A ride in the Disney theme parks, the Matterhorn is an artificial, hollow mountain capped with fake snow in which a roller coaster with cars that look like bobsleds has been constructed. Certain turns in the track bring passengers face to face with a howling animatronic yeti. At various times during the day, mountain climbers scale the Matterhorn and during the fireworks show at night, Tinkerbell flits down from the mountain's peak on a wire. The Skyway used to go through the center of the Matterhorn, but (in Disneyland at least) that ride has been taken down.

While passengers wait in line for the ride, recorded voices urge them to "Remain seated, please," adding in Spanish "Permanaced sentados por favor." The Spanish warning is beloved by Disneyphiles, and shows up in the first few seconds of the song "Tragic Kingdom" by No Doubt.

It's pretty much the whole reason I wanted to node the ride.

Famous mountain in the Alps on the border between Italy and Switzerland.

Its sharp, picturesque, almost hostile, pyramidal horn-like summit is one of the most well-known and photographed views in the climbing world. The height is 4,478 meters (14,692 feet) and it was first climbed in this day in 1865 by English Edward Whymper, who in his eighth attempt managed to reach the summit after four of his expedition members had fallen to their deaths. This was the last summit to be claimed in the Golden Age of climbing as the mid 1800s are called.

Described in 1850 by Paul Bernard of the Swiss board of tourism as follows:

"That towering pyramid, set off from its neighbors, seeming to thrust into the very sky, was the object, more than any other Alpine peak, of a host of superstitious tales. In both valleys affording access to the mountain, the Mattertal from the north, the Valtournanche from the south, old men told dark tales of the awful disasters that would assuredly befall those who dared to come too near to it. There were stories about ruined cities buried beneath the snow-masses. In addition the opinion of experienced Valais guides in Zermatt, on the Swiss side, was that the mountain was so steep, a succession of smooth cliffs from base to summit, as to be quite unclimbable."

Being a pyramid shaped summit, there are four ridges and four faces to choose from when you want to summit. As of today, all of these have been climbed. This is perhaps the hardest of all 4,000 meter peaks to climb, with more than 500 deaths on the “easy” route to the top alone; the Hörni ridge. The summit is actually two peaks with a shard ridge between them.

From the Italian side of the mountain - which is called Monte Cervino there – lies the town of Cervino, from where skiing and summit attempts can be made. From the Swiss side, Zermatt is closest and also the way to reach the Hörni ridge of Mont Cervin which is the French name. There are also other, easier, summits nearby to be attemped in the Pennine Alps. Today over 3000 people come and try to climb it every year, and with the help of guides and it is not as hard anymore since there are fixed ropes and pitons to aid them.

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