Cervinia routes. Climbing the Matterhorn Well deserved rest: Rothorn with lakes and Zion
R0-
R1
Climb straight up along the couloir with a sign at the base. Rocks 2-3 category 30-60°. In the upper part, the couloir narrows to a fireplace, and along its left part, go up the rocky belt. The plot is about 100 m. It is advisable to use a rope.
R1-
R2
Turn right and along the “ram's foreheads”, bypassing difficult sections along the shelves, climb up the rocks of 1-2 categories. In the presence of snow or wet rocks in this area, a rope may be needed. After 200-250 m go to the edge of the snow field. Further, depending on the condition of the snow - along the right edge of the snow field of 1-2 categories or along the rocky buttress to the right of it.
R2-
R3
Along the rocky buttress, mainly along its right side, up the rocks of 1-2 categories, with separate sections of the 3rd category. Rocks up to 50°. Move another 250 m before the start of the traverse. Most often, you can go the route to the traverse to the saddle of Lyon at the same time, but there is a risk of failure. So take into account the level of preparation of your group.
R3-
R4
The traverse to the saddle of Lyon starts under the base of the tower of peak 3715. The beginning of the path is on the right behind the bend of the slope, it is important not to go higher on the rocks. Traverse about 150 m along a slope of 30-45° with rock outcrops of 1-2 categories. Drops below! With a lot of snow, insurance is required.
R4-
R5
Turn right at the saddle. On the right side of the southwestern ridge, go under the rocky belt (50 m). The belt runs along the line of the ridge on the rocks of the 3rd category. Then continue moving along the ridge (rocks of 2-3 categories). There are clogged anchors. After 200 m a rocky step with a rope. Plot 30-50°.
R5-
R6
On the wall 15 m, 90°, 4-5 category straight up. You can stick to the rope.
R6-
R7
Another 50 m to the Karella hut, category 1-3, 30-40°. Here is an overnight stay. During the high season the hut is overcrowded, the cost of an overnight stay is 16 euros per person (you put money in a box on the wall). There is a toilet and blankets. Water from the snow around the hut. There is a public stove, dishes, a large gas cylinder.
R7-
R8
The next day you need to leave the sooner the better. Above the hut - a section with a rope and a chain - 30 m, 50-100 °, 3-5 category. At the end of the section, a cornice with an extension of 1 m. A carabiner is snapped into the links of the chain.
R8-
R9
Further along the system of shelves, in places with ropes, first to the left up, then to the right up. Under the base of the southwestern ridge closest to the gendarme hut, go to the right into the couloir (80 m, 40-50 °, 2-3 categories). There are anchors.
R9-
R10
On the left side of the couloir-fireplace (a rope is fixed) go up the rocks of category 3-4, 60-80 °, 20 m. From the end of the rope, traverse to the right along the shelf 10 m. Further to the right up the rocks 60-80 °, 3-4 category, 20 m towards the ridge visible overhead. Before reaching the crest, traverse to the right 10 m, category 4.
R10-
R11
Further, first along the line of the ridge 10 m, through a short wall like sheep's foreheads, then along the slabs to the right 30 m to a psychological traverse to the right around the corner. (Do not climb up into the inner corner!). Go along the ledge 5-7 m to the right. Then climb over a small scallop, lowering a little. Anchor. Plot about 60 m, 2-4+ category, 40-80°.
R11-
R12
From the anchor, traverse along the plates (ram's foreheads) to the right down to the cable. The cable goes along the rocks, along their lower edge. In the off-season, the rope is in the snow. To insure for the cable, go to the right to the rocky wall. Under its base of the anchor. 50 m, 2-3 categories, 30-50°.
R12-
R13
Further to the right upwards through a rocky wall with ledges - 8 m. After going beyond it, move to the left along a snowy slope with rocky islands. The path of movement goes straight up towards a large chain leading to the crest of the Grande corde. To the base of the chain about 50 m, section 2-3 category, 30-60°.
R13-
R14
On the rocky wall with a cornice in the lower part, insuring for the links of the metal chain (the carbine snaps in), go to the southwestern ridge. (25 m, 70-95°, 4-5 category). On sections R7-R14, it is difficult to overtake the groups in front.
R14-
R15
The way forward is more clear. On the south-western ridge, mainly along its left side, along the rocks of category 2-3, 30-60 ° with snowfields between them, after 300 m, climb to the fore-peak - Tyndall Peak, 4241m. Anchors are found on the site.
R15-
R16
From the peak of Tyndall, descend a little towards the summit bastion of the Matterhorn, visible in front. Move along the ridge through several gendarmes of 2-3 categories, in some places there are short descents. After about 150 m - the base of the summit bastion.
R16-
R17
Move along the ridge-slope under the left part of the rocky base of the summit bastion. Through 80 m ropes (30-70°, 2-4 category). Orientation is not difficult, in some places there are anchors, and the rocks are badly scratched by cats.
R17-
R18
Along the ropes (the carabiner is not clipped, the belay is through the attachment points of the ropes) we go first to the right around the corner, then straight up the wall 60-80 °, 40 m, category 3-4. Further along the snowy slope of the 2nd category 30 m, 30° to the right up towards the clearly visible key wall of the route (ropes and stairs).
R18-
R19
Up the wall 70-100°, 50m, category 4-5+. First along the ropes, then through the eaves. On the ledge is a staircase. Attention! Climbers who have already climbed to the top can descend from above.
R19-
R20
Then traverse to the left along the plates, then straight up the rocky ridge, until it flattens out on the Italian peak of the Matterhorn (4476 m). Almost the entire section is fixed with 50 m ropes, 2-4 categories, 30-80°. To get to the Swiss peak (4478 m) you need to climb a snow ridge of the 2nd category, 30-40 ° for about 60 m.
Descent along the ascent path or northeast along the Hornli ridge (approximately 3B-4A). The ascent from the Karela hut to the summit takes about 8 hours if the route is in good condition and the number of groups is small. The descent takes about 6 hours, so climb as early as possible. Take 50m ropes and a set of friends. With a lot of snow, ice axes and crampons are a must.
The Matterhorn is one of the most recognizable peaks in the world. If you have never been lucky enough to visit the border of Switzerland and Italy, you will still easily recognize the characteristic outlines of the mountain in the form of a tetrahedral pyramid. The Matterhorn peak annually attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists who come just to look at it and about 3 thousand climbers who want to conquer the peak. However, the Matterhorn in Switzerland is not only beautiful, but also dangerous. People regularly die here, so before the trip you need to carefully prepare and evaluate your strength. In any case, no tourist will be left disappointed.
General information
South face of the Matterhorn Let's start with the information - where is the Matterhorn mountain. The attraction is located in the Pennine Alps and passes between two states - Switzerland and Italy. The slope in the south is located on Italian territory, the other three sides belong to Switzerland.
The Italian name of the mountain - Monte Cervino - comes from the French Mons Servinus and means "forest mountain", and from German the name "Matterhorn" is translated as "meadow" (Matte) and "peak" (Horn)
Interesting fact! The peak is located at a distance from other peaks of the Alps, this makes it possible to see the mountain and feel its magnetism.
The height of the Matterhorn is almost 4.48 km (4478 m to be exact). Outwardly attractive hides steep slopes and rockiness. That is why for a long time the attraction in Switzerland did not submit to climbers.
In the mountain profile, two peaks are clearly visible, located a hundred meters from each other. The state border passes directly between the peaks, respectively, one is called Italian, and the second - Swiss.
Good to know! The height of the Italian peak is only 1 m lower than the Swiss one.
The mountain in the Alps is notable for its strict, geometric proportions. Outwardly, it resembles an irregularly shaped pyramid, the edges of which are located in the directions of the cardinal points.
