Nate and I had just climbed the Matterhorn the day before. We were back at the Hörnlihütte before noon and in Zermatt by early afternoon. After getting a good night's sleep, we were eager to get out of the Airbnb again. A quick search on Mountain Project for Zermatt classics led us to Thermometeregg (5c/5.9, 8 pitches), a well-regarded multipitch sport climb on the Riffelhorn just south of Zermatt in the Pennine Alps. With the Matterhorn towering behind you for much of the climb, the setting is hard to beat.

The Riffelhorn's south-facing cliffs overlook the spectacular Gorner Glacier and are home to dozens of sport routes ranging from 5.4 to 5.10b. Thermometeregg is arguably the mountain's proudest line, climbing eight pitches of excellent rock to the summit. The climbing is moderate throughout, with two memorable 5c crux pitches: Pitch 5 features powerful moves through a small overhang, while Pitch 8 finishes with enjoyable face climbing on featured rock. The rock seems to be mica schist. 

To reach the climb, we rode the Gornergrat Bahn (GGB) to the Rotenboden station. From there, we skirted around the left (east) shoulder of the Riffelhorn to the south face, following blue arrows to the base. The approach takes about 25 minutes (faster if you've done it before) and ends at a plaque identifying the four routes that begin there.

The route is thoughtfully bolted, although some bolt spacing exceeds 25 feet, adding a bit of excitement to the easier climbing. Each pitch ends at a large, well-built anchor rather than the more typical pair of bolts. About 10 draws is sufficient for this route. We even linked some pitches and 10 draws was enough.

For the descent, we faced toward the train station and stayed right, downclimbing sections of fourth-class terrain before making a single rappel to regain the hiking trail.

After the climb, we rode the train to Gornergrat, the highest station on the railway. Nate went in search of food but was a bit underwhelmed by the options and ultimately settled for two bratwursts. We then caught the train back to Zermatt. As we walked to our Airbnb, the streets were suddenly flooded with a herd of black and white goats. At last, the mystery of the countless poop pellets scattered throughout town was solved.

Overall, it was a fun, casual day and a quintessential European climbing experience: a scenic train ride, a short approach, enjoyable multipitch sport climbing, and breathtaking views of the Matterhorn and the surrounding glaciers.

This page includes a GPS overlay, time statistics, and pitch-by-pitch photos from our climb.