SwissTour Tour de Alps - Switzerland Riffelalp and Klein Matterhorn

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2005 Date: 9/19/2005

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Zermatt	Zermatt Yacht Club
After a fantastic breakfast buffet, we took the Gornergrat Rail down to Zermatt.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Zermatt - City Brook

Walk Through Zermatt	Waterfall Through Zermatt
After a visit to the Coop to pick up some snacks, we walked through the village to the lifts.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Zermatt - River Pan

Sports	Downhill Bikes
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).
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Cable Car

Up to the Klein Matterhorn	Matterhorn-Express
On the west side of town, the lifts that access the ski slopes can be found that venture up to the Klein Matterhorn.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Cable Car Departing

Lift Tickets	Klein Matterhorn Lift
You can purchase a round-trip ticket or a day pass. There are three transitions to the summitt.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Cable Car Going Up

Cablecar	Aerial Cablecar
From the Winkelmatten to Furi/Schweigmatten you can go either to the Schwarzsee Paradise or to Trockener Steg.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Cable Car in Clouds

Transition	Trockener Steg
Trockener Steg is at 2,939 meters, and from here it's one more lift to the Klein Matterhorn.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Klein Matterhorn - Cable Car Arrives

The Top	12,736 Feet - Top of Klein Matterhorn
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.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Klein Matterhorn - Cable Car Going Up

Skiers	Olympic Skiers on Klein Matterhorn
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.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Klein Matterhorn - Cable Car Up

Lunch	Schwarzsee
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.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Cows

Cablecar	Aerial Cablecar
The cablecars are fantastic ways to view the incredible vistas around the mountains, as well as getting up a mountain.

Hike to Riffelalp	Hike Up 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.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Hike up to Riffelalp from Zermatt

Spa Wellness Center	Lawn Service At Riffelalp
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.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Riffelalp - Sheep Grazing

Evening	Sample Ticket on Gornergrat
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.
	Movie - Swiss - Day 05 - Riffelalp Sheep

Map of Zermatt in .pdf format.	Zermatt info in .pdf format.	Zermatt lift ticket.	Zermatt in .pdf format.

Clear Day - Things to Do	Cloudy Day - Things to Do	Sports
Matterhorn Lift Pass - Visit cablecar destinations Hiking Skiing Gornergrat Peak	Shopping in Zermatt Hiking Relax in Resort Spa and Wellness Center	Alpine Walking Mountain Biking Downhill Scooter Devil Bike Skiing

Additional Photographs: Riffelalp and Klein Matterhorn