Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Breaking my tradition of waking up at sunset, eating an egg & cheese bagel sandwich and heading straight to the slopes for first chair; I slept in today. I rolled out of bed just in time to miss free breakfast at the hotel, and settled for hot tea and some cereal bars. I caught the gondola that starts just at the edge of town, which then climbs several thousand feet above Zermatt. Every sign along the way to the summit was crowded with messages in German, French, Italian and English. The cacophony from fellow skiers gearing up were there to match. It was lingual chaos, but everyone seemed to manage.

From Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

The scenery at mid-mountain was surreal: A winter wonderland of snowy mountains. I could only guess what was waiting for me at the highest point in the park. I spent 15 minutes at the first station just absorbing... and of course shooting photos like a madman. The slopes were "corn" - not the sexy powder that any snowboarder wishes for, but at least it wasn't east-coast ice. I eventually found my way to the mega-gondola, which rose above everything in the park to the area called "Matterhorn Glacier Paradise", and which resembled a diner-sized box on ropes that carried perhaps 30-40 people at a time. At its end, the gondola interfaces with a promontory that stands in the shadow of another "mount-strosity" called Breithorn. To get to the slopes, you walk through a man-made tunnel that runs through the peak. Optionally, there's an elevator that goes to an observation deck that offers a 360' view of snow and mountains.


There was a small group of mountaineers walking up the treacherous slopes of Breithorn. One of them appeared to have a snowboard strapped to their backpack. It must not have been windy because snowboards act like sails in high-wind and could probably knock you off your feet.

The scenery aside, the slopes I rode for the first few hours were underwhelming. Most of the off-piste (ungroomed) trails which offered the best powder and steeps were closed from access. Instead I dealt with flat so-called "intermediate" trails. It wasn't until I made my descent from mid-mountain back to town that I found a trail marked "Expert Skiers Only". I waited for a few snowboarders to take the trail before I followed - making sure mile-upon-mile of mogul fields did not await me. This trail turned out to be the best run of the day.

No McDonald's for dinner tonight, but no fancy restaurants either. I filled up on street food - crepes and sausage with bread - before calling it a night at the hotel.

Today's Expenses

• 75.78 USD - Zermatt All-Mountain Ski Pass


• 92.40 CHF - Premium Snowboard Rental with helmet


• 12.80 CHF - Over-priced Minestrone di Franco soup and hot tea


• 7.00 CHF - Apfelmus Crepes


• 8.00 CHF - Bratwurst und bröt from street vendor

Voyage a Zermatt

Zermatt, Switzerland

After taking care of some early business in Geneva, I hopped aboard the InterRegio line from Geneva to the town of Visp, which connects to Matterhorn Gotthard line to Zermatt. The whole trip endured 4 hours, but 1st class seating (a luxury I picked up on my trip to Japan) made it pleasant and the ride between Visp and Zermatt was the prettiest. The train shimmied along the narrow edges of cliffs, looked down precipitous gorges, cross rickety bridges, passed tunnels and caterpillar'ed its way through glacial valleys where steep mountains flanked it on both sides. The train car had super wide and high windows that facilitated viewing the alpine panoramas. This train clung to narrow-gauge tracks that you would more likely expect to see on kiddie trains at small amusement parks.

From Zermatt, Switzerland

I checked into Hotel Allalin, which Travelocity made it appear like an overpriced Best Western (no offense - I stay at BW's quite often on the road), but it proved to be a 4-star hotel just off the main drag of Zermatt. I was greeted with a bubbling glass of white wine at reception, gourmet snackage in the lounge, and hand-crafted chocolate in my room. It was expensive, but well worth the views and the comfort. The only downer was the reception lady during the evening shift who seemed to dislike either snowboarders or foreigners - because she did not give me nice looks when I returned to the hotel after dinner. I had been in Zermatt for almost 2 hours before I noticed the Matterhorn was just within view of the hotel.

Oh yes, and McDonald's was on the menu for dinner. Americans, don't shudder - this was the classiest McDonald's I've ever been to. Although it cost 20.00 CHF, I ordered tiger shrimp cocktail, a panini-like version of a hamburger, and Fanta. You can be assured, however, that their recipe for fries has not changed.

Today's Expenses:

• 153.00 CHF - 1st class one way train ticket from Geneva Airport to Zermatt


• 25.00 CHF - snackage


• 82.00 CHF - souvenirs (8 keychains and 1 t-shirt)


• 20.00 CHF - McDonald's for dinner