]] (1875)
* [[Les Droites]], [[Mont Collon]] (1876)
* [[Meije]], [[Mont Blanc de Courmayeur]], [[Piz Scerscen]], Pic Coolidge (1877)
* [[Aiguille du Dru]], [[Les Bans]], [[Mont Maudit]] (1878)
* [[Dürrenhorn]] (1879)
* [[Aiguille des Grands Charmoz]], [[Olan (mountain)|Olan]] (1880)
* [[Aiguille du Grépon]] (1881)
* [[Dent du Géant]] (1882)
* [[Bishorn]] (1884)
* [[Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey]] (1885)
* [[Stecknadelhorn]] (1887)
* [[Fletschhorn]] (1889)
* [[Aiguille Dibona]] (1913)

== See also ==
{{portal|Alps|left = |break = }}
*[[Golden age of alpinism]]
*[[History of the Alps]]
*[[Silver age of alpinism]]
*A detailed [[list of first ascents]], including over a hundred mountains in the Alps
*[[List of mountains of the Alps]], all 1500+ peaks with >300 m prominence, most with first ascent years

== References ==
*{{EB1911 |wstitle=Alps |volume=1 |pages=748–749}}
{{reflist}}

[[Category:History of the Alps]]
[[Category:History of mountaineering]]
[[Category:Exploration of Europe]]
[[Category:Charles VIII of France]]