By the Mighty Matterhorn – A Half-Day Hike from Rotenboden to Gornergrat

It took me quite a while, but I finally went to see the mightiest of the Swiss mountains, the Matterhorn. While the whole Zermatt region is a hiker’s paradise, I chose for my day out a short but sweet hike from Rotenboden to Gornergrat. Great Matterhorn-sighting, a quiet trail and views of nine different glaciers.

Glaciers, thousands of years old. Idyllic alpine lakes. Heartfelt welcomes in remote alpine huts. Marmots playing cheekily on hiking trails. Val Roseg, a mountain valley in the Grisons, boasts many highlights and is an ideal destination for a three-day hike from guesthouse to guesthouse.

The “Gaulihütte”, a little mountain hut in the Bernese alps is remote. Surrounded by mountain peaks there are no signs of civilitation. There is no cell service. And only a five-hour hike and some 1600 meters of altitude gain lead this beautiful little refuge. It is the perfect place for resetting – or taking on more challenging adventures.

With the impressing Mount Säntis dominating the scene the Alpstein is one of Switzerlands most iconic mountain ranges and has become popular with the instagrammers the past few years. I finally found the time to explore the area for myself with a beautiful two-day hike featuring a cosy guesthouse on a mountain top, hiking along steep ridges and swimming in icy cold lakes.

So I thought it might be fun to hike the Hardergrat in the Bernese Alps by myself. Turns out it was mostly type two fun: It was the most terrifying, exposed and strenuous hike I ever did. It was however also one of the most beautiful ones. Here’s to 10 hours of testing my limits and getting some amazing views in return.