In the cold season, the mountain is completely covered with glaciers and snow. However, in summer the sun melts the snow, a small amount remains only on the eastern and northeastern side.
Good to know! The mountain in the Alps is characterized by steep slopes, for this reason rockfalls and avalanches often occur here.
Practical information
Zermatt Tourists stop in one of the villages:
- in Switzerland - the town of Zermatt;
- in Italy - the settlement of Breuil-Cervinia.
The Theodul Pass separates the villages. Ski slopes are laid at an altitude of 4 km, but real extreme sportsmen and professionals prefer to climb higher in the Alps.
Historical facts
At the foot of the Matterhorn in the Alps, the first people settled during the Roman period. In the 1st century BC. Theodul Pass was used for trade communication between the north and south of Europe.
Interesting to know! The ancient tribes did not dare to settle on the slopes, because they believed that this was the dwelling place of the devil. Most likely, the belief arose due to the awesome appearance of the mountain and frequent avalanches.
In the 19th century, a movement of like-minded people appeared in England who wanted to conquer the most dangerous slopes. Groups of climbers went to all the slopes of the Alps, but even Mont Blanc was conquered by people faster than the Matterhorn peak. Those wishing to reach the peak gathered at the foot many times, but did not dare to climb.
Climbing the Matterhorn
Given the peculiarities of the geographical location of the mountain - in Switzerland and Italy - there are two ways to travel - from the territory of each of the states.
Due to its unusual shape - almost an equilateral pyramid - the mountain has been attracting climbers for many centuries and has a rich history with unusual and tragic facts. Hiking route on the slopes requires:
- rope skills;
- skills of movement on rocky terrain;
- ability to organize insurance;
- compliance with safety rules.
Before climbing, it is necessary to take a training course, and on the way to use the help of a guide.
It is important! From the Swiss side, the path is as simple as possible, cables are hung in the most dangerous places, insurance is organized, huts are equipped for rest, if bad weather catches tourists during the ascent, you can wait it out in an emergency shelter.
The height of the mountain in the Alps is about 4.48 km, so the issue of preparing for the conquest of the Matterhorn peak in Switzerland should be worked out in advance and make sure that you have enough strength and endurance for this difficult test. You should also pay attention to acclimatization in the mountains. In good weather, you can meet dozens of tourists on narrow sections of climbing routes, so the guides recommend that you exercise maximum caution and attention.
What should be feared
The main danger of the Matterhorn in Switzerland is unpredictable weather. The clouds here are low, enveloping the peaks, forming a stable, thick fog. Sometimes, at a distance of one meter, nothing is visible. The weather can change within a quarter of an hour. In addition to fog, climbers face storms and snowfalls. Given the speed with which the weather changes, finding shelter from the weather is very difficult.
Rockfalls are the most dangerous in the Alps. In some cases, they are provoked by tourists, and sometimes stones are torn off under the weight of glaciers. Experts call this fact surprising - despite numerous avalanches and stone collapses, the mountain has not changed its appearance for centuries.
What do you need to climb
If you wish, you can take a camera or camcorder.
Climbing history
The Alps have always attracted travelers, today all the slopes have submitted to man, but the Matterhorn mountain in Switzerland has become the last on this list. Beginner climbers have long had a superstitious fear of a mountain in the Alps.
First successful ascent
A significant event was recorded in 1865, when Whymper developed and implemented a new plan for climbing the southern slope of the mountain. An attempt to climb to the peak on June 21 turned out to be unsuccessful - a strong rockfall blocked the path. Another attempt - on June 14 - was successful, but overshadowed by the death of climbers.
Climbing in Switzerland was made by: Edward Whymper, Scot Lord Francis Dushlas, Charles Hudson, Robert Douglas Hadow, father Peter Togvalders, his son and Michel Crozat.
The group began climbing the Hornli slope, in his notes Whymper noted that the path was easier than the route along the Italian slope. However, as we moved to the top, the mountain became steeper and more dangerous. Edward Whymper and Michel Croz were the first to reach the goal. A tragic incident happened when the group was descending - Hadow, Croze, Hudson and Douglas fell off and crashed. Only three climbers were buried, as Douglas' body was not found on the glacier. The bodies of the remaining three men are buried in Zermatt.
Jean Antoine Carrel Who else managed to climb:
- July 1865 - Jean-Antoine Carrel;
- in 1871 - Lucy Walker;
- August 1931 - Franz Schmid and Tony Schmid.
Rise to the top today
Today, routes of varying difficulty levels have been laid to the Matterhorn peak in the Alps, but all of them are designed for trained climbers who are familiar with climbing techniques. It is possible to climb at any time of the year, but it will not be an easy walk.
In the warm season, it is best to climb the Hornli ridge, the route has an AD difficulty rating. Safety ropes are installed throughout the ascent. From Zermatt to Lake Schwarzsee. From here you will have to follow on foot to the Hörnli hut, here climbers spend the night. The next day, the further journey must be started no later than 3-30 in the morning, only in this case you can have time to go down before dusk.
Good to know! If an emergency arises on the road, the Solvay Hut is at the service of tourists.
Other routes:
Lion's Ridge - Lion's Ridge - AD difficulty;
- Zmutt Ridge - difficulty D;
- the northern part of the mountain - in the Alps, this part is considered the most difficult and has a difficulty of TD +.
Statistics: 70% of climbers climb the Hörnli route, 25% climb the Lyon ridge. The remaining routes account for no more than 5% of all ascents.
tragic cases
Despite the fact that safety ladders are laid along the entire route, climbers die every year on the Matterhorn. Main reasons:
- unpreparedness of tourists;
- choosing a difficult route;
- a large influx of people wishing to climb the peak;
- natural disasters - convergence of glaciers and rockfalls.
Statistics! Between 1981 and 2012, 223 climbers died on the slopes of the Matterhorn, of which 203 fell and crashed. In total, the mountain claimed the lives of more than 500 people. This peak is officially recognized as the deadliest among the peaks in the Alps.
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Now you know where the Materhorn peak is located, how to organize a trip and climb to your cherished goal. The journey will surely become one of the most unforgettable and emotionally rich in your life.
Who likes to tickle your nerves - watch a short video.
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The Matterhorn is perhaps one of the most recognizable peaks of the Alps. The Swiss are so proud of it, you can see the profile of the Matterhorn on almost every corner. And the mountain is really impressive. Rising above Zermatt, it attracts the eye. The neighboring peaks, as if bowing before his power, parted, leaving the Matterhorn alone to rule here.
Last year I was already lucky enough to climb to its top. However, fate was pleased to lead me back to its foot. This time, my friends and I chose a non-traditional climbing route along the Furgen Ridge (Furggengrat).
We leave not very early, the beginning of the route is just a few steps from our shelter. With the first glimpses of dawn, we get ready and start working. From our bivouac, only the beginning and the middle part of the ridge are visible - we are tuning in seriously, because we did not manage to get a description. But already after the first two pitches we reach the gentle slope of the eastern wall and it becomes clear that the further path will not be difficult. We wind along the shelves of the eastern wall, slowly gaining height. In the neighborhood on the right, climbers are also climbing up the Hernley ridge. We are glad that we are here alone on our route and there is no need not to overtake or give way.
Logically we go to the main ridge. Still not contacting, we approach the base of the summit tower. It does not look as scary as the historical notes about the first ascents along this route testify. But the relief is rotten - destroyed rocks and the remains of snow on gently sloping areas. Then we decided to go with a rope. Carefully, the first one goes to its full length, the rest are pulled up behind it. Gradually, the rocks become steeper and now the key of the route is already visible - a vertical inner corner, even more likely not a corner, but some kind of implicit gutter. The relief is rich, but even from here it is clear that the rocks are very destroyed. This part of the wall is in the shade most of the time, the remains of sinter ice are visible. Climbing in rock shoes is quite cold, but much more confident than in boots. So you have to be patient. Luckily, the slick ice in the upper part of the site managed to peel off the rocks. The site again leads to the main ridge. I accept comrades, I warm myself in the sun.
