Zermatt, a pleasant ski town with a lot of hiking.
The Matterhorn definitely dominates. Author photo
My wife and I arrive in Zermatt from Geneva, and Biarritz before that, so we plan a day of altitude adjustment before hiking. Settling into a ski hotel that mostly caters to Asian tour groups during the summer, we open the door of our hotel room terrace wide to let out the stale air, and enjoy the bracing Alpine scents and coolness.
We are in Switzerland for 12 days, staying in several places to get an introduction to this country, especially for my wife. I have visited Switzerland many times for business or pleasure, but it has been a decade or more since my last visit. Our objective is to eat well and do a lot of hiking.
The first day for hiking is foggy and rainy, so we opt for the 5-Seeweg trail, or five lakes.
Not a day for great views along 5-Seeweg trail. Author photo
Zermatt was recovering from massive flooding just the week before, so getting to town involved a stop of rail and switch to bus, then another train. This did not seem to change the number of tourists there, and the crowds on the trails were large and of varied capability. I have extensive outdoor experience, having a start at age 9:
I’m the very blond kid on the left next to my grandfather, hiking in the Wind River Range of Wyoming, 1969. Author’s family photo.
The other kids in the photo include cousins and my brother- down to age 6 I believe. We would go back country for weeks at a time, eating fish with Tuna Helper, which became “trout helper!” I hiked all through my 20’s and 30’s, as well as being a guide and an outfitter in the Wyoming wilderness for three years. So I’m experienced. My wife, while fit and healthy, is not, but definitely is interested in much more hiking, so off we go, weekend warrior style.
There’s the Matterhorn! Author photo
The second day we get spectacular weather. We take the Gornegat railway to the top at about 10,000 some odd feet, and mill around with what feels like 300 other tourists. There’s a real crush and confusion to get back on the rail car, which we take down to the Rifflealp station for a 3,000 foot hike back down to Zermatt. That leg of the hike is fairly demanding, especially on the knees, so we see far fewer people and far better sights.
Waterfalls along the trail. Author photo
A rare level spot. We just came down the hill behind me, much more to go. Author photo
By the time we get to town, we are shaky and tired. It takes us about three hours, and we are ready for lunch at about 2:30! We stop at a restaurant that our hotel advised us to try, and it was disappointing. The food in general in Zermatt was very tourist oriented. Julen Hotel and Marie’s Deli at the Mirabeau resort are both good, but that is about it for quality food in our experience. Maybe a consequence of all the tour groups.
We are very glad we went, and we stuck to our goal of three to five hour hikes. Of course when we rolled out of bed on day three to pack for the next leg of the trip to Lugano, we pay the price of stiff muscles and sore legs. We bought hiking boots in Geneva for this leg of the trip, rather than carry the ones we took to Africa, and I manage to achieve a blister on my big toe. Compeed makes an excellent blister bandage though, and I’m soon packed and ready to go.