Solvay Hut
From Mount Wiki
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Solvay Hut | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Elevation | 4003 m13,133.202 ft 2.487 miles |
| Type | SAC-CAS |
| Location | Valais, Switzerland |
| Range | Pennine Alps |
| Massif | Dent d'Herens - Matterhorn Group |
| Sponsored Links | |
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| Coordinates | |
| DMS Coor. | 45°58´44"N, 7°39´47"E |
| Swiss Coor. | 617392 / 91918 |
| Links | Topographic Detail |
| Nearby Features | |
| Hörnli Hut, Matterhorn, Matterhorn Group, Schönbiel Hut | |
| Alpinist's Info | |
| Base(s) | Zermatt |
| Summit(s) | Matterhorn |
| Topo. Map | SLK 1348: Zermatt |
| Approach Difficulty |  AD
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| Hut Info | |
| Places | 10 |
| Catering | No drinks and No food |
| Map | |
  Solvay Hut | |
The Solvay Hut (German: Solvayhütte) is a mountain hut located on the north-eastern ridge (Hörnli Ridge) of the Matterhorn, near Zermatt in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. At 4,003 metres (13,133 ft) it is the highest mountain hut owned by the Swiss Alpine Club, but can be used only in case of emergency. The Hörnli Hut lying on the same ridge is the starting point of the normal route to the summit.
The hut was built in August 1915. All the building material was brought up to the Hörnli Hut by help of animals. From there a small temporary cable car was used to transport the material up to the building site. The hut was erected within only five days. In 1966 the hut was rebuilt and in 1976 an emergency telephone was installed.
The hut is named after Belgium Ernest Solvay (1838-1922) who donated the well-known hut on the Hörnli Ridge on the Matterhorn as a gratitude for the unforgettable hours he spent in the mountains, and from the realization that occasionally sudden thunder storms lead to tragedies. Before his alpine career began after retirement, Ernest Solvay was an inventor and businessman who invented the industrial process for sodium carbonate production, from which a world-wide undertaking resulted.
