A steady 300 metre climb out of Zermatt to the Alterhaupt where the hut we saw the previous evening was perched on the edge of a precipice. The going now got easier physically, but I could sense I was going to have some problems returning the same route on the narrow paths. We continued winding our way up the gorge, to the Trift Hut. This wasn't so much a hut but a grand old hotel, in a beautiful spot, nestled below the Gabelhorn and Trift Glaciers. Diane wanted to take another route down, but I took a look at the map and didn't like some of the drops, so better the devil I knew, we returned the same route. As it turned out, the only point I felt a little uncomfortable was when we stopped for a break and sat on a bench looking down into the gorge and up to the Gornergrat on the other side of the valley where Zermatt sits. Perception can be a funny thing and I made more of an effort to look up when descending the rest of the route, take in the surroundings, breathe deeply and try to overcome my fears.
- Date: 28/07/09
- Region: Trift Gorge, Switzerland
- Status: Equal
- Description: Zermatt (1616m) – Alterhaupt (1961m) – Trift mountain hut (2337m) – Return same route – Sunny, hot - 5km, 5h
- Type of Walk: International Personal Walking - Summer Conditions