Matterhorn and Monte Rosa

Group gathering in Zermatt (Switzerland). Arrival time does not matter. On the first day we don’t run away; upon arrival in Zermatt (altitude 1602 m) we put up tents at the campsite and just go for a walk around the city. If you have time, you can use the cable car and go up to one of the observation platforms overlooking the Matterhorn.

The camping is located 300 meters from the station. There are sockets, Wi-Fi, hot showers. Price - 15 francs per person. There is a good supermarket nearby. The nights in Zermatt are cold))

Today there will be no passes, we remain in the valley of the Matterwisp River. In the morning we gain altitude (2150 m) along the Findelbach stream, rise above Zermatt and then walk, maintaining altitude, along a well-equipped “health path” - benches for rest, signs with the names of trees and flowers, a wonderful view of Zermatt and the Matterhorn. So far everything is very civilized and there are quite a lot of vacationers. But don’t worry - very soon all this will end and the “game” and “toughness” will begin.

Having traversed the slopes of the Unterrothorn, Oberrothorn and Bösenrift mountains, we cross the valley of the Melliechbach stream and have lunch near the village of Otaffe. Next begins a beautiful and interesting section that requires increased attention. The trail goes through mudflows and ravines and you need to constantly be on the lookout for a stone flying from above. In the most dangerous areas, special tunnels, protective concrete canopies and other unexpected engineering structures are equipped for hikers.

Всего в 10 минутах хода от нашей стоянки находится самый длинный подвесной пешеходный мост на этой планете. Целых 490 метров! Причем мост сделан не над рекой, а над очередным оползнеопасным ущельем порожденным тающими ледниками горы Dom (4545м). У противоположной стороны моста сделаем остановку, чтобы сбегать в это самое ущелье за водой. Проходим приют Europahütte (2265 м, от 30 франков за койку). За приютом тропа пересекает еще два огромных оврага и плавно набирает высоту до 2600 метров. Обедаем на оборудованной стоянке в конце этого относительно спокойного участка.

Дальше начинается жесть. Мы снова заходим в зону камнепадов. Скалы тут рассыпчатые, они словно собраны из отдельных кирпичей размером от 10 см до нескольких метров. Эти кирпичики периодически осыпаются и тропа представляет собой жуткий каменный хаос. По возможности быстро проскакиваем опасные участки, но их тут очень много и в безопасное место мы попадем не раньше чем через 2,5 часа после обеда. Это смотровая площадка (2470 м) с загадочным памятником "мужику с копьем" и прекрасным видом на новый для нас массив Aletschhorn (4195м). Он показался на севере, когда мы вышли к устью долины над Грэхеном.

From the camp it is a stone's throw to the cable car. On it we will go down to the resort village of Breuil-Cervinia and take a bus to the town of Chatillon. From there you can take buses to Milan (20 euros, 3 hours) or Geneva (100 euros, 5-6 hours). The hike around the Monte Rosa massif is completed, you can fly home.

Matterhorn and Monte Rosa hike map

Tour conditions (shelters, food, etc.)

To participate in this tour you will need a full set of equipment - tent, mat, sleeping bag. Initially, it is assumed that all overnight stays will be in tents, on the territory of campsites and shelters. On average it costs 10 Euros per person per night. For this money you get the opportunity to use: a lawn (for setting up a tent), a toilet, a shower and an outlet (for charging equipment). It is likely that in case of bad weather you will want to spend the night not in a tent, but inside the shelter. It will cost from 20 to 50 Euros per person. Therefore, it is better to take money for housing with a reserve.

It is prohibited to burn fires in the Alps. We will cook on gasoline burners, which the instructor will take with us. We partially bring the products from home, and partially buy them locally. The instructor is again responsible for organizing this process.

To participate in the hike you need a Schengen or biometric “visa-free” passport. If Schengen is one-time, then it is better to get Italian.

The group leader reserves the right to make changes to the route in depending on the weather, condition of the participants and other factors. 

Transport

To get to the start of the route in Zermatt, you can fly to Geneva (Switzerland) or Milan (Italy), and then take the train. Geneva is closer, but tickets there are usually more expensive - from 250 to 300 dollars. With some luck, you can fly to Milan for $100 (for round-trip tickets). The train Geneva - Zermatt costs 50 Euro. From Milan you must first get to Aosta, and then change to another train to Zermatt, the fare costs about 80 Euros.

Tour cost: $300

For trip review - $20 discount.

Payment in two stages. First, prepay $50 to reserve your place in the group. The rest will be done at the meeting in Zematta. In case of premature departure from the route, recalculation is not made and money is not returned.    

The tour price includes : instructor services, camp meals, public equipment (burner, boilers, first aid kit, group tent).

The tour price does not include: visa, travel and flights, meals in restaurants, visits to paid attractions (cable cars, museums), accommodation in campsites and shelters (on average 12 Euro per day), medical insurance.  

The amount of mandatory additional expenses along the route (cable cars, buses, trains and campsites) is approximately 250 Euros. Plus you should take a couple hundred more just in case. As a result, the total budget for the trip (with all tickets, expenses, etc.) will be about 1000 Euros per person.  

Additional materials

• List recommended equipment and clothing - the same as for hiking in Norway.
• Comparison of the cost and complexity of various foreign hikes - how to compare impressions?

Schedule

Application for participation