Tour of the Matterhorn

Ascent: 1,248 m | Descent: 1,361m | Distance: 13.2 KM

After breakfast, we’ll get an early start from Zermatt by taking a short walk to the train station and jump on the train to St. Niklaus, putting the Matterhorn behind us. It’s a short train ride down the valley before jumping onto the Jungen cable car to climb up to our trailhead. We’ll be circling the Matterhorn in an anticlockwise loop, starting first in Switzerland along the east, north, and western regions and completing our loop along the Italian northern circuit. Our path for today begins with a gradual ascent between the Schwarzhorn and Steitalhorn summits. The trail follows a gradual climbing trajectory above the alpine forests and into the drier low grass areas that are common above 2000 meters. We’ll follow the trail as it turns around the mountain shoulder and enters a valley dissected by a small stream. The stream is formed from the melting snow on the nearby summits and along the mountain pass. The trail then follows the stream until it thins out completely and disappears. The disappearance of the stream coincides with our arrival at the mountain pass, our high point for the day. Depending on the wind at the pass, we may either have lunch there or a little further down in the valley where it is better protected from the elements. The descending trail begins with a combination of rocky and dry soil pathways that eventually give way to short grass vegetation. We’ll be traversing along the north side of the Matterhorn-Weisshorn range as we slowly make our way down to the remote town of Gruben, the last Swiss-German speaking town we’ll visit before returning to Zermatt at the end of the trail. The last few switchbacks to the town are inside a deep alpine forest, bringing new charm to an already epic trail. We’ll be spending the night at our accommodation in Gruben where a team dinner will also be served upon arrival.

Ascent: 840m | Descent: 1,576m | Distance: 15.3 KM

Waking up in beautiful Gruben, we’ll take a taxi to our next trailhead at the Lac de Moiry and hike in the direction of Evolene, a beautiful mountain town in the mystical Val d’Herens. Unlike previous days, the uphill isn’t as demanding. We’ll depart from the lake in a westerly direction as we gradually ascend past the smaller Lac des Autannes and reach the mountain pass above the valley. From there, we’ll begin descending along a series of switchbacks on a steep rocky trail that eventually widens on wide grasslands and becomes much more enjoyable. The towns of the valley will come into view quite quickly as we slowly approach the tree line. It’s possible to see the Ferpecle glacier on our left side and the Aiguilles Rouge D’Arolla straight ahead of us. Upon arrival in Evolene, we’ll jump on a local bus for a short ride to Arolla, the last town in the valley. The views in the town are dominated by the Mont Collon, a gigantic 3,000-meter summit that splits the valley and looks like it’s holding the glaciers from rolling down the valley. We’ll be spending a night in the town at our accommodation where dinner will also be served.

Ascent: 1,108m | Descent: 110m | Distance: 10.4 KM

Our 4th day together is one of the most spectacular when it comes to just how wild our environment becomes. We’ll depart from the town of Arolla in the direction of the dominating Mont Collon. The trail begins with a crossing of the Arolla River formed by the Arolla glaciers above. The ascent begins gradually along the valley slopes before eventually starting to switch back over some of the steeper sections. We eventually reach a grassy plateau known as the Plan de Bertol with the Haut Glacier d’Arolla straight ahead. The glacier is exactly where we’re heading as the dry trail starts to give way to the flat ice. During some months of the year, it may be necessary to use light crampons on our trekking boots. We’ll provide those to you if they are necessary. Once on the glacier, we’ll set our trajectory towards the south. The ridge line ahead of us is the natural border with Italy. The Matterhorn is not immediately to our left-hand side, although it is shielded from view by gigantic walls of the Petit Bouquetin. We’ll stop for lunch along the glacier before starting our short climb to the remote Refuge des Bouquetins, an alpine mountaineering refuge used by climbers to summit the nearby mountains. This cabin is very well kept but is unguarded. This means there is no restaurant or full-time staff here like in the other mountain huts. We’ll be cooking our own meals for the evening, which is very much part of the experience. Team members will be able to assist your LHO Team Leader and guide in preparing our dinner for tonight and our packed lunches for the following day together. This is one of the most spectacular nights spent on this trail.

