Matterhorn: The Deadly Peak

Since it was first climbed in 1865, more than 600 mountaineers have lost their lives here, seven in 2024 alone. Despite modern infrastructure and international fame, the Matterhorn remains the scene of numerous tragedies.

The film explores the question of why so many underestimate the risk. It accompanies Anjan Truffer, mountain guide and rescue chief at Air Zermatt. It shows how hut warden Edith Lehner lives with the accidents on the mountain. And it follows mountaineer Meli Rüfenacht on her first ascent of the Matterhorn – one year after she witnessed a fatal fall. The report not only highlights the dangers of alpinism, but also the psychological consequences: how do the bereaved cope with sudden loss? What strategies do rescue workers, who are confronted with death and trauma on a daily basis, develop? And what role do social media play when more and more people attempt the ascent unprepared?