Ascent to the Matterhorn
I flew to Zurich, and overnighted in this delightful city before heading off by train to Zermatt. I love Swiss trains, clean and comfortable and usually pretty much on time. The sun was shining heading through the Matter Valley, the mighty Matterhorn was peaking his head between the twists and turns of the valley as the train climbed slowly from Brig, an ascent of 1600 metres over 23 miles, passing waterfalls dispensing the melt from the huge snowstorm a few days before I arrived, into busy rivers.
Nothing take my breath away more than snow in the sunshine, the contrast of blue and white; snow capped chalets and trees burdened by avalanching snow,
An hour of twisting and turning, the train gripping with the COG as the scenery got more and more snowy.
If you haven't been to Zermatt, its one of those places that gets to you. skier or not !
The Zermattens are proud people, their history dates back over 6000 years - with some buildings dating back to the 13th. Century with a heritage of farming, but brought to fame by young men in the 19th century keen to conquer the mountain, with so many not returning and meeting a fatal end to their mountaineering careers. Still this interest brought about the railway that connects Zermatt with the outside world. When it snows heavily the town is isolated, sometimes for days as happened in April 2025.
Zermatt means "at the meadow", and was called Hinterdorf in the old days, with buildings made of larch wood some remaining today; storehouses perched on pillars and rickety houses sitting happily alongside palatial hotels and chalets.
You cant come to Zermatt and not explore the Matterhorn. The state of the art cable cars takes you on a wonderful ascent to the Glacier Paradise at 3883m. Surrounded by 14 glaciers the air is thin up there and you move slowly but the views are just out of the world. I managed 30 minutes and needed to come down but if I had been skiing I would have popped over the other side and into Italy and skied down to Cervinia !
The Gornergrat railway wasn't operational when I was there this time, because of the storm the line was closed, but having ridden it on a previous visit its a wonderful way for skiers and non skiers alike to explore the mountain, and something I would thoroughly recommend.
If you are a skier reading this and haven't made it to Zermatt yet, it must go on your list. On and off piste was amazing even in late April and knowing you can ski throughout the summer on the glacier was very tempting for me, I can tell you.
Think carefully about where you stay, the skibus system is very good despite Zermatt being car free; there are lots of electric vehicles whizzing around to get you to the bottom station from your accommodation; or it can be quite a walk !
Zermatt is for the adventurous, plan your time well and expect the unexpected.
Stay tuned for Switzerland Part 2 - the famous Glacier Express to St Moritz
