Charles Hudson (climber)

Educated at St Peter's School, York, Hudson was one of the most important climbers of the golden age of alpinism. An immensely strong walker, he claimed amongst his climbs the first ascent of Monte Rosa in 1855, the first official ascent of Mont Blanc du Tacul in 1855, the first completed passage of the Mönchjoch in 1858, the first ascent of Mont Blanc by the Goûter route (incomplete) in 1859 with E. S. Kennedy and party, and the second ascent of the Aiguille Verte (the first by the Moine ridge) in 1865 (with T. S. Kennedy and Michel Croz). He is also considered a pioneer of English guideless climbing in the western Alps, having made the first guideless ascent of Mont Blanc in 1855 and a guideless ascent of the Breithorn. . The fatal accident occurred on the sunny snow slopes at the top right of the mountain ==Matterhorn accident==

During the first ascent of the Matterhorn on 14 July 1865 Hudson was killed in a notorious accident during the descent. Edward Whymper was planning to climb the mountain with Lord Francis Douglas, when he heard that Hudson (together with Michel Croz) had the same objective. Whymper wrote: The accident occurred because Hadow slipped on the descent not far from the summit, pulling Croz, Hudson and Douglas down the north face of the mountain; the rope between these four and the other three members of the party (Whymper and the two Zermatt guides named Peter Taugwalder, father and son), snapped, saving them from the same fate. Some have blamed Hudson for insisting on the presence of the inexperienced Hadow in the party, and for not checking the quality of the rope or the boots Hadow was wearing. Hudson's body was retrieved from the Matterhorn glacier and was buried in the Zermatt churchyard. ==References==