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Swiss Mountain Rambles -
Zermatt
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The ride up to Riffelalp is scenic and enjoyable. The walk to Grünsee is almost level and takes in some wooded areas, avalanche or rock slide areas with a nice path and the Matterhorn at your back. At Grünsee you can sit and enjoy the panoramic views with lunch and/or refreshments or contemplate which route you wish to take to Findeln and take lunch and more refreshments there. Option A is to descend into the valley and then up the other side to Findeln. This is very steep going down and coming up the other side. The path is single file, very rugged, with lots of rocks and very little passing room should you encounter people coming from the opposite direction. We did this one in 1998 and Susan swore there would be no more hiking. This probably is the shortest of the two. Option B was to continue on from Grünsee east to the base of the Findelngletscher and then a steady uphill climb to Findeln which we did in 1999. While it took longer we found an outstanding place to eat with a great view all around and especially of the Matterhorn. The owner spoke excellent English and other languages, took no credit cards and served outstanding food and exquisite desserts. From Findeln (2069m) is a descent to Zermatt (1620m) with a mountain bike path for a walkway on the way down. The Matterhorn is "in your face" all the way down until you hit the tree line and then through a series of switch backs you have some awesome opportunities for photo shoots on the southern ends of the switchbacks. Close to the bottom you have two options to re-enter Zermatt. The first one (and the easiest) will bring you out on the south end of the village closest to the cable car station. The other option takes you closer to the center of town but, the last 75-100 m are "steps" and after the downhill walk all the way this writers legs and knees were in no shape to handle steps. After this one I was tempted to swear off hiking but the next morning I was ready to go it again. My best shots of the Matterhorn were from these switchbacks and that says a lot when you consider that I woke up in the morning with that gorgeous piece of rock staring me in the face without even getting out of bed. Copyright © 2000-2001 Dick Hess Questions about this article?
Comments for the author? Dick and his wife Susan enjoy travel almost as much as their three grandsons (including twins). They regularly travel to California and have just begun romping through Europe. Dick’s hobbies include drinking wine and gardening on 19 acres in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Their travel philosophy is to spend time relaxing while eating and drinking the best food and drink the area has to offer. Let the sheep stand in the queues (with "canned travel packages"); we’ll blaze our own trail. If strolling through the Swiss mountains appeals, you'll enjoy Walks and Hikes in the Berner Oberland. Would you like to add an article about your travel experiences in Europe? It's easy to do. Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Traveling
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