I was in Zermatt for the week with Nate Beckwith. Our main objective was the
Matterhorn, which we had climbed earlier in the week. With that iconic summit checked off, we were looking for another alpine adventure. Weather was a bit marginal. The Breithorn (4,164 m) sounded like a fun and unique short-day objective. The Breithorn is widely considered the easiest 4,000-meter peak in the Alps. From Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, the route involves a high-altitude glacier hike with about 365 m (1,200 ft) of elevation gain.
Reaching the start of the route is part of the experience: a series of cable cars carries you from Zermatt to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise atop the Klein Matterhorn at 3,883 m (12,740 ft).
The route begins by crossing the Breithorn Plateau, a broad glacier riddled with hidden crevasses. Because of the crevasse hazard, we brought a rope. However, after seeing how well-defined the track was and judging the conditions to present a low risk of concealed crevasses, we decided not to rope up. At the base of the south flank, the angle steepens to about 35 degrees. We had also each brought crampons and single ice axe for this section, but the track was so well boot-packed and the snow soft enough that we never needed them. From there, we climbed to the summit ridge and followed it west to the highest point on the Breithorn.
There were several other climbers on the route, most of them guided, and every party we saw was roped up and wearing crampons. We were the only team without either. We were also among the fastest climbers on the mountain. Passing was challenging because stepping off the beaten track meant sinking into knee-deep snow, and the roped parties rarely stopped to let us through. But I'm not a fan of slowing my pace or tailgating, so I strategically cut corners by kicking steps through untracked snow whenever an opportunity arose. I reached the summit just one hour after leaving the ski area, and Nate was not far behind.
The summit rewarded us with spectacular views of the Matterhorn, the Monte Rosa massif, and the distant Mont Blanc massif. We spent about 20 minutes enjoying the panorama. Clouds drifted through the surrounding peaks, obscuring the Matterhorn's summit, but the air was calm and the weather pleasantly mild.
We then descended. By this point, the snow had become noticeably softer.
Rather than immediately returning to Zermatt, we spent a couple of hours exploring Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. As the highest cable car station in Europe, it is much more than a ski station. Attractions include a 360-degree viewing platform on top of the Klein Matterhorn, a restaurant and café, a Cinema Lounge, souvenir shops, and the Glacier Palace.
The Glacier Palace was my favorite attraction. Located about 15 meters (50 feet) beneath the glacier, it consists of a network of tunnels carved directly into the ice. The blue ice passages, natural ice formations, intricate ice sculptures, small ice slide, and walkway alongside a glacial crevasse made it a surprisingly fascinating experience.
We then rode the cable cars back down to Zermatt. Nate headed out in search of a burger while I started writing this trip report. Gentle thunder echoed around the surrounding mountains.
What a quintessential European alpine day: riding lifts high into the mountains, crossing a glacier, standing atop a 4,000-meter summit, taking in world-class views from nearly 13,700 feet, and wandering through an ice palace beneath a glacier—all in a single morning.
This page contains a map, GPS track, route description, and photos from the adventure.
