Zermatt Magazin 2024

Hiking | Zermatt Magazin
17
THE ALTERNATIVE
ATHLETIC
MATTERHORN TRAIL
As close as it gets to the Matterhorn on a hike – that's the claim of
the Athletic Matterhorn Trail (29b). It earns the athletic label as a
more challenging alternative to the standard Matterhorn Trail route,
featuring an extra loop with an additional incline.
The Athletic Matterhorn Trail passes
below the north face, with the vertical
wall looming over the path for almost
three and a half kilometres. Quite literally,
you are hiking at the foot of the Matterhorn.
Along the hiking trail through
the breathtakingly beautiful Stafelalp
landscape, there is a choice of places to
stop for food and refreshments.
The trail starts at the Schwarzsee station,
2583 metres above sea level. From
there the path takes you almost 400
metres up to the Hirligrat almost as far
as the Hörnlihütte. Just before reaching
the hut, the path turns off towards
Stafelalp. However, if you always wanted
to know what the refuge looks like
where the daring conquerors of the
Matterhorn spend the night before their
climb, then you should definitely take
the detour up to the Hörnlihütte.
For Alpine climbers, this is the starting
point for ascending the Matterhorn.
Located at 3260 metres above sea level,
the restaurant serves hot meals from 11
a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, seven days a
week. Using a telescope on the terrace,
you can pick out climbers making their
way up the Matterhorn.
At Stafelalp there is another foodie
highlight: the mountain restaurant welcomes
hikers here at 2200 metres above
sea level. Directly under the north face
of the Matterhorn, the Stafelalp mountain
restaurant serves traditional Swiss
cake with a fusion twist. The restaurant
is open from 9 a.m. in the morning, and
food is served from 11.30 a.m. until 4
p.m. in bad weather the Stafelalp remains
closed.
The best months to enjoy this trail are
from June until October. Care is needed,
however, especially in early summer
and late autumn when the conditions
can be difficult if there is snow underfoot.
As a rule, a close look at the weather
forecast is required in order to assess
whether your mountaineering skills are
able to cope with the conditions. The
later it is in the summer, the faster the
sun disappears behind the north face
of the Matterhorn. Once that happens,
the temperature suddenly drops. That
is why you need to time your departure
carefully and, depending on the weather,
make sure you have warm clothing
with you. You will also need sturdy, waterproof
hiking boots. The path back
down passes through Furi, where you
can catch the mountain railway to Zermatt.
For keen hikers who need a bit
more exercise, it is also possible to walk
to Zermatt via Zmutt or Blatten. This
route takes you along the charming cultural
path, which, among other attractions,
passes the oldest barn in Europe.
Walking the trail counterclockwise
(Schwarzsee – Hirligrat – Stafelalp –
Zmutt – Zermatt) takes around 4 hours,
while in the opposite direction it takes
slightly longer. This means that the
Athletic Matterhorn Trail is about an
hour longer than the classic Matterhorn
Trail, which takes around 3 hours. The
terrain leading up to the north face of
the Matterhorn is also more alpine than
on the standard Matterhorn Trail.
The beautiful natural surroundings
through which the trail passes reveal
a unique mixture of features. Alpine
and rocky terrain on the Hirligrat is
perfectly complemented by the meadow
landscape around Stafelalp, which
in summer shows off a huge variety of
flowers and grasses with the pasture being
home to numerous grazing cows. If
you happen to be looking for a culinary
souvenir in Stafelalp to take back to
Zermatt, you won't need to look further
than the Stafelalp alpine dairy. Milk
from the Zmutt Valley region between
Furi and Schwarzsee is processed here
at around 2200 metres above sea level.
In addition to milk, the alpine dairy
also sells a selection of cheeses in summer,
including the local ricotta, which is
known as Ziger. Enjoy!