Climbing to the Breithorn 4.164 m. (13.658 feet) Alpine Style

The climbing to the Breithorn is one of the most astonishing experiences you can do in Switzerland. To be honest, it was our first complete day in Zermatt and we decided to go up to the viewpoint of Klein Matterhorn Paradise (3.883 m. 12.739 ft.). To get to this point you need to take three different cable cars from the village of Zermatt (1.620 m. 5.315 ft.). The first one is the typical small cable car, which gets you to Furi station (1.864 m. 6.115 ft.).

From Furi you take a really big cable car, even bigger than a school bus, which gets you to the following station, i.e. Trockener Steg (2.939 m. 9.642,39 ft.). The second choice from Furi is to take the cable car to Schwarzsee paradise (2.432 m. 7.979 ft).

There is another big cable car to be taken, from Trockener to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (3.883 m. 12.739 ft.). From here you take a lift and then some stairs to the highest viewpoint of Europe. You can feel the altitude and you are advised to move slowly…

You can see in the up picture, the marvelous sight from the viewpoint of Klein Matterhorn (3.883 m. 12.739 ft.)... On the left side of the cross, glorious Matterhorn (or Cervino 4.478 m. 14.691,60 ft.) shows its western side.

In the picture down, the attractive Breithorn (4.164 m. 13.658 feet) attracts you, be tempted by the climbing... To be honest, when you are there, watching at a hell of a view, you suffer a kind of euphoria, which compels you to go up... up!

The adventure began in the bar behind the viewpoint. We took a break and left towards Gobba di Rollin to go round the glacier and to face the Breithorn. In the picture down, at the background is Gobba di Rollin (3.899 m. 12.759 ft.), in Italy. From there, it’s possible to go down to Breuil-Cervinia (2.050 m. 6.726 ft.), in Val D’Aosta.

Down, the glacier which has to be avoided to face the Breithorn…

The ascent begins… the Matterhorn on the right. On the left, the Klein Matterhorn viewpoint…

This part of the ascent was easy…

A break for some chocolates…

It becomes harder and harder... we follow the track left by the skis all the time…

In the down picture, we go beyond the rocky line that we saw so far from the beginning of the ascent… (see the following picture)

…the rocky line, up to the right…

Moments of crisis…, Nacho gave up, he had problems with his boots… I started to go down with him, but in the last minute I get back to go up and to catch up with Daniele… we were so close to the summit..., about 15 minutes…

We can see the other side, the valley of Zermatt, Nikolaital…

One step left to the glory…

Breithorn summit 4.164 m. (13.658 feet) over the see level. Luigi...

and Daniele... On the left at background, the Matterhorn remains almost at the same level of us…!!

A breath-taking sight... weather is beautiful...

Klein Matterhorn down there… (on the left).

Having a look down… a giant slide…!

Breithorn (on the left) and Klein Matterhorn (on the right) from the station of Rotenboden (2.815 m 9.236 ft). We got it!!!

The little village of Zermatt ..., the mountains…, german language and a very cute church… the better place for your honey moon!

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The Hadrian’s Wall

In my last trip to the United Kingdom, I went from England to Scotland by car through the M-6 and A-74 roads. The former frontier of the Roman Empire is just in the border between England and Scotland.

This frontier marked physically the frontier of the Empire in the Roman province of Britannia and it was known as the Hadrian’s Wall, the most heavily fortified border in the Roman Empire. Nowadays, it is possible to visit some ruins. The wall is entirely in England and south of the border with Scotland by some miles (15-70 mi). Although there are signs to the Wall, we took our time because the access has to be made through country roads. Actually, you really are in the middle of the countryside…

As I said before, there are only some pieces or debris of the old Wall so, you can go to several places along the border to visit them. Anyway, it is an interesting visit from the cultural point of view…

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