Oh God, what am I supposed to do? Patricia's been haranguing me about this topic for weeks. I've been desperately trying to wriggle out of it for weeks. It couldn't be more trite. Sure, the Matterhorn is an impressive mountain, probably one of the most famous in the world. But do you really have to go there with busloads of tourists? The Alps are so big, so beautiful. So why follow this cliché? Just looking at a picture is enough. Or eat a piece of Toblerone, then you're already very close to the Matterhorn - because it owes its pyramid-like shape to the famous Swiss peak. At Disneyland, they have even erected a 1:100 scale copy made of papier-mâché.
If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it. If it has to be the Matterhorn, then I want to discover something new and not follow the well-trodden tourist paths. But it's the end of October and winter has arrived early. The weather forecast has even forecast snow for Lake Garda. The plan to celebrate the end of the season in style with epic but dry trails seems to be suffocating in the cold white. The only spot of sunshine on the weather map seems to be Valais. All right, let's go to Zermatt.
It's almost time. I already know that because I was in Zermatt with my parents as a child. The mountain of mountains is about to look into our windscreen - now. Reverent silence. Even Tibor and Andi, who couldn't keep their mouths shut the whole way, are taken aback by the sight. It's been 30 years since I saw the oversized tine gleaming in the sun. And I have to say: it's just as impressive as it was back then.
You can find the area guide about Zermatt and these tours as a PDF download below:
- Schwarzsee tour (22.4 km, 1073 m elevation gain, 2 h 14 min)
- Grünsee loop (22.8 km, 1014 m elevation gain, 2 h 16 min)
- Rothorn Paradise
A spectacular tour at an altitude of over 3000 metres. Thanks to the use of the mountain railway, you save energy for the long panoramic descent back to Zermatt.
