In the Shadow of the Matterhorn

It seems that, ever since we arrived in Switzerland, we have been travelling inside a fine weather bubble. Not only have we had perfect weather for each and every day, but the locals keep telling us that this "just never happens at this time of the year". Apparently the normal pattern is for the weather to be cold, wet and gloomy in October.

I don't know exactly how we managed to fluke such a meteorological masterpiece, but we are happy to put it down to exquisite planning. In fact we only need another two fine days, and then we don't really care less what horrors might unfold.

Today we made the complicated trip from Interlaken to Zermatt. It was meant to involve three trains, but it eventually also included a bus as well, as part of the tracks were being reconstructed.

When we arrived at the first class carriage of the train from Interlaken, we were pleased to see that the carriage was empty apart from Allan and I, and another Australian couple from Perth. We loaded our luggage onto one of the multitude of empty seats and waited for the train to move off. Just before it started, one other passenger climbed aboard. Although the carriage was almost empty, guess which seat she insisted on taking ? You guessed it, she wanted the very seat our luggage was on. We manhandled all the bags so she could sit there and then discovered that she smelt so badly of cigarette smoke that it almost made me choke.

Fortunately the first leg of our journey was only a twenty minute ride, so we held our breath for most of that time. After another change of train and then a bus transfer, we finally boarded the train for the final part of the journey. We were glad when the train finally rolled into Zermatt station at about 12.30 pm.

Zermatt is a town of some 5000 inhabitants,situated at an elevation of almost 1600 metres. Its main claim to fame is that it is situated very close to the most famous of all of Switzerland's mountains. The Matterhorn is a jagged piece of rock that just abruptly into space and appears to finish with a sharp point at its summit.

I had remembered seeing movies about the Matterhorn as a child and was fascinated by its beauty. It towers 4478 metres above sea level and was first climbed in 1865 by a team of climbers led by Edward Whymper. Tragically four of those climbers died in a fall during the descent.

There is no doubt that Zermatt had built a thriving tourism industry from its famous mountain. The town itself mainly consists of a closely packed cluster of hotels and chalets. of course there are also the obligatory watch and outdoor clothing shops as well.

We arrived as the temperature hit a balmy 18C. In the relatively thin air, the sunshine felt even hotter than that. The Matterhorn was clearly visible, apart from a tiny ribbon of spindrift that was being blown from the summit. It made an amazing sight.

The forecast is for another similar day tomorrow, and then it all goes downhill. By next Monday the top temperature is predicted to be only 3C and snow is highly likely. By then we will be back home in Australia.

It is also worth noting that Zermatt has banned cars and trucks. The only vehicles that are permitted are small electric taxis and horse drawn vehicles (and bicycles). It is a refreshing to see a city that has had the courage to take such a forward thinking decision.Read more