Zermatt, Switzerland

On 26 October, I managed to climb in my car for a roadtrip to Zermatt, Switzerland. I left Stuttgart, Germany about 4:30am to avoid the traffic mess in Zurich. Of course, I made a wrong turn in Zurich and ended up in the downtown district. The Swiss roads can be very complicated since most have no signs indicating what road you are on.

Anyway, my plan was to drive to Zermatt. Zermatt is in the Valais canton (state), which is in the southern portion of Switzerland. The drive is about 350km from the northern border and a stone throw away from the Italian border. The region is known for its alpine peaks and skiing which in some areas can be year-round.

On the drive down, I drove through three passes through the Swiss Alps. Lots of ascents and descents and overall, I passed by only two cars and a farm tractor in a two hour period. Within the Swiss Alps were lakes bordered by lake dams which supply most of the electricity for the population of the region. On the lower parts of the Alps were villages of less than 100 people with dairy farms and some vineyards on the mountainside. Very quiet drive, which all you could hear from the open car window were cow bells.

Around 1pm, I arrived in the village of Tasch. From there I had to leave the car in a parking lot and take a 15 minute train ride to Zermatt. Many villages in the Alps, like Zermatt, are car-free because either the roads are too steep or to protect the environment.

Upon my arrival with no hotel or room reservations, I headed to the train station where they had a bulletin board of what Bed and Breakfasts, chalet, or apartments were available and their prices. From that point, a phone number was available to call the site.

Since it was low season, I managed to get a B&B for $35 a night which included a private room with a shower, balcony and breakfast. Anna-Marie, the owner, said on the phone, “Room number 5 will be open for you and I’ll leave the key on the bed”. Very strange, since you would not hear of this in the States. Also, I did not see Anna-Marie in person until the next day.

The Swiss are so laid back. The village is settled in a gorge surrounded by mountains of 3000+ meters which were formed from the glaciers which are similar to Yosemite Valley in California. The highlight of the village was the famous Mt Matterhorn, which towers 4478m and is similar to the Paramount Film logo. The Valais canton has 10 of the highest mountains in Switzerland and there are five over 4000m surrounding Zermatt.

Zermatt has been settled in for the past 200 years. Early settlers were poor and lived on mountainsides in homemade wooden, one room homes. Dairy products, like milk and cheese were their primary income in those days.

A few years ago English investors, such as Thomas Cook, took interest in the Swiss Alps and started building and investing in ski resorts and lifts in the region. Today many of the older one-room homes still stand and many of the locals speak very good English. Tourists today mainly consist of English, French, and Italians.

After a hike around the village that afternoon, I went to a local bookstore and found out that a famous Swiss mountain guide was there for a book signing.

Ulrich Interbinen, who is now 98 years old, has climbed the Matterhorn over 300 times including his latest climb at the age of 90. His name may not be a household in the States but he’s very famous in Europe. The Pope greeted him a couple years ago and the Discovery Channel, BBC, and other media have posted reports on him.

I spoke to the famous one for a few minutes, sort of slow since his English was very broken. Strange, that when I met him, he was sitting all alone upstairs in the shop awaiting for the next visitor. Of course, I managed to get his autograph in his new autobiography.

Since Switzerland is the most expensive country in Europe, I had to manage my money well. Eating at a local pub cost me about SF35 ($20) for a light meal

and two wiess biers. Also the nightlife at pubs and restaurants in Zermatt were above the standards in most Swiss villages. Local laws enforce quiet hours after 10pm or you will be fined SF200. Check out the Hotel Post which has a disco which opens at 11pm.

After a good time, a sleep and a light Swiss breakfast at the Maria-Anne’s B&B, I headed out for another hike. The plan was to climb to the base of Mt Matterhorn and get back to the village no later than 3pm so I could drive back to Germany. However, the hike commenced around 7:30am since the morning sunlight didn’t shine on the village until around 8am.

With the cool crisp fall air of 30 degrees, I headed up the 900m ascent. Along the way I saw the Fall colors which are similar to those in the States however, the pine (European Larch) trees in the Alps turn bright gold in the fall. The climb to the base of Matterhorn took me about three hours since most of the walk was on frozen snow.

Hiking

There are many half and full day hiking trips that will keep you busy for a week. The Tourist Office offers a trail map with 12 recommended hikes. The hike I took was a moderate six hour trip – a 1000m ascent from Zermatt (1620m) to Schwarzsee, which is the base of Matterhorn. It gave me a close up view of the northeastern shape of the mountain.

The trail starts at the Winkelmatten ski lift area. You will find the trail there and want to go towards Schwarzsee. The trail starts off easy and will continue east through a forest and will lead you to the area of Gletschergarten. From here to Schwarzsee, the trail has a ascent of 800m of rocky terrain.

It took me about 3½ hours to get to Schwarzsee. If you do not have the time or strength to make the climb, there is a ski lift at Winklematten which will take you there. The cost is Sfr27 (one way) and takes less than 20 minutes.

Schwarzsee (2582m) has a warming hut which is only open in high seasons, a small lake and a little chapel dedicated to the mountain climbers. This is a great stop to admire the splendid view of Matterhorn’s northern edge and a break for lunch.

As you continue on the trail toward Stafel (2582m), you will see a trail to Matterhorn-Hutte (3260m) on the left. I did not get to take this trail since it was closed but it leads for the climb for Matterhorn. The Hutte is usually where the Matterhorn climbers stay overnight before the climb. Some of the locals said the climb is only open between July and September.

As you pass Stafel, there will be a small lake and dam on the left. Cross over the dam’s bridge to Zmutt (1926m). Here you will see the traditional wooden Valais homes and farm pasture meadows with plenty of black-face sheep. From there the trail leads back to Zermatt.

I did happen to make it back to Zermatt at 1:30pm and since I had a few minutes to spare I thought I would get a gift or two. Only problem was that Swiss businesses close from 12:00 to 2:00pm daily for lunch, another local law.

After the getting back to the car and loading the gear up, I headed back to Stuttgart. Parts of Switzerland speak four different languages (German,

French, Italian, and Romansch), and I was heading east through the French region along Lake Geneva. On the radio was a Italian mad man playing “Lounge Music” from the 50’s and road signs in French. It felt like I was in three different worlds.

The drive by Montreux was impressive with the huge lake in the background. I always thought Montreux was in France. The drive from there brought me through Bern, the capital of Switzerland and back to the population growth. However, this region has many green valleys with the Fall colors along with numerous vineyards.

Since Switzerland has a speed limit of 120km/h on their major highways, there was no question when I crossed the German border that evening. After two days of laid back driving, it was back to the zooming roads. I would think at night the Germans may slow down a bit. However, driving at 150km/h in the left lane, I still had the drivers on my rear.

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