SwissTour Tour de Alps - Switzerland Riffelalp and Klein Matterhorn
| Email: greg@cruisingreview.com |
| TEL: 608-238-6001 |
| SwissTour Tour de Alps - Switzerland Riffelalp and Klein Matterhorn |
|
Zermatt After a fantastic breakfast buffet, we took the Gornergrat Rail down to Zermatt.
Walk Through Zermatt After a visit to the Coop to pick up some snacks, we walked through the village to the lifts.
Sports Winter and summer, there are a number of alpine sports. The Klein Matterhorn has skiing year-round, and on the lower slopes, you can mountain bike, devil bike (big tires), downhill trotti (scooter) and a footstrapped oversized moutainboard (cross between a large skateboard and snowboard).
Up to the Klein Matterhorn On the west side of town, the lifts that access the ski slopes can be found that venture up to the Klein Matterhorn.
Lift Tickets You can purchase a round-trip ticket or a day pass. There are three transitions to the summitt.
Cablecar From the Winkelmatten to Furi/Schweigmatten you can go either to the Schwarzsee Paradise or to Trockener Steg.
Transition Trockener Steg is at 2,939 meters, and from here it's one more lift to the Klein Matterhorn.
The Top We arrived at the top in snow and a cloud. The lift arrives at the entrance to a tunnel - through the tunnel and at the end is the beginning of the ski slope and a restaurant built into the top of the mountain. You can go to the observation platform by taking an elevator. Once you get out of the elevator, you have to walk up several flights of metal stairs. The air up here is thin. You'll find yourself taking a few gasps of air.
Skiers Since there is snow here year-round, the altitude is great for acclimating skiers to the higher altitudes. Olympic hopefulls were training here for the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics.
Lunch On the way back down, we stopped at the Schwartzsee Paradise for some lunch. We were going to hike down, but it was cold and cloudy outside, so we opted to take the cablecar down one more segment. There are lots of great hiking trails here, some that go up the mountain, and others that go down to the village of Zermatt.
Cablecar The cablecars are fantastic ways to view the incredible vistas around the mountains, as well as getting up a mountain.
Hike to Riffelalp After we got down from the Klein Matterhorn, we hiked over the small river gorge and then found a trail up to the Riffelalp. It was a cool day, and perfect weather for the hike up. The Riffelalp is no easy hike up, and be prepared for a 2-3 hour hike. We did not start from the village of Zermatt, but from the lift station at Schweigmatten.
Spa Wellness Center After our days adventure, we spent the balance of time at the pool, jacuzzi, and spa. The huge outdoor jacuzzi was fantastic as usual, although the view was obscured by clouds. The crackling fire near the pool took the chill off of the day and we sampled the variety of wellness center amenities, including the steam room, grotto, and sauna. All were fantastic, and just what you need after a long day of hiking or skiing.
Evening Since the lower casual restuarant was not open on Monday's, we dined up in the more formal dining room. Dinner was fantastic as usual. The bar/lounge closes early on Monday's. The best time to stay at the Riffelalp (off-season) is Monday through Friday - there are not many guests there. Weekends are full, and generally require a advance reservation. Keep in mind that the Glacier Express is the most busy on Saturday's, and all those people will be staying in Zermatt somewhere.
| CONTACT TEL: 608-238-6001 Email: greg@cruisingreview.com |