UK and Switzerland

Blighty time again. As ever on these trips family and friends are the reason for coming over with everything else very much taking second place. Nevertheless we managed to fit in plenty of sightseeing along the way.

We stopped in Switzerland for six days on the way over to the UK staying in the alpine resort of Zermatt for four days and Zurich for the rest of the time.

I visited Switzerland in 2006 staying in the rather splendid city of Basel. One of my ambitions was to see the Matterhorn, which towers above the alpine village of Zermatt. The main reason for being in Basel was to visit a friend but I unexpectedly found myself with a couple of days spare so leapt onto the nearest train and headed off to the Alps. To cut a long story short I managed to catch a glimpse of the mountain and found out that one could take a series of lifts up to the nearby Kleine Matterhorn, which at 3883m is the highest left accessible point in Europe. Anybody who know’s me will know that I love my mountains, so I just had to go there. It was already pretty late so I would have to go up on the next (and my final day) in the resort. As fate would have it the weather was rubbish so no mountains for me and I returned to Basel with the Kleine Matterhorn unconquered.

Fast-forward six years later. We were in the process of booking our tickets for this years UK trip when we noticed that one of the stopover destinations was Zurich so the decision was quickly made to stop in Switzerland for a few days. This wasn’t just about another opportunity to knock off the Kleine Matterhorn as much as a chance for some rest and relaxation before the rigors of the UK, which is inevitably rather hectic.

Zermatt is a very pretty resort set in a stunning location and it is fair to say that Neena and I were both really taken with the place. It wasn’t all perfect however as the weather was a bit on the cold side and there was a lot of construction work going on with plenty of ugly cranes dotting the landscape.

The other downside is the cost everything; Switzerland sure is one expensive country. This didn’t come as too much of a shock to us and we had done our research, but is something to bear in mind if ever coming this way; a second mortgage would be useful as would selling off any spare body parts.

To reach Zermatt we took the train from Zurich Airport. It may be a cliché but Swiss railways really are super efficient but also scarily expensive, even by Swiss standards. We managed to buy a Swiss Transfer Ticket that allows you to travel from your point of entry into the country to your chosen resort (by the shortest route) and then back out the same way. These tickets can only be purchased from outside Switzerland and are only valid for stays of less than one month but reduced the cost of our train tickets in half.

On the train up to Zermatt.

We didn’t really suffer from any jetlag on the journey so upon reaching the resort dumped our bags in our apartment (surprisingly good) and set about exploring. This consisted of visiting as many cheese and chocolate shops as we could. The food in general was superb with the coronary inducing cheese fondues a particular highlight.

We purchased a lift pass that allowed us to access three separate mountain areas – Gornegrat, Rothorn/Sunnegga and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. 

 The Matterhorn - taken from Zermatt.

 Zermatt - most of the building were covered with flowers, which was nice.

Some of the buildings were hundreds of years old.

The next day we got the tramping boots on and took the cog railway train up to Gornegrat. The train takes about twenty minutes to reach the top with the views on the way up getting ever more spectacular. We got off the train to be treated to the sight of numerous 4000m peaks with rivers of ice flowing down from them. The view really was quite something, not that we had the place to ourselves, as there were hundreds of other tourists taking in the scenery as well. There was a whole network of walking tracks so we set off to explore these. Most people just take the train up for the views so as soon as we started walking the crowds just melted away and we were very soon on our own. I am use to slogging up dirty great hills in New Zealand so it was a real novelty letting a train do all the work for me even if it did feel a bit like cheating.

 This was taken from the top of Gornegrat.

So was this one, but looking the other way.

On the way back down.

We visited the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise the next day. To reach the area we took a cable car up to Trockener Steg and then another one from there up to Kleine Matterhorn itself. The weather on the way up was cool and cloudy which was a bit of a bugger but not far from the top of the second cable car the clouds started to thin out and all of a sudden we were bathed in sunshine. We got out of the cable car and then had to walk along a tunnel cut into the mountain before eventually arriving at an elevator. I wasn’t really expecting this, as the lift was basically identical to the ones you get in office blocks anywhere in the world. Anyway, off and up we went and several minutes later the doors opened and there we were at the top of the Kleine Matterhorn. The air at this altitude is thin and cold and takes a little getting used to but was nowhere near as debilitating as the conditions we had up in the Andes last year. We were treated to 360° views from the top and looked out over a sea of cloud stretching out below us. After the obligatory photo’s we took the elevator back down and then went through another tunnel, which took us out onto the Theodul Glacier for a muck about in the snow. We stayed up there for a fair while but eventually the cold got to us and it was time to head back down to Zermat.

