Hiking in Zermatt

The date and time registration opens and closes are the same. This has been done on purpose so that you cannot register for the event directly: you must place yourself on the waiting list first. You may place yourself on the waiting list at any time after 5 pm on February 24. See registration requirements below.

The transportation prices quoted below are my best estimates, based on the prices I paid last summer. The prices quoted on the Swissrail website are valid for people holding the Swissrail half fare card, which costs 120 Swiss francs (ChF) for 1 month. Right now the Swiss Franc is par with the dollar. It is usually slightly more expensive, but stays very close in value.

Day 1 (Saturday): Depart Atlanta in the evening.

Day 2: Arrive in Zurich in the morning. Take train to Zermatt at the Zurich airport train station. Arrive in Zermatt in the afternoon, after a 3.5 hour train ride (cost: around 78 ChF).

Day 3: We meet at Zermatt train station at 10 am and hike 6 km to Täsch. Ascent:176 m; descent: 350 m; hiking time: about 1.2 hs.  The path leads through a variety of terrain, across forest meadows and pastures, and stays near the Matterhorn-Gotthard Bahn. As walkers approach the large marmot colony, the furry rodents whistle in alarm and disappear into their burrows (the noise of the trains, however, does not disturb them at all). Hikers only have to sit still for a while for the charming creatures to appear again. After lunch in Täsch we hike the 4.4 km Panorama Weg loop. Ascent and descent: 274 m; hiking time: about 1.25 h. The trail leads at first across wide expanses on the valley floor before following the edge of the protective forest along the foot of the slopes. After a bridge across the Vispa river, the route climbs into the picturesque mixed forest. Finally it leads along a high trail at an altitude of about 1,500 m back down the valley, revealing magnificent views of the Mischabel mountains, with the Täschhorn and Dom, as well as of Täsch and Randa. After completing this loop we return to Zermatt for a total hiking distance of about 16.5 km. If you are tired you can talke a 12 min. train ride back to Zermatt. The ticket costs around 5 CHF).

Day 4. We meet at Zermatt train station at 10 am, take the train to Täsch and a taxi or bus up to Täschalp (around 15 ChF). From there it will take us about 2 hours and an ascent of 900 ft to reachTufteren, where we can have lunch (In July of 2023 the only restaurant in Tufteren did not accept credit cards). From there we will walk another 2 hours or so, until we reach Zermatt.

Day 5: We meet at Zermatt train station at 10 am, walk to the funicular station, and take the underground funicular to Sunnegga. The journey continues with gondola rail to Blauherd. Finally, a large cable car takes takes us to the Unterrothorn summit (3013 m), with stunning views of many of the 38 four thousand meter high peaks surrounding Valais. If we feel up to it, we may then climb the trail to the  summit of Oberrothorn (3,415 m).  After admiring the view we walk two hours down to Blauherd and then 45 minutes on the 5 lake trail (5-Seenweg) http://www.zermatt.ch/en/Media/Planning-hikes-tours/5-Seenweg. The hiking distance is 9.3 Km, of which 3.9 km are on a gravel path. Ascent: 285 m; descent: 575 m. After lunch in Sunnegga we walk 3.1 km down to Zermatt (descent: 576 m) or, if you are tired, you can take the cable car down. The cost of the roundtrip by funicular, gondola and cable car from Zermatt to (Unter)Rothhorn is around 67 CHF.

Day 6: We meet at Zermatt train station at 10 am and take the cog railway to the Gornergrat (cost of one-way ticket: around 66 CHF). The Gornergrat is located between the Gornergletscher and Findelgletscher and offers a view of more than 20 four-thousand metre peaks. This is the last stop of the Gornergrat train, opened in 1898, which climbs almost 1500m through Riffelalp and Riffelberg. At the terminus (3,089 m above sea level) on the southwestern tip of the ridge is a hotel. The station forms part of the Zermatt ski area. From 1958 to 2007 there was a cable car from Gornergrat over the Hohtälli to the Stockhorn which, until the construction of the Klein Matterhorn cable car, was the highest mountain station in Zermatt. After having lunch and admiring the view, which is so far my favorite in Switzerland, we hike around 20 km back to Zermatt, partly along the Gornergrat to Zermatt bike trail. The route leads down via gravel paths and mountain lanes, along single-track trails and fields, past alpine pastures, hamlets and mountain lakes. Each sparkling mountain pool has a character all of its own. If we feel like swimming we can take a dip at the Grünsee. We descend to the Vispa and follow its course to Zermatt. Distance: 9.5 miles, mostly down. Ascent: 206 m; descent: 1693 m.  Hiking time: between 5 and 6 hours. http://www.zermatt.ch/en/Media/Planning-hikes-tours/Biketrail-Gornergrat-Zermatt

Day 7: We can use this day to reschedule events in case of bad weather. Alternatively, we can hike from Zermatt upstream to the Gorner Gorge on the Vispa and back, a walk of about 3.5 miles.

Day 8: We return to Zurich in the morning. In early evening we take a short train ride to the airport (cost: around 3 CHF) and fly back to the US.

Day 9 (Sunday): Arrive in the US in the morning.

Registration Requirements: To participate in this event you must be either an AOC trip leader or be recommended by an AOC trip leader that I know well. This requirement is in place to verify that you have the necessary level of fitness and, most important, that you are a sociable person that will get along with the rest of the group and will not engage in disruptive behavior. Please put yourself on the waiting list. I will check whether you qualify and, if you do, will move you to the list of participants, provided the maximum number of participants has not been reached.  People that put themselves on the waiting list before you will have precedence. After I move you to the list of participants please send me the $25 user fee, I will transfer the money to AOC. Payment must be sent to Richard Zalik by PayPal to zalikri@me.com. Bear in mind that this is not a commercial transaction, so to avoid paying fees when using PayPal, select the option "send money to friends and family".

DISCLAIMER: The Trip Leader for this event has elected either to personally collect the funds that event participants are required to pay, or to require participants to pay funds directly to a third party. No funds will be paid to the Atlanta Outdoor Club for this event, except for the $25.00 user fee. Therefore, by registering for this event, you acknowledge and agree to the following: (1) the monies paid by registrants will not be monitored, managed, or otherwise accounted for by the Atlanta Outdoor Club; (2) that the Atlanta Outdoor Club bears no financial responsibility for this event; and (3) you waive any and all claims against the Atlanta Outdoor Club, and hold the Atlanta Outdoor Club harmless for the loss of any monies you paid for this event.

You pay AOC a $25.00 nonrefundable user fee, which I will collect. The rest of the expenses you pay on your own. In particular, you must arrange for accomodations for yourself during your stay in Zermatt. For two or more people, renting an apartment with cooking facilities may be cheaperand/or more convenient  than a hotel room.