Zermatt to Zmutt Gletscher via Trift

We left Zermatt by a steep path near the church en route for the “Edelweiss” restaurant which can be seen from the village perched high above the Triftbach gorge. On the climb we were mislead by a false path and ended up climbing steeply up to a locked steel door forming part of a HEP works. We retreated back to the main path and soon found ourselves several hundred metres higher enjoying tea at the restaurant. Despite the detour we still beat the time of 1 hour’s ascent from Zermatt.  

The path in the Trift gorge

  The excellent path then climbs steadily up the gorge; in one or two places there were cables to assist the super-nervous, before reaching the Hotel du Trift mountain restaurant and hotel at 2337m and 2 hours from Zermatt. The setting is pretty stunning with the Gabelhorn and Triftgletscher being backed by the Ober Gabellhorn (4063m) and the Zinalrothorn (4221m). The restaurant owner tempted Stephen with freshly baked apple Küchen. 

The Trift Hotel with the Ober Gabelhorn in background

We then crossed the Triftbach to join the “Hohenweg” path, which first zigzags up the mountainside of the Untere Gabelhorn to reach the valley overlooking Zmutt. The path then continues at about 2600/2700m for about 4 km, always easy and with few significant gradients. The views are stupendous. To the northeast is the Mischabel range, then the Gornergrat, Monte Rosa and Breithorn and to the south the Matterhorn. Glaciers and snow dominate the view in all directions.

The Matterhorn from the "other side"

  The high point of the path is reached at 2741m at Höhbalmen before it begins its descent down to the moraine of the Zmutt glacier, in a series of zigzags through alpine pasture where it joins the path from the Schönbiel Hütte. 

The Zmutt glacier and Dent d'Herens behind

The valley path drops steeply past a spectacular waterfall to about 2200m. In one section the path has been diverted for about 1km through the debris of the moraines due to a rockslide on the original path.

 Continuing down to Zmutt the path passes above the high dam and gorge of the Zmutt HEP plant. After more tea at Zmutt we headed down the valley to Zermatt. The total walking time for the day was about 7h 30min although we took 8h 45min.