If you love mountains and their vast mind-blowing vicinities, sooner or later you aim for spending more time around them than just a couple hours hike.
Roaming the alpine world of snow capped peaks, glaciers, uneven paths and steep rocky trails, sleeping in little cozy mountain huts at high altitude and getting up early to see the sun rising above the stunning skylines of Valais.
Sounds like a dream?
Well, it is a dream coming true along the Monte Rosa Trek in Zermatt.
This 4 day tour combines everything you need to explore and experience amidst some of the highest mountains of Switzerland. Monte Rosa with its Dufourspitze, Lyskamm, Castor & Pollux, Dent Blanche, Weisshorn and of course the Diva, the iconic Matterhorn.
So when Zermatt tourism asked me if I wanted to join a little group of fellow photographers and content creators to go on this tour I couldn’t help but bursting in happiness and excitement.
The whole adventure was supported by Zermatters, who accompanied us with mountain guide Michi, as well as Mammut, who clothed us with their best hiking gear.
However, everything turned out completely different than I had expected and wished for.
The Monte Rosa Trek is the ultimate hike including glacier crossing in the Matter valley – home to the highest peaks in the Alps, surrounded by powerful glaciers, archaic rockfaces and wildly romantic nature sites.
Starting in Zermatt, passing mystic larch forests, along various high altitude trails, the most beautiful mountain lakes, crossing the mighty Gorner glacier up to the Monte Rosa hut and back down to Zermatt – that’s the route of this tour.
I was all set and ready to go when I suddenly got ill. I was gutted.
In the end I only joined the middle part of the tour and planned on catching up on the parts I missed later on.
So be aware this article is kind of a rag rug, as I haven’t done the Monte Rosa Trek all in one piece yet.
Stage 1
Zermatt – Täschhütte
Starting in the village of Zermatt at the valley station of the Sunnegga funicular ride you head up to Sunnegga at 2288m thru a tunnel in just a couple minutes.
Though the Sunnegga really is a wonderful spot you won’t have time to linger around. The first kilometers are right in front of you, leading thru the Tufternalp to Täschalp and then about 500m difference in altitude straight uphill to the cozy Täschhütte, with the mighty Weisshorn bolstering you up all the way.
The Täschhütte is a cute comfy hut at 2700m, offering a vast panorama over rough steep mountainsides, glaciers and powerful peaks.
I’ve known Renata, the hut warden, for a couple years already; she’s a wonderful soft-hearted person deeply in love with the mountains. I’m sure she will take good care of you and maybe even tell you some of her mountain stories.
Stage 2
Täschhütte – Mountain Lodge ze Seewjinu
You will have to start early on your second day, as this hike includes a lot of difference in altitude up to Pfulwe at over 3000m!
Walking across mountain wilderness at its finest the route heads towards the lost valley and some of the most famous lakes along the 5 lake trail in the Zermatt area. The original Monte Rosa Trek leads via
Grindjisee, but just a small detour will take you to the Stellisee as well; that lake with the popular Matterhorn reflection.
Since this area hosts some of the most popular hiking trails, you will find wide well maintained paths but probably a lot of people as well.
After a couple more meters in altitude you will get to the Grünsee at the other side of the valley and shortly after arrive at the Mountain Lodge ze Seewjinu.
Those who are a bit familiar with mountain huts in the Zermatt area might find themselves in a little deja-vu when meeting the ze Seewjinu hut wardens. No one less than former Hörnli hut wardens Kurt and Stephanie Lauber-Mayor found their new home at this idyllic lodge at 2300m.
The rooms are simple but comfortable, the restaurant and lounge homely and cozy, the food homemade and yummie.
We didn’t have much time to spend around this lovely place as we had to get up again very early the next day.
Stage 3
Mountain Lodge ze Seewjinu – Monte Rosa Hut
We got up after just a couple hours of sleep and a quick breakfast. It was still dark outside when we left the Lodge around 6.30 am, walking in silence thru the dreary larches and a silver shimmering Matterhorn rising in the dawn in front of us.
