Fall is here in full force. It starts in the mountains and seeps down into the valleys. Saturday we walked to the Gumligen train station under twinkling stars. The trip to Zermatt takes 2.5 hours and we wanted to spend as much time there as possible. On arriving, however, we were so cold we ducked into a café and had a 2nd breakfast instead of getting onto the trail.
Bahnhofstrasse in Zermatt
Stoked on eggs and croissants, we found our way to the Sunnegga Express. We didn’t know exactly what to expect: gondola, funicular, train? True to Swiss custom, they have hollowed out a tunnel through rock from Zermatt to a spot on the Unterrothorn (every hill has a name), 600 meters higher up. The entire ride is through rock! http://www.funimag.com/suisse/sunnegga01.htm
From Sunnegga we followed a trail, climbing another 300 meters to the Stellinsee, then gradually down to the Grinjisee and the Gruensee. (See means lake.) Almost always the Matterhorn was in view.
The hike from Sunegga begins with this view of the Matterhorn
Jon and the Matterhorn
The Matterhorn reflected in the Stellinsee
Our timing was perfect: the masses of larch are golden right now at that altitude. At times when a breeze came up, we were even ‘snowed’ on by tiny larch needles.
We lunched in the sun on rocks by the Grinjisee.
This lake looked "Gruen" (green) as jade from above though not so close up.
As the path descends, you enter a forest dominated by the now golden larch.
I usually prefer biking to hiking because the view changes faster. This day I was continuously entertained. Every few steps, the perspective changed. The variety of landscape within the 17 km we hiked was amazing. Fall colors, lake reflections, soft-seeming snow-covered glaciers and the ground gray rubble where they’ve retreated, the sheer magnitude of solid rock jutting skyward: it’s all jaw-dropping!
Glaciers look soft in the distance
Retreating glaciers leave a huge crushed rubble trail. The lines are for a winter cable car for skiers.