Clouds over Tach

Shuttle to Zermatt

Views from the train - Little Matterhorn

Views from the train - Little Matterhorn

       Sara led us on a walk around town, little of which was familiar to me.  She pointed out the grocery stores and restaurants and we walked through a street between the old wooden storage sheds built on stilts.  Some of them are now converted into living and rental units.  We looked at St. Peter’s church and had our group picture taken near the new mountain museum.  Years ago, the museum was a collection of old climbing equipment and stories of the first ascent to the top. 

Zermatt main street

Wooden storage sheds

Wooden storage sheds

St. Peter’s church

Mon., 6/21/14 – Zermatt
       We got up at 4:30 AM and walked up the river to the wooden bridge just before the gondola lifts and waited for sunrise.  As the sun lights the Matterhorn, there is a spectacular orange glow that moves from the very peak down to the base.  We were extremely lucky to see the Matterhorn last evening even with intermittent clouds.  This morning, however, and all day long, the sky was a pure, clear blue and the sunrise on the Matterhorn was perfect.  The sun lit the peak at 5:33 and spread down until 5:55.

5:07

5:29

5:33

5:36

5:38

5:39

5:44

5:45

5:55

6:06

Perfect day

Herd of goats moving through town

Gondola up to Trockener Steg

Ski runs

Gale and a friend at Trockener Steg

Matterhorn from Trockener Steg

Zermatt from Trockener Steg

Skiing above Trockener Steg

Views from Trockener Steg

       Since everything has changed so much since Gale's last visit, we decided to join the group and take the lifts up to the Little (Klein) Matterhorn for views across to the Matterhorn and down into Zermatt and across to Italy and France.  We rode a six-passenger gondola from town to Furi to Schwarzsee to Trockener Steg and got off there for wonderful views and to watch skiers on the glacier. 

       We then all packed into a cable car and rode to the top of Klein Matterhorn at 3883 meters (12,736 ft.).  We spent some time at the top looking out at various Alpine peaks including Dent d’Herens a tooth-like rock peak, and over to Mt. Blanc, and to the Matterhorn at 4478 meters (14,688 ft.).  The air was very clear and there was no wind.  It was a spectacular day.  We watched skiers trudging up the Breithorn to ski down the face.

Cable car to Klein (Little) Matterhorn

Tributary of the Gorner Glacier

Glacier from the cable car to Klein Matterhorn

Breithorn peak

Breithorn peak - hikers/skiers

Lifts at the Klein Matterhorn - Ski area

View from the Klein Matterhorn

Mont Blanc - in France

Matterhorn - From the Klein Matterhorn

       We left the group at the top and used our cable car/gondola pass to ride down to Schwarzsee and got off there. Then we hiked the Matterhorn Trail down and around to Furi to ride back to Zermatt. 

       We walked the trail loaded with Alpine spring flowers: Pasque flowers, Pink Campion, Alpine Forget-Me-Nots, Alpine Penstamen, Violets, Avens, Buttercups, etc.  It was so beautiful Marge couldn’t take enough pictures! (I will spare you seeing all of them!)  We had views of two sides of the Matterhorn on the way.  We found a bench and sat to eat our lunch admiring all of the snow capped peaks.  We walked down toward the glacial lakes.  The temperature was about 70° and we walked for about three hours and had no idea of how many miles we went.  We were happy to get back on the gondola for the last leg down.  The hot shower, Motrin, and feet up in our room were very welcome.

Riding down in the cable car

Ice flow from the cable car

The brown is dust from the Sahara!

Schwarzsee cable car stop

Matterhorn - yet another view

Zmutt Glacier - across the valley from our trail

Matterhorn - yet another view

Cow with bell