Five Really Cool Facts About the Matterhorn

The Matterhorn which means “peak in the meadows” in German, is a nearly 15,000 foot tall mountain on the border between Switzerland and Italy. K2 and Mount Everest may outshine it in sheer stats but it’s the stuff of legends for any climber worthy of the calling. It looms, majestic and snow covered, purpled in shadows. I visited in the fall while temperatures in the village of Zermatt below were in the balmy 60’s F…sweater weather for alpinist-loving visitors from all over the world.

A Postcard Life

I lived in Switzerland while attending university in the 70’s and have since described the experience as living in scenes on a postcard.

The Swiss have a lock on the most beautiful, colorful and exuberant window boxes in the world. Streets are pristine, bakery shop windows are filled with confections that are equal parts culinary art and delectable. Views of impossible majesty, gardens that would make the makers of Miracle-Grow weep, streets and sidewalks that have never, ever seen an errant gum wrapper. Everything runs on time. To the Minute. Always.

Then there’s that place that’s been on your bucket list for years…The Matterhorn.

You Can Get There Via the Glacier Express

Besides the traditional audio guide, you can access the built-in infotainment system via your smartphone or tablet. This gives you interesting information about the route and allows you to track your location on the map.

The First Ascent Didn’t End Well

Of the seven men who attempted the first climb On July 14, 1865, only three lived to recount the effort. While making their descent, one of the climbers lost his footing pulling three others with him to their death. Since that time over five hundred people have died in the attempt to climb the Matterhorn. Seriously, the cable-car is a much more comfortable way to get there.

Each Face of the Peak points to North, South, East and West

Technically speaking, the Matterhorn is from Africa, formed over four million years ago when huge land masses collided. Geologists have concluded that the hard “gneiss rock” at the summit came from the African continental plate. This sharp pyramidal shaped peak has four sides which align with the cardinal directions. Two side face Switzerland and the Zermatt Valley, the southern face points towards Italy and on the western face fronts the Swiss-Italian border.

Lucy Walker Won Wearing a Skirt

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There’s an Ice Museum at the Summit

Sparkling ice crystals and glittering ice sculptures enchant visitors to the glacier palace. A lift carries guests 15 metres below the surface of the glacier to a fairy-tale palace deep under the perennial snows. An ice tunnel leads through the glacier to sites such as a glacier crevasse and an ice toboggan run. Cosy furs adorn ice benches; ice sculptures evoke the world of the ice fairy tales. Ice sculptors regularly create new artworks.

Open Monday through Sunday 9:45am to 3:45pm. Click here for details

Zermatt Matterhorn Site

The Final Leg of the Journey

The final leg of the journey, from Trockener Steg to the summit, is on a new cable car system that was completed in 2018. The only way to get to the summit is on these cable cars. There are no hiking trails since Klein Matterhorn is always covered in snow.