Gornergrat
Tuesday 30th July 2024
The Gornergrat Bahn links the resort village of Zermatt at 1,604 m to the summit of the Gornergrat. The Gornergrat railway station is situated at an altitude of 3,089 m , which makes it the second highest railway in Europe after the Jungfrau, and the highest open-air railway of the continent. The line opened in 1898, and was the first electric rack railway to be built in Switzerland. The Gornergrat is a starting point for many hikes, as it lies surrounded by 29 peaks rising above 4,000 m in the Alps and several glaciers, including the Gorner Glacier (which is billed as the second longest glacier in the Alps). Work on the railway started in 1896, five years after the Visp-Zermatt-Bahn had linked Zermatt to Visp and the Rhone Valley. The line opened on August 20, 1898, and was electrified from the start. Initially it operated only in summer, but year-round operation was extended to the lower section of the line in 1929, and to the summit in 1941.The Gornergrat Railway was the highest railway in Europe until the opening of the Jungfrau Railway in 1912.
We bought our tickets (CHF 132 return) the night before as the ticket office does not open until 7-30 a.m. but the first train leaves at 7 a.m. Our plan was to go to Rotenboden station at 2,815m first, so that we could go to Riffelsee lake before the crowds. We then went back to Rotenboden station and continued on the railway to the top, Gornergrat at 3,089m.
On the way down we got off the train at the Riffelberg Station (2,582m) and Riffelalp Station (2,211m). Cynthia and I continued on the train to the base station, whereas Ken and Maura got off at Findelbach (1,774m) to walk to Winkelmatten. |
| Distance |
Time |
Elevation in meters |
Km |
Elapsed
Hrs-Mins |
Moving
Hrs-Mins |
Gain |
Loss |
Min |
Max |
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|
|
|
|
1,620 |
3,089 |
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| Walk centered around the railway; individual short walks not recorded |
Gornergrat Station, opposite the main railway station
On the 7 a.m. train from Zermatt
Rotenboden
Riffelsee
Zermatt is favoured by good climatic conditions, and many plant and animals have their most elevated habitat in the Alps. A very special case is the Riffelsee lake. Thanks to its sunny and protected situation away from the reach of the cold glacier breezes, it is here that quite a number of aquatic species reach their altitude record in the Alps. Among them are endangered water plants such as the Small Pondweed or Floating Bur-reed, which form a beautifully structured floating belt of leaves. rare artic relict sedge grows on the shore areas irrigated by water from melted snow. Even species of dragonfly, the Sedge Darner, can thrive in this high lying body of water. |
The sight of this marmot launched Mick into a recital of a poem
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The Whistling Marmot
by
Hamlin Garland
On mountains cold and bold and high,
Where only golden eagles fly,
He builds his home against the sky.
Above the clouds he sits and whines,
The morning sun about him shines,
Rivers loop below in shining lines.
No wolf nor cat may find him there,
That winged corsair of the air,
The eagle, is his only care.
He sees the pink snows slide away,
He sees his little ones at play,
And peace fills out each summer day.
In winter, safe within his nest,
He eats his winter store with zest,
And takes his young ones to his breast. |
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Sempervivium arachnoideum (Cobweb House-leek)
Aster alpinus (Alpine Aster)
Cirsium spinosissimum (Thorny Thistle)
Back to Rotenboden Station and up to Gornergrat
Getting quite busy now at Gornergrat
Gorner Glacier
Many hiking trails start at the top of Gornergrat
Back down to the station for the train to Riffelberg
Hotel Restaurant Riffelhaus
Riffelalp Station
Train down to Rifflealp. You can cross the track here and do a walk on the far side of the track, or alternatively walk to minutes to the Riffelalp Hotel. There is a two-car tram to take guests to the hotel. |
Riffelalp Hotel
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