Skiing around mount Matterhorn. Zermatt ski station, Switzerland

content:
photos:
Vote this travel review

We enter Switzerland with skis on your feet, across the border of Plateau Rosa, at 3480 meters in height. Access is via the cable car that climbs from Cervinia, covering an altitude of 1430 mt. Careful not to forget, however, the identity card because, although rarely, it is not impossible that you should check the documents to the station, the "Cime Bianche - Lakes." In just over twenty minutes we are at Plateau Rosa. From the glacier same name, after a long and interminable descent, we will come to Zermatt, well 1840 meters down. Skiing is just a nice excuse to see the Matterhorn from the Swiss side.

The Matterhorn, or as they call him the Swiss Matterhorn, 4478 meters high, is a unique and magnificent mountain, which stands alone to dominate the Valtournenche, on the one hand, and the Valley of Zermatt other.
In the history of the conquest of the Matterhorn is one of the key. Who does not know the saga of this mountain was considered impregnable? Every day is abuse of the word but there are epic adventures that scombinano wear time being mythical. The conquest of the Matterhorn is one of them. A challenge, daring, with themselves before the mountains.
Who has never heard of her two legendary actors in the English Edward Whymper and the leadership of Jean Antoine Carrel Valtournenche? Friends and rivals in the race to the Matterhorn, both were fascinated by this mountain. Quintino Sella, the founder of the Italian Alpine Club, in a letter he wrote to a friend about this: Matterhorn is not going to do with te idea. I thought I had by now a discreet knowledge of the mountains, their attractions and their poetry. But climbing the Matterhorn had to confess to myself that they do not know anything so great is the difference between this singular mass and other mountains.>
Thought that we share in full and we feel we do ours.
Fever breaks out on the Matterhorn in 1860. The race between the British, that is, Whymper, and the Italians, that is to say JACarrel to get on top early, s'infiammerà in 1865, when the race to the Matterhorn will end with the tragic victory Whymper.
After this necessary disquisition on the history of the mountain take the chronicle of our day to pay tribute focuses on His Majesty the Matterhorn.

The day is sunny. Arrived at Plateau Rosa, the panorama opens to 360 degrees. So many beautiful mountains you see from afar Monviso at Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc, others are very close, but the tall silhouette of the Matterhorn emerge on catalysing all our eyes. The crest of the Lion, the normal English, it is easily distinguishable. The Matterhorn is truly gigantic, colossal, magnificent, a pyramid that is thin and pointed as they fall to Furggsattel toward Zermatt. In these first hours of the morning sciamo consistently with tears in his eyes, by stinging cold. The thermometer marks Rosa Plateau to -14 °, but it's a dry cold and all things bearable.
And 'only the station of Trockener Steg, the Matterhorn, begins to take shape as we all know, to have views immortalized everywhere. The best point to observe closely the amount is impressive when the ski-lift Hörnli, here is a prominent Swiss normal, ie the NE ridge. Often we are still on the edge of the slopes, but we do not feel burdened in any way bring out the camera to capture the top, from anywhere.
The landscape is a real magic and not just for the dominating presence of the Matterhorn. Always rising from the Hörnli contemplate many peaks exceeding four thousand meters. The peaks and the glaciers are close enough so that you can well appreciate the profiles and contours. E 'a place where you can enjoy one of the most unbelievable views of the Alps. I wasted no superlatives to describe the incomparable semicircle from these 4000 meters. From the peaks of Monte Rosa (Breithorn, Pollux, Castor, Liskamm, Ludwigshohe, P.ta Parrot, P.ta Gnifetti, P.ta Dufour and P.ta Nordend), to those who succeed to the Matterhorn, which is the Dent Blanche The Gabelhorn the Oberes Gabelhorn, the Weisshorn up to peaks that follow the Monte Rosa (Strahlhorn, Rimpfischhorn, Aallalinhorn, Alphubel, Täschhorn, Dom and Nadelhorn). Of all the strikes Breithorn cloaked tormented by glaciers.
As we descend to Zermatt the atmosphere of the high Alps is matched to that of forests, meadows and mountain huts. Now that we lower our descent on the slopes is accompanied by characteristic whistling marmots that emit a signal for danger. Outside of the track, all around there is no snow on the grass green and bright numerous marmots are eager after wake up from winter hibernation. Due to lack of snow the last part we do it on skis in the back. We reach the end station of the Klein Matterhorn, tired, because now the heat, the temperature had risen to + 19 °. Leave the station in storage for skis go to Zermatt.
We do a walk to the church where the small square which is the center of the country. The first impression of the charming village is the lack of cars. In fact, the movement takes place with the appropriate electrical equipment. Bicycles also are special because they have a curious door skiing. Skiers walk with rubber harness located under the ski boots. Reached the square we quench thirst by drinking in a beautiful fountain that depicts Marmot and we rest in the nearby gardens where there is a place built for mo 'of chess, with both pawns, towers, bishops, queen and king, with whom you can play. Behind the church is interesting to visit the graveyard of the mountaineers who died trying to climb the Matterhorn, that mammoth, from its four thousand meters, lies on the country. From the center of Zermatt, the Matterhorn is all the more sublime and incomparable. From the square, streets, gardens, the river, the bar, just raise your eyes to see him there in the sky, tall and imposing, serious threat.

It 'time to return. From Zermatt, at 1620 mt., Take the cable car of Klein Matterhorn (Little Matterhorn) leading to 3820 mt. Precisely the Klein Matterhorn, overcoming a height difference of no less than 2000 mt. Climb committing the imprudence, not to stop at any intermediate station, so once you feel a slight pain in the mountains. - Moving up quickly at high altitude is not healthy. - Approximately half of a tunnel that leads from the cable car to the ski slopes, you can go up with an elevator on the top of Klein Matterhorn, from where you can enjoy a breathtaking panorama. Exiting the tunnel, before losing their skis on their feet and get off at Plateau Rosa, we are going to visit the little advertised, but beautiful museum of ice "Gletschergrotte, inside of a crevasse. Here we appreciate the ice sculptures with the theme mountain run by talented artists.

The day is around the Matterhorn 'to end and the last dive, this time in Cervinia, now running in the snow, it is almost a torture. - With what courage - I wonder - I use that term? - When you conducted a review of this kind were necessary not indifferent traipsing down has now been completely canceled by cable car. Access to this site do not require any effort, but only one day off.