Guido Rey

As the dates of his life on earth bear witness, he was a man “from another era”, even in his relationship with the mountains. Born into a distinguished and wealthy family (he was the nephew of Quintino Sella), his grandfather was his first mentor in mountaineering: it was he who, at the age of thirteen, introduced him to the Matterhorn from avantage point in the Biella Alps.

His fame is linked above all to his literary talents, although his list of achievements is certainly impressive: the first ascents of the Ciamarella, the north face of the Bessanese and Punta Bianca on the Tiefenmatten ridge, as well as the first Italian ascent of the Meije (with Alessandro Sella). He climbed the Matterhorn five times and Monviso just as many (two new routes). We must also note, amongst other things, the first Italian ascent and second ascent ever of the north ridge of Grivola, the south face of the Lyskamm, and the Dent d’Hérens, to mention only the most significant feats. Having lost his brother in a mountain accident whilst he was climbing unguided, Guido Rey changed his approach to climbing and never again ventured out without being accompanied by guides. His meeting with Ugo De Amicis led him, from 1904 onwards, to discover the Mont Blanc massif, which until then Rey had regarded as the domain of the English ‘masters’. From this period, we can list his successes on the Grépon, Chamoz, Requin, Dru and Aiguille Verte. From one discovery to the next, he moved on to the Dolomites: the Catinaccio, the Vajolet Towers, the south face of the Marmolada (the first ascent was long attributed to him, but in reality he was responsible only for a famous description of it), the Tofana di Roces, and the Antelao (1913). He drew on these experiences for his book *Alpinismo Acrobatico* (1914). Enamoured of the Matterhorn, he climbed it several times via various routes, but his obsession was the unclimbed Furggen ridge. After several failed attempts, he managed to climb it by means of a rope ladder lowered from above (1899). His love for that special mountain led him to have a villa built at Breuil, which still stands today. Given his romantic attachment to mountaineering, we might say he died just in time: before Breuil became Cervinia!