Realizing a Dream - Draft

Most of you that have read my adventure blogs have learned a bit about my insatiable thirst for adventure and knowledge. I’ve written about various trips around the world but in this blog I’d like to tell you a story that happened on my first trip to Europe.

It was back in the late 1980’s, I was deep in the Information Technology consulting business working independently. Things were really going well and I decided I wanted to fulfill one of my dreams. I had always dreamt of climbing the Matterhorn in Switzerland. I’m really not sure why I had this fascination with the Matterhorn, perhaps from pictures I had seen as a boy or perhaps the Matterhorn ride in Disneyland.

So I began to plan a trip to Switzerland. As I researched the country I began to realize how much it has to offer and my trip began to have scope creep. But as this was a vacation, no business and my first trip to Europe. Limiting the scope of the trip? That was not an option.

I decided I would spend some time in the big cities, do some quality hiking along with spending some time visiting small Swiss villages. As it turns out I spent 3 weeks exploring Switzerland and had quite a bit of fun along the way.

On one of those days I headed to Zermatt. Zermatt whose name means “in the meadow” is a small town nestled at the foot of the Matterhorn, a bit over 5,000 feet in elevation. Zermatt is not reachable by car so I parked my rental at a train station in the town of Täsch and took a cog rail to my destination.

The trip from Täsch to Zermatt is only a few miles and the train ascends up through some wonderful scenery with steep hills dotted with pine trees and lush green meadows. Close to the rail is a hiking path that provides a much slower yet in many ways more fulfilling journey, though a bit difficult with luggage.

When I arrived there it was like stepping into my dreams but this time it was real. The town was amazing. I walked through the beautiful car-free streets breathing an air so pure so natural. The streets were lined with quaint shops, a mix of restaurants and several luxury and modest hotels. All surrounded by gorgeous alpine views.


The Matterhorn dominated the south skyline and could be seen from almost every part of the town. I will always remember the first view I had as I was walking to my hotel door. I turned to my right and there it was. It was an amazing site, the majestic peak rising above thin wisps of clouds with a clear powder blue sky in the background.

I was staying at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, a five star hotel near the south part of the town. The hotel picked me up in a horse-drawn carriage, though it was a short distance from the rail. Everything about this hotel gave a sense of comfort and relaxation. The accommodations were amazing; restaurants were good and the staff very warm.

I stayed in Zermatt for 3 days, taking walking tours of the surrounding areas, eating fine meals, a bit of swimming in the hotel pool and relaxing. But of course I was there to climb. It was on my second day there that I decided to make my solo attempt.

Many people who attempt the Matterhorn either climb or take a cable car to a base camp and spend the night there. I decided that I would start from Zermatt just before sunrise to get the full experience. I was told that along the way I would be able to pick up some provisions so I could travel light. The night before I had an amazing dinner topped off with a strawberry sorbet. Until that time I had never tasted sorbet and was immediately hooked, though I’ve yet to find a strawberry sorbet better than the one that night.

I packed my gear that night and left a wake up call for 5AM. I woke up with an amazing sense of excitement; I was full of energy and ready to go. As I peeked out the window of my room, I saw clusters of stars shining brightly in the pre-dawn sky.

I went down to eat some breakfast but was told that breakfast didn’t start until 6:30AM and they did not have anything for me to bring on my journey. So I decided to wait to eat until I reached one of the climber’s huts along the way up. I gathered my gear and off I walked to the edge of town.

I could still see stars shining dimly in the clear sky, their sparkles fading with each minute of the seemingly long sunrise. The peaks were surrounded by thin wisps of clouds tinged in red and pink hues. As I left the border of the town I could not help but feeling this was going to be an awesome day.

So more to follow on this and feel free to comment.



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