On the south side lies the Zmutt Glacier in the valley of Zmutt, which extends west of Zermatt. The Ober Gabelhorn has a pyramidal shape, similar to the nearby Matterhorn but on a smaller scale.
Only the smooth north face is completely glaciated, the other faces being mostly rocky. The south-east ridge looking over the Ober Gabeljoch 3, m is the Gabelhorngrat. The Wellenkuppe is a lower prominence on the north-east ridge; it is usually climbed as part of the normal route. The first ascent was by A. The second ascent of the peak, and the first by the north-north-west ridge, was made one day later by Lord Francis Douglas, Peter Taugwalder and Joseph Vianin on 7 July At the time of their ascent they were not aware of Moore and party's success on the previous day.
Douglas and Taugwalder made several attempts before they reached the summit. They didn't have enough time to go higher than the base of the mountain. On the second attempt they reached the Wellenkuppe 3, m on the north-east ridge the normal route today but they considered that the ridge above was too difficult to continue. They were disconcerted to see some footprints on the east face made by Moore, Walker and Anderegg on the previous day , but were relieved that no traces were visible on the summit.
Not aware of the dangers that might have made the previous expedition turn back, they sat down on the summit to have lunch. Suddenly an avalanche started and everything on the summit began to fall away from them. Douglas and Taugwalder were swept away, but they were roped to Viennin who was a little distance below the summit. Viennin was able to belay Taugwalder and Douglas with the rope, which didn't break.
Francis Douglas returned to Zermatt, and was killed a week later on 14 July on the first ascent of the Matterhorn. The Arbengrat was first climbed in by H. Hoare and E. Hulton with guides J. Rubi and J. The route on the Gabelhorngrat was opened three years later by J. Walker Hartley, W. Davidson, P. The north face, similar to but 'rather steeper' than the north-east face of the Lenzspitze, was first climbed on 30 July by H. Kiener and R.
