Switzerland - Zermatt


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July 8th 2014
Published: July 9th 2014
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Switzerland - Zermatt, July 5-8, 2014

Our train travel from Lutry to Zermatt was not uneventful, because, first, we thought it was unnecessary to reserve seats, but the first leg of the journey was very crowded, so we were kicked out of the seats we chose, and with the enormous suitcases, it was not easy to relocate, and every seat was taken. Also, we had been told to change in Visp, and when the conductor finally came through to see our tickets, he told us that this train did not in fact stop in Visp, and that we should get off in Sion and take the next train that came along to Visp. Fortunately he told us this just before Sion! So it might be wise to reserve seats when traveling second class on popular routes, especially on weekends.

From there to Zermatt the traveling was easy, and we started to get glimpses of snow-covered peaks and Swiss chalets. When we arrived in the town it was just as picturesque as I'd hoped, and it wasn't raining as all the dire predictions had led us to expect. We dropped our bags at the Best Western Hotel Butterfly and quickly went outside for a short walk around town and perhaps our only chance to see the Matterhorn before the bad weather moved in. We felt fortunate to see about HALF the Matterhorn, anyway. The center of town has some great views!

A note about the hotel and restaurants we used in Zermatt, in case you're reading this for advice. Best Western Butterfly is very nice and our room did have mountain views as promised (not of the Matterhorn, but all the mountains are stunning). It was reasonably priced as Zermatt goes, a very easy two-block walk from the train station, and had a very good breakfast buffet included (eggs, bacon, breads, fruits, yogurt, muesli, corn flakes, granola), which is worth a lot given Swiss food prices. We made do with snack mixes, protein bars, etc. that we had brought along for lunches, given that we could eat an unlimited amount at breakfast, so that helped with economy as well, and there are two grocery stores in town that sell fruit and some prepared foods that might do even if you don't have a kitchen. Our dinner meals were not authentic Swiss, but those all seemed to consist of heavily cheesed items, which we aren't too fond of, e.g., fondue, at about $40 per person(?). We had a curry noodle soup ($19 each) one night at Grampi's; burgers, which came with very generous sides (salad, cole slaw and/or fries) at the Brown Cow Pub ($17), and pizza ($25) plus mixed salad ($13) back at Grampi's. Almost nothing is less than $20 per meal except sandwiches. There's some good ice cream around starting at about $5, and the tap water is potable. One more thing we wish we had known: there are no laundromats in Switzerland (or Europe?), and our hotel didn't have one either, so be prepared to do a lot of hand washing if you don't pack enough underwear to last for your whole trip!

Our main reason for coming here was to see the mountains and to hike (and escape hot, muggy weather at home). In planning from the US, I found it almost impossible to sort out the many hiking options listed online. Fortunately, all became much clearer when we arrived, and hotel staff are knowledgeable. Basically, unless you are in great shape and want to have a long uphill hike, you have three lazy-man's options that will take you up to the best vistas, and you can hike around up there, but they do cost something: (1) the Sunnega-Rothorn cable car system, (2) the Gornergrat Cog Railway, or (3) the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise gondola. Each gives half price to Swiss Pass holders.

We chose the first option on our first morning after waking to a clear blue sky. Surprise again! We had a glorious morning hiking down from Rothorn (about 10,000' and above tree line) to Blauherd, which means "blue herd," and coincidentally enough, we met a herd of sheep marked with blue dye on their backs. From there we descended to Sunegga (about 7,000'), by the Murmelweg trail, and fulfilling our fondest wish, we saw marmots, and they were even chasing and wrestling with each other. Sunegga and all these stops have food for sale and restrooms, so you're not exactly roughing it if you choose these hikes. There are other options besides hiking, too. We saw people bringing up mountain bikes (ouch) or renting stand-up scooter/bikes. Zermatt is accommodating to all kinds of mountain sports. There is even some skiing at high elevations during the summer.

With the clouds moving in, we did a more local hike in the afternoon, up to the Gorner Gorge, a 20-minute walk from town. There is a $5 fee to get in, and it is definitely worth it for the chance to walk along the boardwalks right inside the chute with the waters raging deep below.

As this was Sunday, we decided to attend the evening service of the English Church. It turned out we were the only ones there with the visiting priest at 6:30. She invited us to sit in the front pew so we could have a little informal service, and we were joined about ten minutes later by a woman from a predominantly Muslim country. It turned into a little prayer meeting, and it was striking how much it felt "meant to be," because the woman had certain problems that I could now understand a bit better, having just spent the last week in Istanbul. So glad we went, and I want to keep her in mind.

Once again the forecast looked bad, and sure enough we awoke on the 7th to overcast skies and patchy fog. By 7 am it was raining in earnest, and we thought we were in for the day, but we had already gotten more than expected from our time here. We proceeded with breakfast and optimistically packed up as if for an outing when the rain stopped and things looked a little brighter. By about 9, there was definite improvement, so we took the cog railway to the top, and you will see the results from the photos. Wow! Not even a breeze at the summit. The only problem is that after cramming so much downhill hiking into yesterday, my quads are barely letting me limp around. We rode the cog down after countless photos, stopping at each if its four stations on the way. Today we did splurge on a real lunch at the Rifflealp stop (spicy goulash in a bread bowl) and walked from there down to Findelbach, a change of scene with its forested path, before my legs and crammed toes called it quits.

Back in town, the rain came back, and we spent a very happy late afternoon in the Matterhorn Museum (free for Swiss Pass holders), learning about the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865, unfortunately resulting in the death of four climbers. In fact many people still die when trying to reach the summit, at least one per year since 1961. The museum also has replicas of alpine huts, barns, and granaries used by the farmers and shepherds around 1900, so one can imagine Heidi's life more accurately. We are sorry to leave this idyllic place tomorrow!

By the way, please be sure to click on the "additional photos" option below.


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