The Weisshorn was first climbed in 1861 from Randa by the Irish physicist John Tyndall, accompanied by the guides J.J. Bennen and Ulrich Wenger.

[4][5][6][7] In April and May 1991, two consecutive rockslides occurred from a cliff above the town of Randa on the east side of the massif, below the Bis Glacier.

After the Dom, the Weisshorn is the second-highest Alpine summit situated completely out the main chain and fully within Switzerland.

Ranges of steep rocks rise round the whole basin of this glacier, except in one or two places where they are interrupted by couloirs of snow.

Their itinerary corresponds to the normal route for climbing the mountain today: the east ridge, starting from the Weisshorn Hut.

They saw that the ridges were thickly coated over with fresh snow, and, except a little patch of rock some 700 or 800 feet (240 m) below the summit, the whole mass was of brilliant and dazzling whiteness.

They decided to try the southern side which seemed less steep and more practicable to Melchior but an avalanche stopped them:[11] The guide Kronig asked Mathews to give up the expedition.

[11] Accompanied by the guides J.J. Bennen, of Laax, and Ulrich Wenger, of Grindelwald, John Tyndall started the ascent from Randa at 1.00 p.m. on 18 August 1861.

Tyndall was optimistic but the ascent became difficult, he wrote:[12] They reached a dangerous thin ridge of snow, little wider than a hand's breadth, with precipices on either side.

However Tyndall steeled himself with patriotic thoughts:[12] After four hours of struggle they reached a sharp ridge of snow and finally arrived to the summit.

After climbing part of the lower south-east face above the Schali Glacier, they reached the Schaligrat (south-west ridge) and continued to the summit.

The complete ridge (which was considered too difficult and dangerous in its lower part) was first climbed in 1895 by J. M. Biner, A. Imboden and E. Broome.

The easiest passage on the east face was found in 1890 by G. W. Young, who climbed the spur under the Grand Gendarme with L. and B. Theytaz by a route known as the Younggrat.

One month later, on 21 September 1898, H. Biehly and H. Burgener made the first complete traverse on the north ridge to the summit from the Bishorn.

John Garforth Cockin was also killed making a solo attempt on the south-east face twelve years later.

[10] An Alouette III helicopter from Air Zermatt crashed on a night flight on the Schali Glacier (south of the peak) on 31 July 1983.