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| Gornergrat to Sunnega via Weg der Stille, WW | | -
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| | Gornergrat to Sunnega via Weg der Stille, WW | | | |
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Gornergrat to Sunnega via Weg der Stille, WW
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| Hiking | 6.30 Miles |
759 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.30 Miles | 3 Hrs 57 Mns | | 2.00 mph |
| 759 ft AEG | 48 Mns Break | | | |
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| no linked trail guides |
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| no partners | | I took the Gornergrat Bahn to the end of the line, where there is an historic hotel and restaurant with a couple observatories for good measure. My plan was to hike the Weg der Stille (Way of Silence), connect with the 5 Seeweg (Five Lakes trail), and end in Sunnega to take the underground funicular back to Zermatt.
I bought the ticket in person. When I asked for a one way ticket the lady behind the counter was very insistent that I be aware that the trails from Gornergrat were closed, and that I should proceed at my own risk. She couldn’t elaborate on trail conditions beyond I’ll see what I’ll see, and I can always get a return ticket from the top.
I caught the second train of the day, which was not full. The views from the train were fantastic. Lots of people got off at the next-to-last station, so I got a better seat for the last stretch.
At the top it was cool but not chilly, surprising considering the elevation of over 10,000’ and being surrounded by glaciers. The views from Gornergrat did not disappoint. I spent about an hour exploring the area before looking for trailheads. The timing was perfect, as I was fixing to leave when the cogwheel railway began depositing crowds of other tourists in ever greater numbers.
For being closed, there were lots of hikers on the trails. Except the Weg der Stille, which seemed totally ignored. That fit perfectly with my plans for hiking in relative solitude. The trail was actually really hard to find despite the generally excellent signage. It was covered in snow (knee deep in places) and… construction equipment. It seems there is a project for adding a cable car at Gornergrat, so the contractor used the Weg der Stille as a staging area.
Once I figured out I had to traverse the construction site, and managed to locate the single track leading down the mountain (which was buried in snow), the rest of the hike was pretty pleasant. I didn’t quite get the “lost in the wilderness” vibe thanks to pistes, cable cars, hotels, and tourist helicopters. But it was pretty quiet and I almost felt like I had the Alps to myself.
The first mile wasn’t that great, but it got lots better after. The views are pretty spectacular everywhere along this hike (even the first mile). You have the Matterhorn as an almost constant hiking buddy (often behind but usually no more than a glance away). There are occasional “lakes” that are more like ponds. If you’re lucky and the water is still, you can position yourself to snap the Matterhorn’s reflection in the water.
Wifey and I decided to meet in Sunnegga for lunch, so I cut the hike a little shorter to take a more direct path. This meant I would only see two of the five lakes on the 5 Seeweg up close, two at a distance, and miss the best one altogether. But it worked out; after lunch we took the cable car to Blauherd and walked the mile to Stellisee, which is the highest of the five lakes and the one I’d missed.
It was a good day. |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Lots below tree line, and even some little ones above. |
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