The two climbers left Zermatt early on Wednesday morning, as the Valais cantonal police reported on Friday. They reportedly wanted to climb the 4,478-metre Matterhorn via the Hörnli ridge.
As the two did not return as planned to their starting point after their tour, third parties alerted Air Zermatt via the Valais cantonal rescue organisation.
During a reconnaissance flight by Air Zermatt, emergency services located two lifeless bodies on the north face of the Matterhorn, according to a press release. The two climbers had fallen more than 1,000 metres into the depths for reasons as yet unexplained. The formal identification of the victims is currently underway.
The public prosecutor’s office has initiated an investigation in collaboration with cantonal police.
Translated from German by DeepL/dos
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