Last weekend, we went to Zermatt and saw the Matterhorn! It was insanely beautiful, even mesmerizing. I am a child of the eighties and so I use the word “awesome”. More accurately, I misuse it. When you see something as awe-inspiring as the Matterhorn, you vow to use the word properly in the future so that words to describe such beautiful, moving things will have power and meaning.
We took the train up to Gornergrat (elevation 3130 meters/10,269 feet). It has a nice view of the Matterhorn and of the glacier.
From Gornergrat, we hiked down to Zermat (elevation 1620 meters/5,250 feet).* It was wonderful to see the Matterhorn over time and from so many different angles. We also liked seeing the change in vegetation on the way down. The weather cooperated. I don’t think there was a cloud in the sky. This late in the season meant that any snow that was going to melt had already melted. As a result, we could really see the geology of Switzerland’s mountains.
When I say I was mesmerized by it, I mean it. I took at least 300 photos of it. He made fun of me (deservedly so), but I couldn’t help myself.
Zermatt is in the valley below. I swear it looks closer than it felt going down. You can see the change in vegetation as we descended. The tree line slowed down my rabid picture taking.
*The next day our quads were sore. I may lose a toenail (or two). Oh well, it was so worth it.
schwingeninswitzerland 