E-Mails from Europe

July 20, Zermatt

Hi, Everyone,

The Tram up to Trockner Steg

The day after we returned from the Trift, Jim left about 11 am to climb to the HornleHutte which is at the base of the Matterhorn, where one spends the night before doing the technical climb of the Matterhorn. The rest of us are resting and shopping! Some may go skiing tomorrow before we leave.

The Matterhorn from the side

Jim did climb to the HornliHutte and took some lifts back so it was only a 6 hour hike and not a 9 hour one! He was saving his energy for the skiing. Laura and I had a nice time shopping and relaxing in the hotel room with a PERFECT view of the Matterhorn. Adrienne had moved on to Prague and Munich to meet up with Laura on the 24th in Berlin. Anna and Tim slept and hung around town.

Remember the goats on the mountain? Here the are in town!

Laura waving from the balconey of our hotel

On the 20th, Jim and Tim and Anna got organized enough to be on the lift up by 8:30 am with rented equipment and all, for a morning of downhill summer skiing. The skiing was flat but fun. Laura and I had breakfast and checked out of the hotel, storing our luggage. We took the lift up and met them briefly at Trockner Steg. Anna stayed with us and we played cards on top of the world with a view of the Matterhorn and five glaciers in the other direction. The three of us also went to the Klein Matterhorn up the lift further and even more views. As Laura says in her e-mails, "We went up the mountain to see the mountains!" From this angle, the Matterhorn had a completely different appearance than from Zermatt (the postcard view), steep but not as steep and not appearing to lean in.

Roz, Laura, and Anna playing Skib-Bo on the terrace at Trockner Steg

Roz, Laura, and Anna on Klein (small) Matterhorn

We all came down together and Jim and I and Laura left on the 4:10 train. Anna and Tim left later for Lausanne and Rome. Laura rode the train with us to Basel where she stayed for a few days resting. We said our good byes and Jim and I took the night train to Amsterdam.

In Zermatt, the views from Gornergrat, the very first day, set the tone for the whole experience. In the pictures below, I hope you can get a feel for how spectacular a place it is!

Glaciers at Gornergrat

The Kids at Gornergrat

Glaciers at Gornergrat

Glaciers at Gornergrat

Roz and Jim

  /\        /\   *   /\        /\    *   /\
/    \^^^/   \***/   \^^^/    \***/    \
Roz Dudden and Jim Mills
From our hotmail.com e-mail address while traveling abroad!
Accessed irregularly from mountain tops and cafes
in England, France and Switzerland.
^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\

Hiking activity list

July 10:

day: TGV train Paris to Belgarde; train to Chamonix

night: Chamonix

July 11:

day 1: Jim: Up to PlanPraz 2 hours; Jim and Roz: Grand Balcony South, PlanPraz to Le Flegere, 3 hours

night: Chamonix

July 12:

day 2: Jim: Up to Midi Midway point. 3 hours

night: Chamonix

July 13:

day 3: Jim and Roz: In Saas Fee: Circle hike around to the base of the Glacier. 2 hours

night: Saas Fee

July 14:

day 4: Jim: up by the Hannig to Mellig summit. 7 hours

night: Saas Fee

July 15:

day 5: Jim: up to midway. 3 hours. Roz: 1 hour hike

night: Zermatt

July 16:

day 6: Gornergrat: Roz: 1 hour; Jim: 2 hours

night: Zermatt

July 17:

day 7: Jim and Roz: Up to Hotel. 4 hours; evening walk: 1 hour

night: Hotel du Trift

July 18:

day 8: Jim: Up the Mettelhorn. 7 hours. Roz: Down to Zermatt. 3 hours.

night: Zermatt

July 19:

day 9: Jim: Hornlihutte: 6 hours

night: Zermatt

July 20:

day: 10 Jim: Skiing Klein Matterhorn

night: Train from Basel to Amsterdam