Ahead is a relatively uncomplicated ridge. We're moving forward pretty fast. Overcoming the next rise, I gladly recognize a tiny statue under the Swiss peak. A little more and here it is the top! This is not the first time we have been together on such ascents, everything is done in a businesslike manner - we understand that there is still a descent ahead. We traverse to the Italian summit, take a few more photos and start the descent.
And this is our team:
Liskamm
We spent the night and in the morning, surrounded by a crowd of local lovers of this business, moved up. For the most part, everyone went to Castor, but we were the last bunch that went to Liskamm.
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Climbing route to Liskamm
Liskamm is a big mountain. The maximum height of 4527 meters and a long (about 5 kilometers) ridge make it difficult. In some places, only two feet fit on the ridge, so you have to balance when walking. With a strong wind, it is worth believing that it will be very entertaining. On the ridge, I constantly recalled the “Komsomol insurance” (this is when, in the event of a breakdown of one of the participants, the other jumps to the opposite side of the ridge). Once my partner was about to roll away, and I almost jumped. But he changed his mind in time, so that I managed to catch the comb.
Horner Glacier
We missed the last train to Zermatt. And, you know, it's not a pity. In the morning we were shown a stunningly beautiful Matterhorn. Matterhorn Climbing the Matterhorn along the Hörnli Ridge can hardly be called technically difficult. Even despite the fact that in the fog we climbed almost completely along the ridge (which is mostly bypassed along the trail), it is not very difficult. But damn long. The Hörnli hut is being refurbished, so we lived in Solvay Hutte- this small hut with 10 seats is located in the middle of the route. There was a smell of a public toilet all around, garbage and a mess inside. It's obvious that the place is popular. I took a shovel, cleaned the snow from feces, cleaned the house and immediately felt better. On the shelf I found a logbook. There are many familiar surnames in it: Rozov, Ruchkin, Provalov, Selivanov, Klebansky. I signed up modestly too.
Hörnli crest on the Matterhorn
Climbing the Matterhorn
Below the top is a large cross. A little lower is a statue of St. Bernard. I treacherously feared for them.
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View from the top of the Matterhorn
They went down the path. Along the way, I found the right path along which I had to climb. It goes to the left of the ridge (if you go up). By the time we got down, the cable car to Zermatt had already stopped working. It was possible to walk, but we stayed in Schwarji - a hotel near the cable car station. There ... but, by the way, mountaineering has already ended there. Three days after my return, I led a group to the Middle Talgar gorge in order to go to the Talgar peak. They came downhill, but for a number of reasons did not climb. More on this separately and later.
This story happened in September 2011, and only three years later there was time to write it down. So there may be some inaccuracies due to forgetfulness, but in general, the author tried to be as detailed and as memorable as possible.
In addition to mine, the article uses photographs of Tanya Egorova, Masha Borisova and Sasha Khalyapin.
Climbing has been a part of my life for a long time. Trainings, running, skiing, climbing stands, May trips to the rocks and finally - climbing camps in the mountains as a summing up: the year has passed, we need to prepare for the next season.
But over the years, our company began to get out into the mountains less and less.
The last time my friends and I went to climbing camps in 2006, to the Caucasian alpine camp "Ullu-Tau". And after that, somehow gradually, but steadily, our community split into two groups: hedonists and masochists. Hedonists became addicted to relaxing in seaside resorts and educational tourism, and they chose the mountains only as skiers. In general, they approached normal people.
Masochists are addicted to rogaine.
— What-what? - you ask.
- Well, it's something like orienteering. A place is chosen to be swampy, pitted and brown (if there are slides, it’s also very good), a lot of people gather there, participants are given cards and they run for a day (sometimes less), collect CPs throughout the district. And then they discuss who made a mistake where, on what they lost time, or which CP they didn’t find.
I ended up in the first group: hedonists, and became interested in educational tourism. And what brought my travels closer to rogaining was that in each new place I tried to “take” the maximum number of attractions.
But one of the springs, I suddenly wanted all of us, as of old, to get together and go to the mountains. So that everything is as before: tents, early rises, meeting the dawn in the mountains, snow on the slopes. Well, let it not be an ascent, let it be a simple, beautiful mountain hike. I called out - why don't we go hiking around Mont Blanc?
Unexpectedly, my call met with a lively response. And now we are already sitting in one of the Moscow cafes and discussing plans for the summer. 4 rogaine players: Sasha, Masha, Dima and Tanya - and 2 hedonists: me and Kolya.
The hike around Mont Blanc was swept away immediately. Sasha said: well, this is for pensioners. Maybe in 15 years we'll take a walk.
Instead, the idea was to go to the Matterhorn, which was accepted with enthusiasm. Even Dima, who promised his wife to spend a vacation with his family, said that he could not refuse such an offer.
(Alpinists, if there are any among readers, can skip the next paragraph). If anyone suddenly does not know, the Matterhorn is one of the most beautiful Alpine peaks on the border of Switzerland and Italy (the Italians call it Monte Cervino). It translates as "horn in the meadow." It really stands apart, away from other peaks, alone in the "meadow" - a delightful pyramid with sharp ribs and a slightly broken beak.
They go to it both from the side of the Swiss Zermatt, and from the Italian side, from Cervinia. A few years ago (in 2005) I had an unsuccessful attempt to climb the Matterhorn, the weather interfered - the night before our ascent, a severe snowstorm began. And now, of course, I was glad to be able to try again, and even in such wonderful company.
But, it turned out, that's not all. Tanya said that her dream is to cross the Monte Rosa traverse. (Alpinists again skip the paragraph). The Monte Rosa massif is a long mountain range with many peaks, one of which - Peak Dufour - is the highest point in Switzerland and the second peak of the Alps after Mont Blanc. I have already been on Dufour, the second time I did not want to go there, and the prospect of going a 6-day traverse of the entire massif seemed very doubtful to me (for me personally). I had a premonition that after the traverse I would no longer need the Matterhorn.
But I kept silent, thinking that I would go to one of the peaks for acclimatization, and then my sports comrades would go further along the ridge, and I (say, with Masha: I hoped that she would support me) would go down and take a walk around the outskirts of Zermatt. Or I'll look at some Swiss town. And then we will reunite and climb the Matterhorn together.
So I decided to myself and kept silent. And later it turned out that Kolya was also embarrassed and even slightly frightened by such far-reaching plans. The Matterhorn is one thing: what climber does not dream of climbing there! Another thing is the endless sawing along the endless ridge. But Kolya was also silent. And after the meeting, I thought and thought and went on vacation with my wife to the Canary Islands. And we have lost a valuable male unit.
Preparation for the trip and training period
There were five of us left.
And we began to prepare for the trip.
After this phrase, it must be explained that when Sasha joins an event, everyone else can relax a little. The phrase “started preparing” in our case meant that Sasha was looking for options, put forward some proposals, booked something, and we transferred money to him. Somehow, imperceptibly, tickets to Geneva were bought, hotels were booked, sports nutrition was purchased, equipment was selected. On the appointed day, we went to the visa center and received visas (about preparing for the trip -).
I honestly tried to pull up my athletic form, but every attempt to run for some reason ended in severe pain in my foot. 3 days after the run, I walked with a limp, the pain went away, I went to run again - and everything repeated. At work, too, there was a moment of uncertainty: whether we are all dismissed, or we are working with all our might - in any case, there was no talk of a vacation; Rather, it was about finding a new job.
