He was a member of the Alpine Club from 1871 to 1898; he ascended the Matterhorn on 26-27 August 1875 with Frederic Morshead and A. D. Prickard, and on 15 August 1876 with Morshead. Melchior Anderegg was one of Wilson's guides, and he wrote Anderegg as a Sculptor in the Alpine Journal (November 1873). He collected his experiences in Alpine Ascents and Adventures (1878). He was also a capable fencer.