Ascent: 289m | Descent: 1,205m | Distance: 9.9 KM

After breakfast, we’ll bid farewell to Switzerland and head out along the glacier once again in the direction of the Col de L’Eveque. This is one of the most famous mountain passes in the Alps and forms part of the famous Haute Route skiing and mountaineering traverse from Chamonix to Zermatt. We will be sticking to the dry trail for the most part and keeping the glacier to our right as we ascend to the Col Collon. Reaching the Col from the refuge is visually impressive but physically not as demanding as some of the ascents we’ve already done. At the top, we’ll be flanked by the Eveque summit to our right and the open expanse of the Italian Vallee d’Aosta straight ahead. We’ll descend the col to the Nacamuli Alpine Refuge where we’ll stop to have our picnics and have access to their bar if we’d like to purchase some warm beverages. From there, the trail begins a gradual descent before connecting to a series of sharp switchbacks along a short but steep section. We’ll come to a junction of multiple streams that start to form a wider river. From the junction onwards, the descending trail is much more gradual. The deep valley eventually opens up to a wider perpendicular valley known as the Valpelline Valley, our home for the night. We are now on the Italian side of the Matterhorn. Here it’s called Cervino! Our night will be spent at a refuge on the spectacular Lac de Places de Moulin at the end of the Valpelline Valley.

Ascent: 1,119 | Descent: 1,618m | Distance: 14.7 KM

Our last full trekking day is arguably the most challenging. Thankfully, we would be well acclimatized by now with solid mountain legs to carry us the last stretch of the way. We’ll begin the trail early with an ascent to Lago Del Dragone. This section of the trail begins gradually through a small forest before following a series of streams that cut through the valley. As we approach the Dome du Tsan glacier, the trail turns left and begins climbing sharply along a series of rocky pathways. It’s very common to find snow here even in the late season because this side of the valley is shielded from the sun. Reaching the mountain pass is demanding and requires a consistent and steady pace but once we’re there, rest assured that it’s only downhill for the rest of this adventure. The views of the Vallee d’Aosta are spectacular with the possibility of seeing the southwest side of the Monte Rosa and the north side of the Gran Paradiso, not to mention the south face of the Cervino (Matterhorn). From the col, we’ll begin our gradual descent to Valtournenche. We’ll pass the Rifugio Perucca Vuillermoz as we move away from the glaciers and snow passes at the top. During some months, it may be possible to stop for a warm beverage if they are open. Otherwise, we’ll continue to lower altitude where it is warmer, and our picnic lunch will be more enjoyable. The trail passes a series of glacier lakes before reaching the warmer grasslands below. We’ll walk next to the artificially formed Cignana Lake before re-entering the forests of the lower altitude environment, the last part of the trek. We’ll land in a picturesque town on the south side of the Matterhorn known as Valtournenche. Remember, in this valley the Matterhorn goes by the local name Cervino, and the townspeople won’t let you forget it! Our evening and well-deserved dinner will be spent at a hotel in the town.

After days of walking along challenging terrain, today is a day to sit back, relax, and enjoy the paradise that is the Matterhorn (Cervino) region. We’ll be dropped off by bus at the Glacier Paradise cable station in the purpose-built resort town of Cervinia. From there, we’ll board a series of three cable cars to Testa Grigia, the highest accessible area on the Italian side of the Matterhorn. From there, we’ll have our last coffee in Italy at the Refugio Guide del Cervino before boarding the Swiss cable to the Klein Matterhorn at 3,883 meters, our highest reachable altitude of the trip and the highest cable car station in the Alps. Weather permitting, we’ll be able to see the Matterhorn from the south, west, and north sides as we traverse the cable cars of the Glacier Paradise ski area. We’ll take a pause at the Klein Matterhorn to visit the glacier museum and see the Matterhorn from the deck of the highest cable station in Europe. Once the cold starts to bite, we’ll start descending via a series of cables that lead us back to where we started: Zermatt!

For the very motivated among us, it is possible to exit the cable car at Furi and do the last stretch through the forest on foot. It’s entirely optional, as the path here is well-marked, and individuals can choose to walk it alone if they want. For the rest of us, it’s cables all the way down and a straight line to the shower! We’ll be spending our last night together in Zermatt at our hotel. Your LHO Team Leader and local guide will be hosting a farewell team dinner at a restaurant in the town. The last round of drinks is on us!

Our final day together will be dedicated to airport transfers and farewells. Breakfast is included on this day. Please make sure that you provide us with the correct departure details when you fill out your Team Details Form prior to your adventure. If your itinerary has changed, please inform your Team Leader as early as possible for arrangements to be made.