Our story and portrait of Matterhorn

How fond are you of mountains? If the answer is very much then this story might be of interest to you and, who knows, you might enjoy the photos as well. We will take you at the foot of one of the most picturesque and spectacular mountainscapes in Europe, the home of many four-thousanders and their king, the Matterhorn.

We arrived in Zermatt on a Sunday. It was already dark outside and cloudy so we couldn't grasp the surroundings and make an idea of the geography of the area. We had however the feeling that we are close to something of great proportions, lurking in the dark, mighty and tremendous. We scouted the air for any chances to see through the low-lying clouds...nothing. The mountain was waiting...

The village of Zermatt seemed very welcoming and friendly. It was February so naturally there were a lot of people, mostly skiers going back and forth, tiny and funny looking electrical cars that served as taxis in the area. One thing which is great about this place is that motor vehicles are prohibited, making it a very clean and traffic-free resort.

The river Matter Vispa (tributary of the Rhone)

We wandered through the small streets and eventually walked a bit outside to find a vantage point from where we could see a panorama of the settlement and search for a good location from where to photograph Matterhorn the following evening (we knew that it was going to be a clear sky). At about 11 in the night we went back to the hostel and prepared all the equipment for the morning. We envisioned this moment in a lot of ways and finally we were about to make this happen.

Morning came, at 6 AM we were up and ready. We were the only tourists to hop on the first cog-train that ran between Zermatt and Gornergrat station (3089 m). The only people beside us were workers from the hydro-stations and hotels. This we couldn't understand, how can people who come to this splendid area sleep on such perfect mornings. There is nothing compared to witnessing a sunrise up there, nothing.

The train arrived at 7.33 at the top, sunrise was at 7.41. There are about 5 more minutes walking from the station to the top of Gornergrat (3135 m). Believe us or not, we ran to the top although there was snow up to the hip. We arrived just in time to see the start of a grand sight.

The sun was about to rise behind Monte Rosa (in the middle-2nd largest peak in the Alps) and the starting point of the Gorner Glacier (2nd largest glacier system in the Alps)

Panorama showing the Observatory on Gornergrat, Dent Blanche on the right (already lit by the sun) and Matterhorn

Mattertal Valley. Somewhere below the alpine sea is Zermatt

Dent Blanche- The White Tooth

Panorama of Gorner Glacier

Light is slowly taking over the heights

Taschhorn peak (4491 m) hidden in the shadow

We stood there more than an hour. It was simply beautiful, sitting there in complete silence, hovering over the incredible vistas, wondering if there is anything more true than that moment, that place.

The ski track starts right in the Gornergrat station

The day was about to be splendid. Clear blue sky, acceptable temperature considering the location and fresh (and deep) snow.

The first change to our plan happened when we found out that there is no way to walk from Gornergrat station to the next station further down. We didn't want to take the risk because the snow was in some parts very deep and we couldn't have went down without intersecting at some point with the sky track, which was by now very crowded. We took the train, for some 5 minutes, to Rotenboden. From here, we walked on a fresh track made for trekkers, like us. We passed Riffelsee, the famous lake which, in another season, offers a splendid mirror effect to the Matterhorn. Now it was covered in deep layers of snow.

A very photogenic Saint-Bernard:Biscuit. Probably the most famous inhabitant of the Swiss Alps

The cog-train reaching its final destination at Gornegrat station

Riffelhorn-left and Matterhorn

(unsuccessful) Framing

Wherever we looked we couldn't not notice how the Matterhorn was dominating the surroundings. Its perfect pyramid stands out from the rest of the peaks and crests like a black sheep in a flock.