A person who listens to the inner voice would have given up on the idea long ago, but I persisted. And the process was gaining momentum.
Therefore, when a week before departure I suddenly collapsed with a temperature of 38, it could not affect anything. A loading dose of antibiotics - and I collect a backpack. “If my health does not allow me to walk in the mountains, I will walk in the valley, I will travel through Switzerland, and when my friends (from time to time) go down from the mountains, I will joyfully meet them and listen to stories,” I reasoned.
The day of departure arrived.
“Look, don’t crash there,” my son said to me in parting. “That would be quite inopportune.
(Once upon a time I asked my child how he likes the new kindergarten teacher.
“She has a great sense of black humor,” the kid replied.
Looks like he learned something from her.)
Instructed in this way, I went to Domodedovo.
Geneva-Zermatt. First trip to the mountains
Late in the evening we landed in Geneva. At the exit of the airport, a man with a sign was waiting for us. We loaded into his minibus and drove to the booked apartment. The next morning, he moved us with backpacks to the railway station, and we went by train to Zermatt.
The sun shone, Lake Geneva sparkled outside the window, Chillon Castle flashed by. The mountains have begun.
In Visp, we changed to a local train and drove through a picturesque narrow gorge, past charming little villages. Eyes rejoiced, soul sang.
And here is a smart, lively Zermatt, filled with tourists, idle and prosperous, and every house is decorated with flowers. An orchestra is playing on the forecourt, carts with horses are standing. Now a crowd of small Chinese in wide-brimmed hats will run, then a gray-haired traveler with a cane will pass with a sedate gait, then laden climbers will pass with scorched, weather-beaten faces. There is still snow in their eyes, and a blizzard, and a glimpse of another world from which they have just returned. But soon they would drop their backpacks, wash up, change their clothes, and blend in completely with the rest of the crowd.
On the main street of Zermatt
Trio on the forecourt
How nice it is to find yourself again in a place where you once visited, and to be surprised to find that little has changed here: life is still seething in the streets, and the handsome Matterhorn rises above the roofs. It always seems strange to me: you leave your favorite place, then come back - and life, it turns out, continued here without you.
Arriving at the campsite, we set up tents on the lawn and settled down. Got a table and chairs. And went to explore Zermatt. The walk around the city ended with a visit to the local supermarket Coop, buying all sorts of delicious cheeses, cookies and wine.
The next day we were already walking in the mountains, climbed up to 3000 m on a plateau, to the Gandegg hut. I was afraid that our athletes would run like on their own rogaine, especially Sasha was on suspicion. However, a pleasant discovery awaited me - recently Sasha became interested in photography, bought photographic equipment and now reacted to every beauty.
Sasha in the face of Beauty
And then she and Masha got completely lost - it turned out that they met a large cluster of mountain goats among the stones, and until they shot everyone, they did not move. And most of all Sasha wanted to photograph the groundhog.
Climbing the Riffelhorn
A day later we climbed the Riffelhorn. A pleasant rocky mountain with an excellent view of the long winding tongue of the Monte Rosa glacier, the observatory on the Gornergrat and, of course, the Matterhorn. At the foot of the mountain, a small lake was darkening, and a small mountain train crawled back and forth along the slope.
Lake Riffelsee
Route start
Dima on the rocks
Masha goes for Dima, I belay and pose
My turn
The top is getting closer
First link at the top
Second link on the way
All at the top
Descent. Masha on a rappel
Having descended from the mountain, we found ourselves at the Rifelsee lake, among the walking public, attracted by the beauty of the mountain lake. The main aesthetic component of its beauty was the unbearably beautiful reflection of the Matterhorn on the water surface.
Lake Riffelsee
Sasha ran ahead and went along the lower path, hoping to stumble upon a groundhog.
And from our path we saw a fat marmot down by the stream and shouted to Sasha, but for Sasha's photo lens the desired animal was already out of reach.
On local trails, there are periodically transverse stone partitions so that water during heavy rains does not wash away the trails, but spreads along the edges of the trail.
“Yes, a cyclist can’t get through here,” we concluded. Just then, a cyclist came around the corner and rode past us, jumping over every partition on the trail. We just didn't applaud such acrobatics.
On the border of grass and forest, there was a lonely hotel, with swings, flower beds, a chapel - Riefelalp Resort 2222. Charming local sheep, white-fleeced and with black muzzles, grazed around. Some of them poked their noses at the doors of houses, but no one invited them inside.
And in the forest we saw a deer.
Then there was a day of rest, almost completely devoted to the rain. And talk about traverse. The question was raised how to arrange it so that Masha and I could return down after the first peak, releasing the three fighters for a long traverse. In Moscow, the selfless Tanya for almost a month, going to work in the subway, translated an English book with a description of the traverse and assembled a thread of the route from the pieces. Getting ready to make your dream come true. She planned to go from east to west, from Nordend to Breithorn.
Sasha looked at the maps, the navigator and said that we would go from west to east. Tanya objected furiously, a month of her labors was wasted: where the rappels were supposed to be, now there will be railings and vice versa. No gate. Sasha immediately began to translate her book, as if we were going in the opposite direction. Finally, Tanya was persuaded.
Then the rain stopped, and we began to prepare for tomorrow's exit.
The next morning we got up not early, on the lift we went up to Trockener, then we went along the glacier. Several skiers passed us from the pass. To be honest, I would feel sorry for the skis - there were a lot of small pebbles on the slope.
We are up, skiers are down
4 swallows on the glacier
We set up a tent a little below the Teodulpass pass.
Our plan for the next 24 hours was to spend the night at a height, traverse the entire Breithorn, spend the night in a hut under Rocho Nero. Then our paths diverged: Masha and I went down, and Tanya, Dima and Sasha went to Nordend.
We had a bite to eat in the tent, then, already light, without backpacks, we went to the pass.
I followed the skiers with my eyes, looking - and Dimka had already fallen into a crack. He spread his elbows, caught on the edges, looks out from under the hood. And under my feet, he says, I have a void.
The rest ran up, pulled out a comrade, took out a rope and went already tied up to the pass.
There used to be a border post at the pass. Many buildings of various purposes have remained from that time. Now the Italian-Swiss border is marked by a stripe on the concrete floor, which we, lined up in a line, stepped over together.
We wandered among incomprehensible structures.
Wandering through the pass
Two huts were open, there were cafes and there were even people. We drank coffee with strudel and went to our tent. Just the snowcats began to iron the glacier, to prepare the slopes for skiers for tomorrow.
We left before dawn. At height, the colors are thick, viscous. The thick, dense blue flowed into a crimson dawn, and the surrounding mountains changed color before our eyes, from crimson to pink.
The light grew, and now the sun broke away from the snowy slope, and nothing remained of pink - an ordinary sunny day, white snow and purple sky.
The lift to the Klein Matterhorn was launched, delivering portion after portion of fresh skiers and climbers. We were just alone, and then the skiers began to rush one after another, and the climbers stretched towards Breithorn.
The Breithorn massif has 5 peaks, all of them are higher than 4 thousand meters. The most visited is West Breithorn, closest to the lift station. As a rule, it is included in the standard acclimatization program before climbing the Materhorn: to “spread out” - go to Riffelhorn, to get used to the height - to Breithorn. And then on to the Matterhorn.
A chain of footprints climbed the snowy slope to the top. The black dots of the climbers moved on the white side of the mountain. We also went upstairs.
Climbers climb West Breithorn
There is pandemonium on the broad peak of West Breithorn. Someone sits and has a snack, someone takes pictures, people come and go. For most, this is the apotheosis of today. The main task is completed, you can relax, sit a little, enjoy the views and go down to the green sunny Zermatt.
