The 2025 Morgan Europe Trip

March 30, 2025 The Matterhorn!

Today was a big, big day! Collin's desire to get up close to Matterhorn mountain was the driving force behind his and Rod's planning out all the details to get the five of us up there. We made a 2 and a half hour drive to the town of Tasch, Switzerland, a 20 minute train ride to Zermatt (a no-car town), a short 15 minute walk to the other side of Zermatt, and 30 minutes of riding mountain gondolas up to the highest observation platform. BOY, was it worth it!! The observation platform was at an altitude of 12,740 feet and we felt it. We were all a little off balance and noticed a change in breathing. Some had weakness in their legs after climbing the last few steps to get to the platform. The wind was blowing and it was COLD. It felt like we were in an arctic mountain climbing documentary from the Discovery Channel!

Here is a random waterfall from our stop at the Swiss boarder to buy a "vignette", a pass to drive on all the Swiss roads. It's 40 francs ($45) and valid for a year. We drove through the boarder without having anyone interested in looking at our passports. (?) I was hoping for a Switzerland stamp in my passport, but was disappointed.

Pictures from the car at the beginning of the drive.

From the car window.

Old, little shacks. Not sure how they were used historically.

Amazing civil engineering feats all the way up the mountains.

Our first glimpse of Matterhorn. It's on the right, way in the back.

Tanking up on snacks in the super clean parking garage before our trek to the top.

I asked them to give me their best "Avengers" walk!

On the train to Zermatt.

Beautiful water coming from the mountains.

View from the train.

Zermatt, Switzerland

Zermatt, on our way to the gondolas.

Swiss chalet, much different than Italian villas.

Our first selfie with Matterhorn.

Hoofing it up to the gondolas.

Matterhorn in the distance.

Collin (sorry, I cut you out a little) and Matterhorn.

The first gondola held 6 people. We had one to ourselves at the start of the ascent.

Leaving the first gondola station. Matterhorn in the background.

View from the gondola.

Originally, Zermatt was an agricultural oasis w/ barns for storing grain, air drying meat, and housing livestock.

Many visitors were there for the skiing. We saw skiers of all ages.

View from the gondola,

Just leaving the tree line.

Desolate and cold. Nothing but rocks and snow.

Approaching Matterhorn.

We had 3 rides up. This is a stop for passengers/skiers to get on or off.

Skiers viewed from the gondola.

We are in a larger gondola still going up, with skiers.

Collin "vibing" to the mountain air.

Potential avalanche?

An honest to goodness glacier. See the chunks cracking off? In person, you could see more blue color.

Look who is at the top viewing platform! The One who created the mountains!

It was cold! We lasted 20 minutes on the viewing platform.

The platform is 12,740 feet above sea level.

Time to head down. I found the experience similar to climbing a tree as a child. Going up isn't bad, it's the coming down that terrifies! Popping out of the gondola station and looking down at the sheer drop off makes one question their own mortality! I will try to share the experience with photos and video. Please forgive my obnoxiousness!