Shots from the ascent below.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Graechen and Depart from the Mattertal
We chose to start the Tour of the Matterhorn not from Zermatt, but from St. Niklaus at the head of the Matterhorn Valley. We stayed in the town of Graechen the night before the hike.
From Graechen on the east side of the valley you can look across to where the Tour of Matterhorn hike goes on the west side of the valley.
Shots from the ascent below.
Shots from the ascent below.
Day 1: Augstbordpass and Descent
The weather was cold and raining on the first day of the hike, on the climb up from St. Niklaus/1,400 meters to the Augstbordpass/2,900 meters. Lots of snow, slopes and rocks; footing not great. Cold.
Better photos from long descent into Turtmantal, through alpine meadows filled with rocks.
Better photos from long descent into Turtmantal, through alpine meadows filled with rocks.
Day 2: Gruben-Meiden up to Meidpass
Today we started at about 1,700 meters in Gruben-Meiden in Turtmantal and climbed to 2,800 meters at the Meidpass. The first part of the hike was in larch forest, with wildflowers like the Early Purple Orchid, Orchis macula. After alp meadow, seen under the Meidhorn peak in the third photo, vegetation ends and the last few hundred meter climb is in rock and snow fields with little vegetation.
Day 2: Meidpass at 2,800 meters and down to Zinal
From the col/pass below to the town of Zinal is a very long 15 km downhill stretch.
The shape of seedheads from Yellow Alpine Pasqueflower above (Pulsatilla apiifolia) echo the shapes of the much larger boulders and talus below.
Day 3: Zinal over Col de Sorebois
A sunny morning in Zinal starts us climbing through forest. Above treeline, the slope is covered with ski lifts and pistes. The Col de Sorebois is 2,900 meters, with alpine cows grazing in the meadows above the Lake of Moiry.
The slopes are covered with ski lifts and snow blowers.
Below, just below the pass.
At the col (or pass) below, 2,900 meters, the Lake de Moiry is visible: destination.
To the left, the Black Vanilla Orchid,
Nigritella nigra.
Day 4: Barrage de Moiry (2,200 meters) up
The Barrage de Moiry is one of a number of very large dam systems that Switzerland has built in upper alpine valleys, to produce electricity and reduce flooding. This dam was built in 1958 after 4 years of construction by 1,200 workers.
Day 4: Col de Torrent (2,900 meters); View from the top and to 2,500 meters
View from the top of the pass looking west.
The view below looks southwest into the Val d'Herens. the destination of Les Hauderes, and the Val d'Arolla branching off to the right.
Looking south, our first view of the Matterhorn and high passes into Italy.
On this 2,500 meter high plateau, hang gliders take off into the wind.
Mountain guide Clive asks Alan, "Didn't we meet on the GR 5 in France last year?"
Clive was right!
Clive Roberts of http://www.wildernesstravel.com
Day 4: Down to Les Hauderes; Alphorn Festival
This part of the descent was 'only' from 2,500 meters down to 1,600 meters.
Below, looking south toward Col Collon and Tete Blanche, and the pass into Italy.
Below, looking south toward Col Collon and Tete Blanche, and the pass into Italy.
Les Hauderes, site of an alphorn festival, preparing for Swiss National Holiday Aug 1.
Day 5: Leaving Arolla with a Guide
Through hiking contacts, we found mountain guide Josette Valloton of Arolla, Switzerland to get us across the Glacier of Arolla and up to the Col Collon.
The glacier shown in the third picture is not the one which we crossed.
The last picture shows Josette taking Alan onto the High Glacier, which appears like a rocky ridge because it has so much talus on the top.
Day 5: To the Col de Collon (3,100 meters) over the Arolla Glacier
The Haut/High Glacier of Arolla is very rocky, flat, and easy to cross.
We were glad to be roped to guide Josette Valloton, even though for her it was a morning stroll.
We roped up when crossing the icy portions, which can have crevasses, right.
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