Charles Hudson - Adventurous Churchman with many years experience in the Alps and a good decade senior to Whymper.

Douglas Hadow - Not long out of Harrow school, a novice mountaineer on an Alpine introduction with his former tutor, Charles Hudson.

Edward Whymper - English climber and wood-engraver, only 25 years old but five seasons’ experience in the mountans.

Lord Francis Douglas - Young accomplished mountaineer and aristocrat.

Michel Croz - Guide from the village of Le Tour near Chamonix, renowned for his skills and strength.

Peter Taugwalder Vater - Well-known Zermatt guide.

Peter Taugwalder Son - Zermatt mountain guide who built a successful career.

Adolphus Moore - An upper-class gentleman with many first ascents.

Anthony Miles William Adams Reilly - Skilled map-maker and a good friend of Edward Whymper.

Horace Walker - From a merchant family with a shared passion for mountaineering.

John Birkbeck - His family are North Yorkshire bankers and John is following his father’s passion for mountaineering; he is young but well experienced.

Joseph McCormick - Churchman and good friend of Charles Hudson.

Thomas Stuart Kennedy - Successful businessman,bold mountaineer and dog lover, with many first ascents.

Reverend Woolmore Wigram - Churchman who loved the mountains but whose enthusiasm for climbing them was waning by 1865.

Arthur Girdlestone - Churchman, friend of Whymper’s and proponent of skilled climbers learning to understand the mountains properly.

Christian Almer - Highly respected guide from Grindelwald, hired by Whymper most of the summer of 1865.

Franz Biner - A Zermatt guide, whose career took off when he started guiding Edward Whymper in 1865.

Jean-Antoine Carrel - Italian hunter, stone-mason and freedom fighter.

Jean-Baptiste Croz - Guide from Le Tour near Chamonix; was like his brother Michel, renowned for his skills and strength.

Luc Meynet - A cheese-maker from Val Tournenche and Edward Whymper’s favourite porter.

Felice Giordano - Italian scientist and engineer who worked towards making the first Matterhorn ascent for Italy.

Joseph Anton Clemenz - Lawyer, hotelier and politician who presided over the Official Enquiry into the accident on the Matterhorn on July 14^th 1865.

Alexander Seiler - Owner of the Monte Rosa Hotel in Zermatt, very popular with the British climbers.