At the top of West Breithorn
Group of traversers
Not that we are. For us, this peak is the very beginning of the day. We stood together with everyone, drank water, took pictures and went east along a narrow snowy ridge stretching into the distance.
Let's go to the traverse
Along the snowy ridge
At first, some bunch still loomed ahead of us, then we were left alone, no one caught up with us, and we didn’t meet anyone else for the whole day. We walked and walked along the ridge, climbed oncoming rolling pins, rappelled, everything as usual. Sasha forgot to turn off his mobile, and from time to time he received SMS congratulations from Beeline on his arrival either in Italy or in Switzerland (7 pieces in total).
Descent from the "gendarme"
It was already getting dark when we finally descended from the ridge to the snowy plateau. Sasha took out the navigator and announced:
– To the hut – 400 meters.
In front of us stretched endless snow without the slightest sign of a hut. Confidently follow Sasha.
- 100 meters to the hut - the same picture. We walk up to our knees in the snow.
“10 meters to the hut,” Sasha finally announces.
We stop and shake our heads. Everything is the same: on the left, the steep side of Rocha Nero rises, on the right, a gentle snowy slope that goes into the Champoluc Valley. Far below, the rare lights of an Italian village glow. And, by the way, it is already quite dark, like it was just twilight.
I mentally sigh, imagining how we will dump the contents of our backpacks into the snow, take out the tent, and set up.
Dimka takes a few steps to the side and finds himself on the edge of a cliff.
- There she is, under us!
Hooray! We climb down the rocks, untie ourselves and go into the house stuck to the rock.
There is nobody there. The hut is quite small, two-storied chambers, a wooden table with a bench. We boil water, we breed galu-gala. Everything is just great! What a pleasant evening!
We woke up from the "steps of the commander": the iron clatter of cats on the metal platform of the hut. Boo-boo-boo! The door opened and two men entered the hut. The new arrivals turned out to be Italian guides. In the morning they started climbing, but bad weather and strong wind forced them to seek shelter.
We boiled water, had breakfast together and drank tea. Tanya, who studies English and never misses a chance to practice her language, asked them in detail about getting the title of an alpine guide.
The guys left soon after. We also gathered and all together went to the Klein Matterhorn - to see off Masha and me.
rescue hut
The weather really turned bad: leaden clouds descended on the mountains, the wind blew.
We walked along the plateau along the steep wall of the Breithorn massif, and the distance that we covered all day yesterday on the ridge, today we covered the bottom in thirty or forty minutes.
We thought that the lift in such a wind does not work. However, when we, snow-covered, in harnesses, with rings of rope over our shoulders, tumbled into the station, we were happy to see that trailers come and go, a cafe and a shop are open, and, in general, it is quite busy here.
We sat in a cafe, then our comrades went back, and Masha and I got into the trailer, taking off systems, powder puffs, polars, self-discharges on the go, and after a while we ended up in Zermatt in the middle of an open summer, in the midst of an idle resting crowd.
From winter to summer
Shower, shop, long dinner. Next to us in the campsite were the people of Kiev. They arrived later than us, they had about 10 days for everything. Now there was one of their girlfriend, non-alpinist Katya, who was promised an extensive cultural program, such as Milan, Venice - as soon as the men descended on the Matterhorn. And so, while her friends were undergoing shock acclimatization, Katya, having acquired a scheme of hiking routes, walked alone along the surrounding paths. On this day, she walked the route “On Five Lakes”, she says, it was very beautiful.
Walks around Zermatt. Gornerschlucht Canyon and mountain villages
In the morning after breakfast, we set off to look for a canyon-cleft, which we noticed when we went down yesterday on the lift. But, passing by the church on the central square, we decided to look inside and got stuck there for a long time. These days a music festival was taking place in Zermatt, and we just got to the orchestra rehearsal. The musicians in T-shirt jeans sat in a semicircle in front of the altar, in the center of them stood the violinist soloist, and we, either from the sounds of music, or from the handsome violinist, could not tear ourselves away and go about our business.
By the way, the church is painted in a non-trivial way. Noah's ark floats on the ceiling, sad people (righteous) sit there. And in the depths of the sea, the dregs of humanity are lying around: a skier, a man who stuck his head in the TV and other characters. The allegories are not very clear. The contemplation of these frescoes has always plunged me into some thoughtfulness. Why is skiing frowned upon? Here's the church at the ski resort.
Fragment of painting in the cathedral. What a disgusting fat skier falls right into the shark's mouth!
We finally broke out of the sweet captivity and went to look for our canyon. On the way, we met several times a signpost with such a set of letters “Gornerschlucht” and I had a suspicion that this was exactly what we needed.
We went outside the town, passed the cable car station and the fan park behind it, and here is the entrance to. Grandma came out of the booth and sold us a ticket.
Along the walls of the canyon, a wooden flooring with railings was laid, a bridge was thrown to the other side of the gorge, and a ladder went up from it. Below, squeezed by the walls, an unrestrained stream rages, falls down and pacifies.
We admired the canyon, climbed up and went further where our eyes look.
We walked past small villages - literally 5-6 houses. Houses in them outline a certain space. You pass through a narrow gap between neighboring houses and find yourself in a lovely clearing, where open-air cafes are located among flowers and stones - just for a few tables. And a little on the outskirts - an indispensable chapel. And what delicious homemade desserts are there - with strawberries, local whipped cream!
We crossed the gorge on a narrow bridge, the path began to climb higher. We were above the Furi station, Zermatt opened up around the corner. Sheep were walking towards us along the path. Seeing us, everyone, as if on command, climbed up and walked around us along the upper path.
Beginning to get dark. We went down to Zermatt and went into a bookstore to decide where we would go on an excursion tomorrow. The fact is that before the trip we bought a Swiss Flexi Pass - a card that gives us the right to travel throughout Switzerland for three days. The first and last day is, of course, backpacking between Geneva and Zermatt. And one more day we decided to use tomorrow. After looking through the guidebooks, we chose Thun and Bern.
In the evening we received SMS from our climbers. They reported that they had interrupted the traverse and would be in Zermatt tomorrow evening.
Thun and Bern
The next day, around 8 am, we arrived in Thun. Masha, as a trained orienteer, quickly discovered the letter "i". At the information center, we took a map of the city with sights and went for a walk around Thun.
Thun turned out to be a pretty little town. It stands on the shore of Lake Thun, and the swift river Aare flows through the city, flowing from Lake Thun. In the city center, the river splits into two branches and forms a narrow island. Wooden bridges are built over the water streams, not primitive functional transitions from one bank to another, but decorative covered galleries decorated with flowers that cross the river at an acute angle, and even with a knee. I had seen such bridges before in Lucerne.
Thun, bridge over the Aare. Notice the color of the water!
The water is clear, greenish in color. Every fish is visible. And there are a lot of fish here. Swans are swimming.
The Town Hall of Tuna stands below near the river. At the top is the Tun Castle. The castle offers wonderful views of the lake, the mountains and the lower town.
After walking around Thun, we boarded an electric train and in 20 minutes ended up in Bern. The train station in Bern seemed simply cosmic compared to the Thun station, but Masha found the letter “i” without delay. I told the girl in the tourism office that we didn’t have much time, and asked me to mark on the map what to see first. And with this marked map, we went for a walk around Bern and looked not only at the marked points, but, it seems, all the objects marked on the map with numbers. Just don't go to museums.
We liked Bern. The weather was sunny, people were idly sitting in a cafe on the Town Hall Square, we also dined, then walked again, and at about 6 pm we went to our Zermatt.
