Mountain guiding in Zermatt apparently began around 1830 - Johann Biner described himself as the “first botanical mountain guide of Zermatt” in 1832. Around 1850, more and more tourists came to Zermatt and soon the English climbed many of the large four-thousand-metre peaks around Zermatt with their Zermatt mountain guides. Until the first huts were built, the Hotel Riffelberg (1854) was the starting point for most tours between the Strahlhorn and the Matterhorn.
With the founding of “The Alpine Club” in 1857, which is still of great importance for mountaineering worldwide today, the British pioneers heralded the start of the golden age of alpinism. At the same time, the first “Zermatt Guide Society” was founded in 1858, consisting of 13 “first class” mountain guides and 21 “second class” mountain guides. With the founding of the company, the profession of mountain guide was regulated by law - a minimum age of 18 years and a “good reputation” were required as soon as work began. At the same time, the tariffs were regulated. A tour on the Mettelhorn cost CHF 8.00 and an ascent of the Monte Rosa CHF 50.00. The rates and the distribution of work led to many discussions, which is why this association was dissolved as early as 1860.
Up until this time, the Matterhorn was one of the last peaks that had not yet been climbed - this was also to change in 1865. The tragic story of the first ascent of the Matterhorn, in which 4 of the 7 first climbers lost their lives, is known worldwide and immortalized in many books and texts - including in the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt. Among them: the two Zermatt mountain guides Peter Taugwalder father and son, who returned from the mountain alive.
When the State Council re-regulated the guide service in 1870, a new association was probably founded throughout the valley. The existence of this society is mentioned in Peter Knubel's guide book in 1873. In 1888, a photograph of only around 30 Zermatt guides was taken during the mountain guide festival - the photo is thus a witness to the association and the hour of its birth.
The former association was replaced in 1898 by the Zermatt Mountain Guide Association, which still exists today, as there were too many mountain guides working in the Mattertal and it was decided to split up again. Since then, mountain guiding has undergone great changes and progress: The mountain guide festival takes place every year on the first Sunday in October, since 1863 all mountain guides in Valais have been wearing the same uniform, techniques and safety precautions have been improved and all mountain guides attend regular training and further education courses.
Since 1961, the mountain guide office in the Bahnhofstrasse has regulated the placement of mountain guides. Even here, the fair distribution of work was the subject of constant discussion - in 1965 it was decided to introduce a rotation system. In 2007, the operation of the mountain guide office was taken over and professionalized by the Alpincenter Zermatt cooperative.
In 2012, after more than 100 years, the decision was made to merge with the St. Niklaus mountain guide association - more than 100 mountain guides from the Mattertal are thus reunited. Denis Gruber has been president of the mountain guide association since 2019.
