Wikipedia:Picture of the day/December 2, 2005

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Picture of the day

Zermatt and Matterhorn

The Matterhorn is located on the border between Switzerland and Italy, towering over the Swiss town of Zermatt and the Italian town Breuil-Cervinia in the Val Tournanche. Long an iconic symbol of Switzerland and the Alps, it was the last major mountain of the range to be climbed, not merely because of its technical difficulty, but of the fear it inspired in early mountaineers. The summit of the Matterhorn was first reached in 1865, after several years of attempts. By today's standards, the climbing is not especially hard, and thousands make the ascent each summer.

Photo credit: Stan Shebs
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