When we arrived, it was already dark. At the campsite we met with our friends, who were found in a rather cheerful state, and not completely exhausted, as we expected. They told of their heroic journey and descent to the Monte Rosa hut. On the day when we parted with them, they went to the rocky peak of Rocha Nero, spent the night in the same hut as the day before, and the next day went out in the direction of the brothers Castor and Polux. And they went along the snowy ridge, conquering passing peaks. (Since only Tanya had the camera, all the following photographs of the traverse are taken by Tanya).
Endless comb
At some point, Sasha realized that they would not have time to meet the allotted time - the endless snow “knife” of Liskam loomed ahead.
You can’t take Sasha with your bare hands, he is always ready in any turn of events, and he has calculated all the options in advance. In such a case, he had downloaded a track of descent to the glacier along the bottom of the northern wall of Liskam, and it was this trump card that he coolly pulled out of his sleeve.
And so, along the snow-covered rocks, then along the torn glacier, they descended, and descended, and descended.
And the hut was already visible on the other side of the river. But I had to spend the night on this bank - to wait until the stream of the mountain river freezes during the night, and in the morning to cross it through low water.
They ate at the hut, examined the hut itself - the embodiment of new technologies and modern design. The hut was built in record time - 4 months - and for decent money (in the Zermatt Museum, all the costs for its creation were painted and a film about its construction is shown).
Monte Rosa Hut - a marvelous creation of human hands
Hut inside
Well, then they went home. And this path was also not close, although it did not count, since it no longer represented anything heroic.
Fragment of the way back - climbing the steep stairs
Rest and get ready: Zermatt Museum, a walk in Tasch
Tanya immediately said that the day after tomorrow she was not ready to go to the Matterhorn, she needed two days to recuperate. And the next day, indeed, she lay motionless in the campsite on a rug near the tent. And the next day, she started moving.
We, without Tatyana, spent the day at the Zermatt Alpine Museum, where the four of us went. We went to a cafe where the waitress was a girl from Croatia. In general, we wandered around Zermatt.
The next day, the revived Tanya and Dima set off in the footsteps of our walk with Masha: to the Gornerschlucht canyon, Blatten - Zum See - Zmutt. Sasha and Masha rushed to a photo hunt for marmots.
And I walked along the mountain path to.
In the evening we gathered at the campsite and after dinner began to prepare for the ascent of the Matterhorn. On the same evening, Ukrainian guys returned from the Matterhorn, who described their ascent in detail to us. Their story was emotional. They had to spend the night at an intermediate hut, where one of them had left his helmet.
Dima said that we could not avoid spending the night at the intermediate Solvay hut either (Solvay hut is located in the middle of a rocky ridge and is intended for emergency overnight stays). Sasha said that it was not sporting and somehow even ashamed.
In the morning, in a vigorous broad front, in a row, we headed for the ski lift. The morning was slightly gloomy, but the mood was victorious.
The whole team near the ski lift
The lift took us to the Schwarzsee lake, from which the trail began to the Hörnli hut.
“Yo-prst,” cried Dima. “I forgot Colin’s sticks downstairs.”
Before leaving, Dima borrowed some climbing equipment from Kolya, who did not go. Kolya is a neat person. Dima was very amused that special caps were put on the ends of the trekking poles, and on the last evening before our departure, Kolya called Dima and specifically emphasized that Dima would not lose the caps.
Actually, these caps for the sharp ends of the sticks are the only thing that Dima managed to save on this trip from Kolya's property.
So, the sticks were left at the lower station of the cable car.
Tanya gave Dima one of her sticks, and we moved towards the Matterhorn.
Ascent to the Hernley hut
The path to the hut runs along the rocky ridge, passing from one side to the other. Below the trail - faults, then - flattening.
In one place under the dumps on the "shelf" we see among the stones a huge inscription in Russian "Zhenya, marry me!" To be honest, I had pride in my heart for Russian men! Somehow the man climbed down the rock, marking out giant letters so that Zhenya could see for sure. I think the girl appreciated this folly.
They came to the hut. A fresh breeze was blowing, the sun was shining. On the cafe's open veranda, menus were laid out on the tables, stamped with numbered stones so that the menu wouldn't be blown away by the wind.
At the Hernley hut
We descended from the hut to a covered loose slope where we could pitch tents. The Ukrainians warned us that there was no water nearby, we had to either buy bottled water at the hut (8 francs per liter), or climb for about forty minutes to the glacier and break the ice. We brought some water with us.
Having set up the tent, we had lunch, then Sasha and Dima went to reconnoiter the beginning of the route. Since we were supposed to leave early in the dark and we were told that many wander at the beginning of the route, it was decided to find a way to the ridge in the light.
The men are going to investigate. In the background is Hernley's hut.
The guys left, and we stayed at the tents - to gain strength before tomorrow. We watched their movements through the camera lens - two colored dots moved along the rocky wall, then disappeared behind a bend.
Two hours later the guys returned, we had dinner. Together with Tanya, we went up to the hut to buy bottled water. The hut was full of people, all the shops in the cafe were filled, the waiters rushed between the tables. Climbers, both independent and mountain guides with their clients, were preparing for the ascent. The weather forecast was good the next day, and on such days the hut is usually full.
The night before going to the top
For local men, this is a good income. During the season, mountain guides make 40 ascents of the Matterhorn, each receiving 700 francs. In winter they work as ski instructors. The owner of our campsite, Richard, made countless ascents to the surrounding peaks (but, of course, the Matterhorn attracts all visitors first of all), and in his old age he became the owner of the campsite.
For clients, the ascent costs 1,300 francs. Those. a person arrives in Zermatt, comes to the mountaineering office and hires a climbing guide. Naturally, he must be prepared physically, otherwise his money will be wasted. The route must be completed in a day. Leave the hut at 3 o'clock in the morning. By 8 am (not later) the guide with the client must pass the Solvay intermediate hut. If the client "does not pull" and they come to Solvay later, then it is considered that they do not have time to complete the route in a day, and turn back.
Some hire guides only up to the Solvay hut, the price of such a half ascent is half lower.
The standard program of acclimatization preparation for climbing the Matterhorn is as follows.
The first day is a walking tour from Zermatt to an altitude of 3000 (we walked to the Trockener station and to the Gandegg hut). Then - the ascent to the top of Breithorn (4164).
To "refresh" climbing skills, Riffelnorn (2927) is a short, purely rocky route.
To complete the acclimatization, they go to the Peak Dufour (4634) - the highest point in Switzerland. The route goes along a long snowy ridge with climbing areas. Its main difficulty is a large climb and, accordingly, a drop in height. The Monte Rosa hut, from which they go on an ascent, is located at an altitude of 2795.
After completing this program, it is considered that a person is ready to climb the Matterhorn.
The guide gives recommendations on equipment, the client buys the missing one in one of the many sports shops in Zermatt or rents it. Guides, I noticed, like to recommend buying a new rope, although they themselves lead the client on a “short leash” of 3-4 meters - not at all the way we were taught in alpine camps. Although, on the other hand, if the client pays such money for the ascent, he is aware that he is quite capable of ascent, he is sufficiently prepared for it.
So, there were a lot of people in the hut. Just such a mountaineering brotherhood was in the air, as before a decisive battle.
But on the site in front of the open cafe calm and peace reigned. A full moon hung in the pale pink sunset over the mountaintops. The air was fresh and very even. The campground extinguished the lights and fell silent.
We were going to leave early so as to get ahead of the main crowd and, if possible, be on the ridge before the rest.
We got up at three in the morning. With difficulty, they stuffed a certain amount of porridge and tea into themselves. Crawling out of the tent, they began to gather, put on harnesses.
The night was warm and starry.
Sasha and Masha got together first and set off towards the mountain, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
We soon followed them.