We decided to take a shortcut by hopping on the Gornergrat train at Riffelalp station, which is about 45mn hike from the Lodge. Admittedly this saves a lot of time as well as meters in altitude difference, compared to the actual route starting at 2300m up to the Gornergrat lake at over 2900m.
From the Gornergrat train you have to get off at Rotenboden station and this is where all the alpine adventure starts. Entering a mesmerizing peak parade of famous 4000m tops like Matterhorn, Breithorn, Castor & Pollux, Lyskamm and the highest peak of Switzerland, the Dufourspitze, you feel like dropped into a different world. Reams of glaciers accompany those peaks all around and you’re about to head right into the middle of this alpine wonderworld. The trail leads down towards the the Gorner glacier, which used to be the second biggest glacier of the Alps. Still it is an impressive sight and the further you walk, the wilder and primary the landscape gets.
Arriving at the tongue of the glacier you’ll have to put on crampons and harness before stepping on this giant piece of (un-)eternal ice.
If you don’t have any experience in glacier crossing it is highly recommended to book a mountain guide! In Zermatt you will find the marvelous Zermatters, who accompanied us on our attempts to master the Monte Rosa Trek and also offer the Monte Rosa Trek as a package. All info & contacts below this article :)
Starting at the tongue you will ascent the Gorner glacier, passing impressive blocks of blue ice and intimidating crevasses until you reach rocky surface again, featuring glacial debris and ice polished ledges. You’ll need some surefootedness in this area, don’t get distracted by the overwhelming views over glaciers, Matterhorn and Gornersee, up to the Monte Rosa Hut at 2882m altitude.
The Monte Rosa Hut is one of those iconic mountain huts you just have to see at least once in your life. The new hut, as it is now, was opened in 2009, named ‘Bergkristall’ (mountain crystal), based upon it’s shape and style. It is one of the biggest huts in Switzerland, accommodating 120 beds.
‘The five-story polygonal building was built on stainless steel foundations with a spiral interior made out of wood, the exterior being covered with an aluminum shell. The building is designed to obtain 90 percent of its power needs from the sun’ (Wikipedia).
Stage 4
Monte Rosa Hut – Zermatt
The last day of the Monte Rosa Trek takes you down from the hut to the Gornersee along the old Monte Rosa trail where Grenz- and Gorner glacier meet. One more time walking on crampons, one more time listening to glaciers talking, one more time admiring these overwhelming landscapes.
Leaving the glacier behind you will follow the same path that took you here the day before.
After hiking back up to Rotenboden station you can either take the Gornergrat train down to Zermatt, or keep hiking and find some more famous spots like Riffelsee, another stunning mountain lake reflecting the Matterhorn, following the Gornera down to the Furi supension bridge and further down to Furi.
Either way, arriving in the village of Zermatt again will leave you tired and sore, but packed with countless emotions and precious memories of the past 4 days. I’m sure your bottom line will be just like mine:
I'll be back!
Thank you so much Zermatt tourism for inviting me, for the top-notch organization and heartfelt caring, Zermatters marvelous mountain man Michi for guiding us, Mammut for the fantastic durable clothing and Täschhütte, Mountain Lodge ze Seewjinu & Monte Rosa Hut for welcoming us!
Though I wasn’t able to make the full tour all in once, it was an incredible experience!
Info
Equipment
Clothing: Mammut Runbold Trekking Tights, Mammut Convey Tour HS Hooded Jacket, Mammut Eigerjoch Advanced Jacket, Mammut Aconcagua ML Jacket, Mammut Ducan BOA High GTX, (La Sportiva Aequilibrium ST GTX)
Camera: Nikon Z6II, NIKKOR Z 24–70 mm 1:4 S, NIKKOR Z 14–30 mm 1:4 S
Backpack: Nya-Evo Fjord 60-C
