In awe of the Matterhorn and nature’s pristine beauty
The Matterhorn in all its glory against a bright blue sky
It’s the dawn of a new day in June. We had gathered in the balcony of our Airbnb to watch the rising light of the sun on the Matterhorn. Against the brilliant blue sky, the sun-lit crest of Switzerland’s highest mountain shimmers like a gem. When the sun aligns perfectly with the summit, this rare sight is unbelievably beautiful. The snowy peak of Mt Matterhorn, sharp against the horizon, grows indigo, then gold before retreating behind a curtain of white cloud. Pristine and starkly beautiful, it appears from afar.
Excited and to see the Matterhorn up close, we had a quick breakfast and headed to the rail station to catch the cog-wheel train to Gornergrat. It was yet dark outside and a little chilly. By the time the sky lightened, we had joined the mob of tourists, all like us covered in polar fleece and heavy coats. The communal experience of being in the train, half way up the mountain, gazing out at the entire villages below and high mountains above was a breathtaking experience. With cameras in hand, everyone was on their toes, eyes wide open, gawking at the surrounding mountains. This is what we had come for, to see the world-renowned mountains in their full glory.
In the bright June light and mountain shadow – the steep foothills are closing in as the valley narrows and the snow peaks to the north are no longer seen. Across the meadow down below, we see more crests of the high hills and a vast blue sky. In dry sunshine and cool breeze down from the mountains, a few black and white cows are grazing lazily.
We marvel at the ingenuity of the Swiss as the train goes past the small settlement spotted with Swiss chalets with red roofs. They have built dwellings on the slopes of mountains and where there is grass they rear sheep and cattle. How do the sheep hold on to the sloping hills? Don’t they roll down?
On the cog-rail ride from Zermatt to Gornergrat, Matterhorn appears and disappears among the tall pines as the train climbs on, ever so slowly, stopping at several stations to let off tourists who wished to walk up to Gornergrat. We stayed on. As soon as it stopped at our destination we got off quickly. It was mid-morning, the sun had melted the cool air and we walked in the cool breeze – a luminous mountain morning, a light mist and shafts of sunlight; a grand view of the Roof of Europe.
The silence was broken by the footsteps of tourists. “On clear days you can see as far as Northern Italy,” I heard a voice behind me. On most days the mountain is obscured by fog. We all stood transfixed by this unbelievable sight. The upper flanks of the great Matterhorn- 14,692 feet high are a brilliant white from last winter’s snowfall. Though it is not the highest point in Europe (Mt Blanc, height 15,781’) Matterhorn, because of its very distinct shape, has come to be identified as Switzerland’s national symbol.
We walked on the path below the train station to the area beneath. This is what trailing in the Swiss Alps means- steeply up and steeply down. The down is hard on legs and feet, while we feel stress at the knees and our feet sinking into the toes of the hiking boots. We feel early signs of blisters; our eyes on the ground, alert for sticks and stones. We are awe-struck by the whiteness of the surroundings, of the immensity of the glaciers.
There is a hotel on top of the mountain and we slowly climbed the few steps. We sat on the balcony to enjoy a hot chocolate. It was cold up there; the icy winds come with the territory at the top of Europe’s roof. Anyone who ventures into the Roof of Europe should come prepared to face the elements. Para-Gliders and helicopter riders were enjoying the view of Matterhorn from the air. While we were there a helicopter dropped some tourists at the rail station and flew down zooming past us. It was a scary spectacle, but the view from the air must be stupendous.
The previous day, we had arrived in Zermatt from Visp in a cog-wheeled train. The train had chugged along slowly for the gradation is steep. It took one and half hours to reach our destination though the distance is just thirty miles. On the way, there were huge boulders fallen from the mountains lining the railway track. They were either round or oval in shape, showing years of wearing away by the snow and flowing water. Barriers have been built to stop boulders from falling over the railway. The melting snow from the mountain peaks brings in ice-cold water that runs alongside the railway and there are quite a few frothy waterfalls; here the water falls ever so gently- there is no force.
Switzerland’s rolling countryside. Pix by Ruwan de Silva
Every mountain peak displays a glistening lining of snow- even as late as June- bringing beauty to the cone-shaped mountains. Snow-capped peaks of a distant mountain peeking in between nearer mountains are a delight to the eye. The meadows that we passed were full of wild flowers blowing in the wind- red, blue, yellow and white. The yellow- the dandelions- grow freely everywhere. The Swiss bank note depicts a picture of this wild flower, perhaps in appreciation of the charm it adds to the countryside. There were plenty of butterflies flying from flower to flower, pollinating them making sure that the wild flowers will be there forever. The pines grow heavenwards, in between rocks and wherever they can find some earth to hold on to. Here and there we see a little stand depicting religious symbols, maybe asking God to save the mountains for generations to come. The railway bends west around a small mountain, then climbs towards Zermatt. A meadow comes into our view, surrounded by Swiss chalets. Black and white cows, goats and sheep are grazing freely, lazily. We hear the noise of a helicopter bringing provisions for the settlers from nearby towns. From inside the train you look up, you see the high mountains; you look down and you see the steep cliffs.
Zermatt is a resort town located at the border between Southern Switzerland and Northern Italy. It very well caters to the needs of the nature lovers. There are many hotels and plenty of houses and apartments to get as Airbnb rentals. You can buy whatever you need from the little boutiques- from shoes, to clothing to chocolates. There are well-equipped grocery stores, Coop and Migros that the Airbnb renters may find useful. From the balcony of our Airbnb we had a glorious view of the little town and the mountains. There is a hotel named Edelweiss at the top of a mountain behind our Airbnb that some of us wanted to see. The mountain was steep but there are clear steps leading to it. Helicopters carry tourists and provisions to these high places.
In 1865, the first English expedition led by Edward Whymper had reached the top of Matterhorn but the climbers could not make the return trip. There is a small well-kept cemetery in the middle of the town for those who had died attempting to conquer the Roof of Europe; a well-thought-of gesture for they would have liked no other place than Zermatt to be their resting place.