TASCH TO ZERMATT

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We took the shuttle train down to Täsch and its enormous car park. Leaving the village at 1450m we set off up a steep path up the valley side to the tiny chapel at Täschberg. 

Here we decided to follow the lane up to Täschalp rather than the path. We were passed several times by the taxi bus from the station (the recommended way to begin this walk!). After crossing a dizzyingly high bridge over the Täschbach the road turned into the hanging valley where the hamlet of Täsch is located. Here is the Europaweghütte and restaurant at 2187m, being at the halfway point of the new two-day Europaweg path from Grächen to Zermatt. In summer 2002 part of this walk was closed near Randa due to damage from a landslide not having been repaired.  

Täschalp

  From Täschalp the views across the Mattertal were splendid with the Zinalrothorn and Weisshorn (partly cloud covered for much of the day) dominating. Down valley could be seen the enormous Bergsturz at Randa where the mountain collapsed in 1991. The time taken from Täsch to Täschalp was about 2h 30min as expected. The path on to Zermatt is another Hohenweg – generally broad and smooth but with a few sections over boulders and two slightly exposed sections protected with cables on both sides of the path. 

Looking back  towards  Täschalp with Täsch below down in the valley

The Matterhorn comes into view shortly after leaving Täschalp and dominates the walk right to the end at Sunegga. Down in the valley can be seen the enormous amount of work that has gone into protecting access to Zermatt, in the form of the long avalanche shelters over the railway. After about 1h 45min we arrived at Tufteren (2215m) where we had more tea and cake. We decided not to walk down to Zermatt but continued on to Sunnegga (2288m). Increasingly, on this section, the mountains beyond the Gornergrat became more obvious: Breithorn, Liskamm, Castor and Pollux. Finally the cable car to the Untere Rothorn came into view and down below the valley of the Findelbach. When we reached the underground funicular station at Sunnegga we took the train down to Zermatt.