They climbed the first railing, the second - all along stationary, stretched cables. The railing ended, and here we wandered a little in the dark.
In the darkness, something presence was felt all the time, someone's screams and voices were heard. A group of Czechs followed us.
Finally, we got our bearings and soon climbed out onto the ridge.
At some point, I looked back and saw in the darkness a dense moving snake of lights approaching us. These are guides with their clients quickly climbing up. The guides here knew every stone by touch, they did not have to think which shelf to go on, they powerfully and evenly rushed forward. For them, it was rather not an ascent, but a race. The main thing is that the client keeps pace and moves at a given speed.
It's dawn. I looked back again and saw that the rocks behind me were strewn with multi-colored helmets. I have never seen such a pandemonium in the mountains before.
“Yo-prst,” Dima cried, clutching his head, “I forgot my helmet!”
Tanya and I stopped. “I didn’t bring a spare helmet,” Tanya said guiltily. Usually, Tanya always helps everyone out. She has extra ropes, glasses, mittens, medicines, and so on. But she did not provide a helmet.
“Damn, what to do! - Dima looked at the approaching guides, then up. - Okay, climbed the ridge. And on Solvay, the helmet from the Ukrainians remained. ”
And we climbed up the ridge.
Soon the bulk of us caught up. It was like a cloud of locusts flew through us. From above, from below, people climbed along parallel shelves. A girl with a small backpack walked next to me, a guide led her on a short rope. Her breathing was even and serene, as if she were strolling across the plain, and not rushing after a guide.
“She’s completely without a backpack,” Dima explained. He always finds a convincing reason for someone else's superiority.
It is interesting that all the climbers were dressed in Marmot clothing. One girl correctly noted: "Army of marmots".
Numerous climbers on the slope of the Matterhorn
Began vertical railings, which had to stand in line. And Solvey's hut appeared above - very unexpectedly, a house appeared on the very edge of the abyss, and my heart was filled with joy.
Last rope to Solvay's hut
Solvay Hut (Ernest Solvay is a Belgian climber who financed the creation of an emergency hut on the edge of the Matterhorn)
Near the hut we met Masha, she was just adjusting her foot to a high hold, preparing to climb the rock. Sasha has already gone upstairs.
We entered the hut. It was 8-30, i.e. time is an indicator of whether the group manages to climb the mountain in a day or there is a possibility of an emergency overnight stay. It turned out that we were on the verge.
They searched the entire hut, but the helmet left by the Ukrainians was not found. Someone has already picked it up.
We sat at the table.
“Well, it’s clear why I forgot my helmet, right? Dima asked under our condemning eyes. - I put a flashlight on my hat, but I thought that I was already wearing a helmet. All because of the flashlight.
Finally, he waved his hand: - Okay, climbed further.
We decided to lighten the backpacks and left some of the supposedly unnecessary things in a bag in the hut.
When we lined up for the railing, we found ourselves in the rearguard of the flying detachment of climbers. In addition, after Solvay, part of the people turned back.
If in the first part we mostly climbed at the same time, then in the second part there were a lot of railings. On the railing, the speed of the troika drops sharply, and we slowly but surely moved away to the very end.
Railing above Solvay's hut
Meanwhile, those who had already descended to the top were pouring down from above and were now running back to the hut. Particularly nimble (including guides) usually descend to Zermatt on the same day, and do not spend the night on Hörnli.
Therefore, on the railing now had to wait for someone to come down from above.
The rocks ended, the ice began, covered with snow. They put on crampons and climbed the ice-rocky slope. Dima reproached me for climbing slowly.
Ice-rocky slope
On one steep section, in addition to the cable, a chain was hung. And in one of the rings of this chain I got a cat's tooth jammed. Here it is stuck tightly, and nowhere. With one hand I hung on the rope, with the other I tried to free myself from the chain, and from above, right above me, I heard Dimka talking to Masha and Sasha, who were already walking down from the top.
Finally, the damn chain let me go, I climbed out to my comrades on the shelf.
Sasha said that it was not far to the top. But I, feeling guilty that I was slowing down so much, said that I would probably go down with them. It is clear that the three of us are slowly climbing, and even to the intermediate Solvay we will have to go down already in the dark.
Tanya climbed onto the shelf (against my background - lightning fast).
“What are you talking about, Len,” she said, “you simply won’t have another chance.” You will never forgive yourself.
Thus, easily and without a doubt, Tanya signed up for night rappels, for slow progress, waiting on the railing. Removed, so to speak, the moral burden from my soul. And I went further.
Another group was walking right in front of us, then it disappeared somewhere. At some point, we were alone. We climbed a snowy shoulder and I suddenly saw a black statue of Saint Bernard standing in the snow. This meant that we were almost at the top.
St. Bernard and Dima going to the top
Dima came out on a narrow presummit ridge. In the snow, along the top of the ridge, a path trodden by numerous today's visitors to the peak stretched. Nami mountain ended today's reception of visitors, and we were completely alone at the top.
It was a moment of blinding happiness. We stood at the highest point of the most beautiful peak. Beneath us on the Italian side was a green valley with lakes, houses of Cervinia clustered below, and Dimka and I even made out the house in which we rented an apartment a couple of years ago when we skied here. On the other side, the Valais gorge went north with Zermatt at the head. Oh, it's a pity there is no paraglider to push off from the top and glide slowly over the valley, descending little by little, and land right in front of our camping tent. And there soon Sasha and Masha would have come up.
We start the descent
It was two in the afternoon. We started the descent, and after a while, already on the rocks, we overtook a group of five guys who turned out to be Spaniards, and they did not understand a word of English. At some point, we even helped them out - their rappel rope jammed, Dimka lowered himself and freed her.
And so, rappel after rappel, we moved down lower and lower. We had one rope, so we rappelled 25 meters, and somewhere we went down by free climbing. But with the onset of darkness, they switched only to the rappel.
And everything went smoothly and calmly. Everyone did their job. "Choose - Secure - On self-belay - Belay is ready - Dulfer is free - Understood ..." Spaniards were swarming somewhere below us, their flashlights were visible in the darkness, their voices flew.
The night was warm and windless. The full moon hung over the mountains, its light reflecting off the lakes in dazzling spotlights. The black contour of the mountains stretched into the distance, and at the station under the Klein Matterhorn a lonely window shone. Below, in the depths of the valley, the multi-colored lights of Zermatt sparkled like a scattering of precious stones. One thing I regretted - it was not possible to capture this solemn, sad beauty.
And a royal gift was waiting for us - Tanya found a bottle of water, half full, among the stones. I found it and even put it in my bosom - to warm it for our arrival. But we drank it and under-warmed perfectly. It was carbonated, deliciously delicious, fizzy, and each sip poured through the body with spicy pleasure.
Our Spaniards have already broken away from us - yet they had three 60-meter ropes. We all drove and drove. Tanya descended 25 meters, searched for the station (the large surface of the Matterhorn was pierced with bolts), received me, I let Tanya out and accepted Dimka if he descended by climbing, or we waited for Dima and pulled through the rappel.
At some point, Tanya said: - Some kind of someone else's rope is hanging. I will follow her.
Indeed, a rope went down from the station. In vain we tried to convince Tanya not to use it - she sat on the rappel and slipped into the darkness.
Nothing was heard for a long time. Finally, a faint cry came from somewhere in the distance. What emotions he expressed, it was not entirely clear. It seemed to me in this cry the word "Everything!"
- Maybe already Solvay? I asked Dima.
I sat on the same rope and went down. Surfaces and folds of rocks floated in front of the beam of my flashlight, legs pushed off the stone, push, jump, push, jump.
Finally, under me, I saw Tanya.
