Phyl Newbeck and Bryan Harrington recently completed our self-guided Matterhorn Trek in the Alps of Switzerland and Italy and sent us these photos.
Hiking Near The Matterhorn
The Matterhorn is only the 10’th highest peak in Switzerland. Due to its unique shape and that stands alone in it’s place, the presence of the Matterhorn is a powerful force. This lends to the dramatic beauty and majesty that has made it one of the most famous mountains in the world. The Matterhorn has two different names, given by the countries and those with regional historical influence-
Matterhorn-
The German name for the mountain is derived from the words for “meadow” and “peak”.
Cervino-
Given by the French and the Italians, Cervino is thought to come from “silva”, the Latin word for forest. Others say the name comes from the French and Italian word for deer.
Cervinia
Their trek began in the village of Cervinia, Italy. Cervinia sits beneath the Italian face of the Matterhorn. In Italy, it is known as Cervino. From this angle, the Matterhorn looks like a far less intimidating mountain. Historically, expeditions to the summit first began from Cervinia. Eventually, mountaineers discovered the Swiss route had much less risk. The Swiss mountaineers based out of Zermatt won the heated race to the summit.
The first summit of the Matterhorn changed mountain culture. Tourists started flocking to Switzerland during the summer to see the Alps. Alpine skiing began in the early 1900s and the tourists began to visit during the winter as well. Mountaineering played a big role in the Swiss Alps evolving from poor rural areas to popular tourist destinations. This combination of trekking, skiing has changed the face of adventure tourism. Similar methods have been used in the United States in Sun Valley, Vail, Jackson Hole, and other mountain towns around the world with great success.
Zermatt
They finished one week later in the famous resort town of Zermatt, Switzerland. While Zermatt is certainly on the map, the path they chose took them through one of the quietest corners of Italy and Switzerland. Zermatt sits beneath the looming North face of the Matterhorn.
Zermatt is car-free within the city limits and is rich in history. The buildings exemplify the old Swiss barn style of architecture. This is characterized by aged wood, elevated farmer’s homes, and old cobblestone streets. This glorious finish to the trip also allows for the most classic view of the Matterhorn if the weather is fair.
Monte Rosa
The tour also partially circles the Monte Rosa. The Monte Rosa is the highest peak in Switzerland and the second highest mountain in Western Europe. The Tour Monte Rosa has a bucket list conquest, and our itinerary follows much of the same route.
Macugnaga
In Macugnaga, Italy you can view the Alps’ most spectacular mountain view, the east face of the Monte Rosa, which rises 10,000 vertical feet above the valley floor. Monte Rosa is the second highest mountain in Western Europe.
One of the coolest things about this trip is that Phyl and Bryan got to see the Matterhorn from both the north AND the south sides (1st and 2nd photos). It’s a really special thing to do.
The snow was deep in the Alps, (even in late June/early July), which added a fun adventure component to their hiking tour.
You’ll notice that there aren’t a lot of people in these photos. The trails in this part of the Alps are remote and rarely traveled. The trails are so remote, in fact, that we don’t offer this trip as a self-guided option.
The hotels are wonderful, and the solitude and abundance of wildlife in the Alps are superb. The scenery is enchanting, and at the end of the day a cozy bed, hot shower, a delicious meal, a glass of local wine or beer and the company of other adventures await you.
Get ready for a lot of incredible cheese, as each individual valley has their own unique cheeses. The cheeses differ in characteristics. All share the intimacy of small local production. Some exemplary dishes include rosti, a shredded potato and cheese dish that could be considered the world’s best hash browns, fondue, crepes, and varied risottos. These are often cooked with ham or saffron.
If you like a trip with luxury accommodations, maximum effort, and a healthy dose of challenging terrain, then this is the trip for you. If you’d like to join our Guided Matterhorn Trek? Give us a call.
Thanks to Phyl and Bryan for sending these images!
Comments are closed.