Famous First Ascents That Changed Mountaineering

Mont Blanc 1786 birthed modern mountaineering. Matterhorn 1865 ended the golden age of alpinism in tragedy. Everest 1953 by Hillary and Tenzing was a global sensation.

K2 1954 by Italians was arguably harder. Annapurna 1950 was the first eight-thousander. Eiger North Face 1938 solved alpinisms greatest problem.

Cerro Torre remains controversial. El Capitan Dawn Wall 2015 redefined difficulty..