And now I land on the shelf next to her.
Around - all the same rocks. And no Solvay. We are alone among the stone walls.
I asked anyway: “Where is the hut?”
Tanya waved around the corner. I looked out over the rock and saw a house clinging to the rock, and the Spaniards in front of the entrance.
It turned out that they left us their long rope so that we could immediately move down to Solvay.
We received Dima, pulled on the rope and, joyful, tumbled into the hut.
In addition to the Spaniards, there were still people there, all the beds were filled. But they cleared the back room for us. We decided to have a cup of tea first.
Ice for tea was found only on the roof of the hut. And it had to be mined with the help of an ice tool. Dima climbed onto the roof and beat off pieces of ice, and I caught them in a bag from below.
After filling the bag with full ice, we returned to the house. All the guests woke up - somehow we did not think how hammering on the corrugated roof with a hammer would be given inside the hut.
We drank tea, lay down and woke up only at 7 am from the voices of climbers who had already come up from below.
The weather continued to spoil us. Coming out onto the porch of our high mountain shelter, we saw mountains bathed in the morning sun and a string of new climbers.
New climbers
Morning at the hut
After drinking tea, we went downstairs.
Again the queue for the railing - who is up, who is down
rappel
And we descended slowly, so that soon guides with clients going down began to catch up with us - first from the Solvay hut, then from the top. And it was very helpful - when we reached the shelves of the eastern slope of the mountain, it was sometimes difficult to understand the complex web of moves. And now you are standing like a knight at a crossroads, and you don’t know which shelf to go on, and then the guide overtakes you and, without hesitation, darts into some crack that you didn’t even consider. Well, you follow the guide, and, indeed, you immediately find yourself on a clearly trodden path, on a wide ledge. One problem - the guides quickly ran ahead. And here you are again standing at a crossroads ...
In general, several times we had such tips during the descent, which reduced the time of wandering along the slope. They say there are many wandering around.
On the shelf
Hernley hut is close at hand
And now, it seems, the Hernley hut is quite close, and Sasha and Masha are waving their hands at us.
— Is there tea? we shout together.
Under our screams, Sasha runs to the hut to buy water, and Masha films the process of descent.
And here is our trinity - the next conquerors of the Matterhorn - posing at the foot of the Matterhorn.
Then there was food, tea, fees and descent to the Schwarzsee. The lift worked until 16-45, and we arrived in time 10 minutes before closing.
At the campsite, we washed up, changed clothes and went to celebrate a successful ascent in the cafe "At the bridge", where we chose various national cuisine specialties, such as rosti, raclette and fondue. All these dishes were variations on the theme of potatoes with cheese (for fondue, they also brought a bowl of jacket potatoes). Cheese and potato abundance with a jug of local wine cost us 50 euros per spout.
Well-deserved rest: Rothorn with lakes and Zion
The next day was listed as a reserve in case of bad weather, and, therefore, was completely given over to rest.
Masha and I have already used an extra day of unlimited travel in Switzerland (for a trip to Thun and Bern), the rest wanted to use it too. But on the eve of the travel route was not chosen.
In the morning, for some reason, I woke up early.
“Something like milk,” I said.
Dimka also wanted to eat something.
Literally right there, we heard the cheerful voice of Sasha, who had already come running from the store with a full package of goodies, including milk and cappuccino. Yes, I even managed to run into the tourism office and ask where it is better to go for a day. The girl in the office said that the closest town to see was the city of Sion, the capital of the canton of Valais.
Well, Zion is so Zion! Everyone began to dress like a city. I said that today I will walk around Zermatt, and in the evening I will go to the final concert of the music festival.
The guys left. I walked around Zermatt, went to the English Church, then went to the Rothorn station and went upstairs. Our camping neighbor praised the five lakes route that started from that lift. That's what I wanted to go through. I looked at two lakes from afar, and passed through three. It was beautiful.
Back in Zermatt, I had a quick bite of beer and cheese and ran to the closing of the festival. The concert took place in the Zermatterhof hall, the most luxurious hotel in Zermatt.
When I, excited, just from the mountains, flew into the hall, I found that the hall was filled with ladies in evening dresses and men in suits, and not at all the mountaineers, so familiar to Zermatt. To be honest, I was embarrassed by this circumstance and did not know what to do better: whether to take off the polar and stay in a T-shirt or sit in the polar, on which fluff from a puff stuck in some places.
And so, I really liked the concert!
Involved in the beautiful, in high spirits, I returned to the campsite and met Sasha, who said that Tanya had left her favorite down jacket in the upper hut and were very grieving about this. Apparently, the virus of Dima's pathological forgetfulness was partly transmitted to the meticulously collected Tanya.
Indeed, at the campsite we found the rest of the company in some mourning. The three of them sat around the table in a huff.
I told about my walk and the concert. Dima, in response, described how they saw the sights of the city of Zion and the air show that took place over the city. We did not have time to cover all the sights, because for a very long time we took pictures of everything in our path.
Lausanne for a snack
In the morning we packed up camp and took the train towards Geneva. At first we were going to stop in Montreux and take a walk there, then in Lausanne and arrive in Geneva in the evening. But then we realized that we really have time to see only one city. We chose Lausanne.
In Lausanne at the train station, we stuffed our numerous backpacks into the cells of automatic lockers and went out into the city.
Our many backpacks and rucksacks
The city was flooded with sun and looked idle and serene, like all southern resort towns.
We reached Notre Dame, from the tower of which a view of the whole of Lausanne, Lake Geneva and the snowy peaks beyond it was opened. At the foot of the cathedral stood a building with a sign "Mudac" - the Museum of Lausanne. Usually it pleases Russian-speaking tourists very much, in any case it is present in all photographs of Lausanne.
An organist played in the cathedral itself, and the organ stood right in the hall, and not somewhere in the choirs.
After the meeting, we split up. Dimka and I decided to purposefully go to the sights, our friends said that they would wander around the city without a plan, where they please.
And so, on the map, we reached the castle of Saint-Marie.
Then through Ryumin's palace they went down to the level below. The palace was built in the style of the Florentine neo-Renaissance, and looks very representative both inside and outside. Now there are four museums in the palace: arts, geology, archeology and history, zoology. We were flattered that the most beautiful building in Lausanne was built with the money of immigrants from Russia.
Ryumin Palace outside
We took the funny Lausanne metro to Lake Geneva, walked along the park embankment, past the port with snow-white ships, past gracefully gliding swans.
We ate at the cafe. The Olympic Museum was approaching closing time. Lausanne is home to the Olympic Committee and the Olympic Museum is considered one of Lausanne's landmarks. Unfortunately, we were late to the museum, but we walked with pleasure in the park in front of the museum with amusing sculptures set among trimmed boxwoods and flower beds.
In the evening at the station we met with our comrades. They said that they decided to go straight to the lake, followed the map by the shortest route, and ended up in some kind of Arab quarter. In general, after spending half a day in the city, we got completely different impressions of Lausanne. Dima and I found it attractive and rather interesting, our friends found it boring and disgusting.
By train, we arrived at Geneva airport, where we checked in for the flight and checked in our backpacks as luggage. It is very convenient that you can check in your luggage for the flight a day before, and not just before departure.
For our last night in Geneva, we had an apartment booked. There we had dinner, celebrated the end of our wonderful holiday. And the next morning Swiss Airlines flew to Moscow.
Thus ended our stay in Switzerland, short but eventful. Tanya, of course, was disappointed that the Monte Rosa traverse could not be passed to the end. However, the main goal of our event - climbing the Matterhorn - was achieved, so it seems that everything turned out perfectly!
Videos for the story
1. Riffelhorn
3. Orchestra rehearsal in the church
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