Day 24: Zermatt, CH, Zero Day 1, Sun/Rain, 17°

We Need To Rest, But It’s Complicated

It seemed like a crazy long day of walking and travelling yesterday. It took us some 14 hours to complete the walk and get to Zermatt. I’m not sure what I wrote yesterday as it was very late, but I know from experience that if you don’t journal each day then things slide and soon you don’t write for 5 days. Then all the experiences kind of subside and are replaced by newer, fresher events. So even if Annemarie isn’t always delighted I still try to write each day. Actually she’s pretty supportive! Here’s the video tracker from yesterday. 

Last evening when the broken train finally was abandoned and they put us on a new train we were both at a pretty low ebb. We walked up through the pretty, but heavily touristed town centre and once free of that area we found our lovely hotel in a nice quiet area. Turns out we booked a small suite so there’s a cooking area and a little patio with a view of THE MOUNTAIN! This was very first thing this morning. I knew I’d have to drag myself up the street if I wanted to see the sunrise, but it was so worthwhile. Don’t you agree?

When we arrived at our place last night it was basically just dump our stuff out of the pack, quickly shower and then find something to eat. It was getting late, but we lucked out and found a good restaurant with decent reviews not too far away. Thanks Google Maps! 

Annemarie had some sort of tasty pork meal and I had a simple pasta, cheese ravioli with a glass of good red. Our two waitresses brought the food and had a good laugh with us about who was having what. They try to predict and were surprised when they found out I wasn’t having the meat dish. Usually it’s the opposite! No worries, Annemarie couldn’t finish, but I managed to help her! Gotta keep those calories rolling in. 

Then it was ‘home’ and time to write and post the blog. 

Woke this morning feeling pretty washed out. Where did those sturdy legs disappear to overnight? Then I remembered that with all the going’s on and late arrival I’d neglected to rehydrate properly. I know how to do this. 

During a decent breakfast included with our room price we decided to chance the mountain weather and go hiking for the day to see the Matterhorn. Annemarie told me that there’s a 10 km lake route that allows reflection photos to be taken of the mountain. Annemarie has a decent day pack, but I don’t which required me to dump the rest of my walking gear that I’d missed last night out of my pack. I was going to do it anyway. We pooled our extra food and added water and trekking gear and set off for the gondola. Except we walked to the wrong one😑 No problem. Change of plans, right? We are going to the very top of the mountains. Cool! Simply give the nice lady your credit card and don’t look too closely! The three brothers from Zurich yesterday on the train told us Zermatt is expensive, but to just do it because it’s an amazing experience. Within certain parameters we are trying to do so knowing that we are unlikely to return. 

And we’re off! 

And what a ride! 

We got a bit worried when we saw this. 

Then the alpine simply opened up all around us. It basically enveloped us. 



Are we having fun? Of course! We are climbing without using our legs!! After all it is a rest day. 😏



We pass through three main stations as Zermatt slips away. 







At Station 4 we changed gondolas which we shared with an Aussie family from Sydney. This is when things got really interesting. 

The crevasses are indicative of just how fast the ice is moving.









The scale of the large descending cable car helps to illustrate the immensity of what we are witnessing. Unbelievable. Almost beyond words. 

I took my fair share of upper level glaciation courses at university, and it paid off today when I was able to guide an appreciative Aussie family through the complexities of what they were seeing. These are the times I wish I’d pushed through with that PhD years ago. However, the learning has been a life time gift. 

Looking back. So huge, yet so little ice.



At the top and time to trek. Annemarie graciously agreed that we could hike the 3 hour trail down to one of the stations and then catch a gondola back to Zermatt. 

Off we went. 





We were aware of a shift in the weather conditions, not unusual at these elevations 10-11,000’. 

There were other hikers coming down and one told us to be careful. We listened and while Annemarie waited below (small human to right of lake) I continued to climb for a little while in order to see a glacial outwash stream. 

It was pretty interesting. However the weather took a turn and the loud rumbles from thunder began to bounce around the headwalls. Time to head back. 

The rain soon arrived and we were pleased that we’d turn when we did. We were properly geared up, but who wants a long wet hike? We shared a gondola with a young physio who works with the Swiss national ski team. 

We spoke about the loss of glaciers where we each live and she said that there are chairs and gondolas here that they can’t use at this time of year because the cement footings become loose due to the unusual warming. She said the glacial melting this year has been unprecedented because it’s been so hot in Europe. She sees the changes each day. We can attest to the heat after walking in it these past weeks. My clothes are definitely looser than when I left home. That means a fun winter!!( ;

Back down in Zermatt it’s still pouring rain. We might just get that restorative break we badly need. I guess Annemarie doesn’t mind too much because she is soon on her way to Holland. She’s sitting beside me coordinating her laundry with her cousin! Haha! I’ve just finished again washing some of the dirt out of my clothes in the sink. 

Better weather tomorrow we think, so we might try that lakes hike. One more day here then we go in different directions.