Transhumance
Marmots
Chamois
Hérens Cows
Ibex
The Breithorn
Ulrich Inderbinen
Appendices
Appendix II Further Reading
Appendix III Accommodation
Appendix IV Useful Contacts
Appendix V Glossary and Useful Terms
Appendix VI Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Techniques
Old wooden barns, grassy meadows and that mountain – classic Zermatt (Stage 7)
Lots of places enjoy great views of the Matterhorn; this is at the Grindjisee
INTRODUCTION
Described by Ruskin as the ‘most noble cliff in Europe’, at 4478m the Matterhorn is neither the highest Alpine summit, nor the most difficult, but worldwide this peak represents the classic mountain. Even if people don't know its name, they've seen its shape replicated on anything from chocolate boxes to corporate adverts. Ask a child to draw a mountain and that's what they'll draw – a pointed pyramid reaching to the sky. The Matterhorn – or Monte Cervino as the Italians call it – represents what is inaccessible, beautiful, the spirit of the summit, the ultimate goal.
Many people aspire to climb it, and some succeed. However, the best views of the Matterhorn and its surrounding summits are to be had not from the flanks of the mountain but from the hillsides that face it. The Tour of the Matterhorn will take you to the most stunning viewpoints from which to marvel at this most unique summit.
To circumnavigate the peak involves quite a long route through the Swiss and Italian Alps. Three cultures will be visited: German-speaking Wallis Switzerland, French-speaking Valais Switzerland, and the Italian Valle d'Aosta. This is not simply a trek to view the Matterhorn; there are many more treats in store. Six valleys are crossed and more than 25 peaks surpassing 4000m will be seen, summits whose soaring buttresses and steep, brooding faces have inspired climbers and trekkers from all over the world.
It is worth taking the time to enjoy the unique aspects of the region, exploring the villages, the local specialities, the differences in architecture and farming. Each area has its own peculiarities, and these deserve to be discovered. The Tour of the Matterhorn enables the walker to immerse himself in the region in a way that is impossible for anyone who just passes through by car. This is a region of stark visual contrasts: high peaks, ice and snow buttresses glinting in the sun, their glaciers formed by unfathomable depths of ice; lush green meadows where cattle graze as they did centuries ago; deep wooded valleys dotted with small villages and towns, ranging from the most old-fashioned to the most modern Alpine resorts.
The Tour of the Matterhorn
The Tour of the Matterhorn was originally the idea of the Swiss organisation Valrando (Association Valaisanne de la Randonnée Pédestre). Following the 50th anniversary of the Tour du Mont Blanc (set up in 1952), the president of Valrando, Willy Felay, envisaged the Matterhorn Tour. This tour was seen as providing a liaison between the two neighbouring mountain regions of Valais and the Valle d'Aosta. The route was worked out with the help of Palmira Orsières, director of La Traccia, an organisation that – amongst other things – is responsible for walking in the Aosta Valley region.
The first view of the Matterhorn in Italy, on the trail leading to Breuil-Cervinia (Stage 6)
The communes encountered on the tour have committed to the waymarking and upkeep of the paths and to welcoming walkers who pass through. This tour is envisaged as bringing life to the villages on both sides of the mountains.
The Tour of the Matterhorn is regarded as a relatively ‘new’ tour, as it has been documented only in the last few years. However, the trek takes in many ancient trails which have linked the Swiss and Italian valleys together for centuries. On this trek the walker becomes a traveller again, crossing cols and frontiers that were used in the old days by porters, soldiers, peasants, traders, pilgrims and bandits. The trek is quite rigorous and weather conditions have a strong influence. The crossing of some passes requires glacier-travel techniques, and the high altitude traversed requires a good level of fitness.
This tour is considerably more demanding than the Tour du Mont Blanc but forms a good progression for those who have already done some Alpine hiking of this type. At 145km the Tour of the Matterhorn is long and should not be rushed. Those with limited time would do better to reduce their trek rather than try to complete the whole thing in a hurry. Ideas for shorter versions are given in the Short Walks section.
Here the tour is divided into seven stages. These are not daily stages, but logical stages, normally from one valley to another. There are usually several accommodation possibilities and hence various ways in which the stages can be divided up. If you choose to do the whole route you can expect to take about 10 days; if you have time you can always take longer. It is difficult to avoid a couple of half days, but in a trek this long that's probably no bad thing. If you choose to use all lift possibilities, do long days and to take the shortest options, the trek can be completed in seven days – but it seems a shame to rush it.
The Tour of the Matterhorn coincides with two other long-distance treks. From Zermatt to Arolla it follows the Walker's Haute Route Trail, and from Breuil-Cervinia to Grächen it takes the Tour of Monte Rosa. Those wishing to do these treks at some future date may wish to miss out these sections, but there are variations for some parts so doing the stages twice may give a chance to cover all options.
Whilst the treks in this region are becoming more popular they have not achieved the fame of the Tour du Mont Blanc, and are unlikely to do so, being rather more arduous and involving more complicated terrain. On many parts of the tour you will experience relative solitude and can expect to see plenty of wildlife.
So, where to start? Since it's a circular tour, theoretically it can be started anywhere along its length, but clearly some places are easier to get to. It is usually nice to start and finish somewhere accessible transport-wise, where you can leave excess gear, buy picnic food and celebrate at the end. To my mind it's good to do this tour with views of the Matterhorn at the start and finish, so the route is described from Zermatt. The French information recommends starting from St Niklaus or Gruben-Meiden, but do you really want to start and finish a trek when the main feature is out of sight?
Next decision – which direction to go in? It's generally done anticlockwise, and since I can't think of any reason not to go this way that's what I've described. It seems to work that way, and also means that the highest altitude comes at the end when you're fully acclimatised.
The Region
The Matterhorn is situated near to the Mischabel and Monte Rosa massifs in the Pennine Alps, bordering southern Switzerland and northern Italy. Extending eastwards from the Col Ferret to the