The car-free town of Zermatt, with its spectacular views of the Matterhorn, was the birthplace of modern alpinism. Once a small swiss alpine farming village, it has been transformed over the last 150 years by the influx of alpine tourists, who come both to climb the peaks and ski the pistes. We were excited to find that the first successful expedition to the summit of the Matterhorn set out from the hotel we stayed in.

Apart from the scenery, our main reason for visiting Zermatt was to spend a day skiing in the famous Alps. Even though the beginnings of Spring are visible, Zermatt’s altitude and glaciers make skiing possible 365 days a year. After a few warm up runs on the lower slopes, we took our chances and caught a gondola to the highest point of the Zermatt lifts. Skiing on the “Matterhorn Glacier Paradise” brings its own challenges; such as the minus 16 degree (celcius) temperatures, made even colder by significant windchill.

After a few hours enjoying the superb snow, we skied all the way back down to Zermatt and a balmy 0 degree evening. A traditional Swiss fondue ended the day perfectly.

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