 View from the top of Kleine Matterhorn. 

Us at the top.

We spent the following day tramping in the Rothorn area. This was all much more low key with very few people about and meant that we spent much of the day walking on our own, which was nice. The scenery was great but not quite up to the standard of the other areas or maybe we were just getting a bit blasé by this point. For me the most interesting part of the day was taking the train up to Rothorn itself. Unlike the Gornegrat train this one tunneled up through the mountain; imagine a London underground station, but with the platform at 45°.All in all an impressive piece of engineering and also more sympathetic to the environment, unlike normal surface lifts which tend to be a scar on the landscape.

 The Matterhorn.

Looking down on Zermatt.

A parting shot of the mountain - we never managed to catch it completely free of cloud.

After one more day it was off on the train back to Zurich. In true Swiss style the city is pretty, prosperous and well run but somehow left me a little cold. Neena loved the place and thought I was being a miserable bugger, so I suspect the fault is more with me than with Zurich. One place I did enjoy was an incredibly trendy and fashionable shopping precinct located near our hotel called the Viadukt. The arches under the viaduct have been converted into shops, restaurants and bars and has been really well done. The shops were beyond designer with prices to match with my favourite being a hifi shop selling among other things speakers shaped like mushrooms. The people there were immaculately turned out and I had plenty of fun in mounting a fruitless search trying to find someone less well dressed than me.

 This was taken near our hotel while walking to the town centre. 

 In the centre of the town down by the river.

 The swanky Viaduct with a not so swanky me.

One for all you motorcycle lovers out there....this was right near our hotel.

In what is fast becoming a tradition Neena and I spent a week tramping in the Lake District with friends namely Robin, Eddie, Nick, Kevin and Lulu the dog.

We stayed in a rather nice converted stable in the tiny hamlet of High Ireby, situated on the northern edge of the National Park.

With the exception of Skiddaw none of the walking was that demanding which made for a pleasant and relaxed week.

The first tramp we did was to Catbells, which overlooks Keswick. This peak may only be 1480 feet but has some wonderful views from the top.

 Taken from Catbells.

As was this.

Eddie was dead keen to bag Skiddaw is it was the only 3000 footer left on his list. I had also never been there and given that it was only a short distance from High Ireby it was a no brainier to give it a go. On the second day Robin, Eddie and I duly set off on the slog up to the summit. For most of the way up things didn’t look too promising with mist and poor visibility from the word go. I found this most disheartening as at the end of the day, for me at least, the high peaks are all about the view (up in the cloud you could be anywhere).

We were sitting down having a break when we met a tramper on his way back down. He informed us that there was a temperature inversion meaning that it was clear at the top. These are quite rare in this part of the world (we saw one in Zermatt, but I have never seen one in the Lake District) so this quickly spurred us into action and gave us a new lease of life. The last 20 minutes or so before the top are a real grunt being very steep and slippery and it was during this section that the clouds began to thin out and the temperature soared. We made the summit to find ourselves surrounded by a sea of cloud with just a few of the higher Lakeland peaks visible in the distance. This was quite special and not something I will forget in a hurry.

 On the way up to Skiddaw.

At the top of Skiddaw.

It was low level stuff for the rest of the week with a walk through the Borrowdale valley being a particular highlight.

 Taken in the Borrowdale Valley.

I can't remember where this one was taken - suggestions appreciated.

The lads.

We spent the next week in Harlow before hiring a car and heading off to Brighton for a few days. It is many years since I have been there and either the place has been spruced up in the meantime or it is way better than I remember because I thought it was just lovely. Mind you it poured with rain for most of the time, but we didn’t care.

We also walked to Hove. There were dozens and dozens of charity shops on-route, in fact they appeared to be the only establishments really thriving, a sure sign of the times. Neena was in her element and made it her mission to visit every single one of them, at least twice. I was contemplating hara-kiri when we stumbled on a wondrous café, which sold of all things, New Zealand style coffee. By this I mean very strong, creamy and warm. The British style by contrast is for relatively weak, thin and scalding hot coffee with third degree burns a near certainty! Turns out the place was run by a bloke from just down the road from us in Wellington, which explains the great coffee. I liked the place so much I gladly trudged all the way out to Hove the next day for another caffeine fix, even it did mean doing all the charity shops again.

Brighton from Brighton Pier.

He probably won’t thank me for this but my brother turned 50 this year. To celebrate this (in) auspicious occasion his girlfriend Debbie brought Robin and myself (many, many thanks by the way) tickets to go rafting at the Olympic venue at Waltham Cross. This was great fun, so once again many thanks.

 Limbering up.

 Ready for action.

Action.