The Matterhorn is a glorious sight.
How Can Such a Majestic Mountain Affect Each Visitor So Profoundly?
I have always had a love affair with mountains. To me they are an illustration of God’s magnificence. The Creator has molded such marvelous works for us to enjoy. Mountains radiate beauty, serenity, and a sense of AWE.
They challenge us to reach new heights and boost our self esteem. Climbing let me know that I am “good enough”. The latter is an issue I’ve battled since childhood. My own mother said, “You don’t have what it takes . . .”
On my first visit to Zermatt, Switzerland I was with a mountaineering club. We had been climbing the highest peaks of Germany, Austria, and Italy. Now we intended to climb the Matterhorn.
Only electric vehicles or horse-drawn buggies travel within this historic village. Most visitors come here by train. Cobble stone streets wind past typical Swiss shops. Chalets house restaurants and hotels. Many come to relax, eat great food and bask in the unique ambience.
Zermatt sits in a valley. You can hike a steep trail or take a cable car up to the alpine meadows and a view of the Alps. Most tourists marvel at the picturesque scenery. Cameras taking pictures are a common sight. Goats amble through the main street every afternoon.
The only indicator that you are in the Alps when in town is the spectacular image of the Matterhorn. That mountain dominates everything. I had been training an entire year to climb that peak.
Our group stayed at the Hotel Orion. We ate a filling meal of boiled potatoes dipped in fondue cheese. White wine complimented our food. We weren’t rich tourists but poor hikers and mountaineers.
The leader chose the roster of climbers to ascend that mountain the next day. I wasn’t on the list. I appealed to him twice, but the answer was the same. While the chosen ones hiked up to the Hornli Hutte, the rest of us set out to climb the Breithorn. It was a fine day with an excellent view of the Matterhorn.
As soon as we returned to Zermatt, I walked into the Alpine Guides’ office where I booked a guide. I was to meet him the following afternoon at the Hornli Hutte. My roommate reserved a guide for herself. We went back to the hotel to pack our mountaineering gear.
Lois and I set out the next morning and took a cable car up to the alpine ridge. The Swiss Alps seemed to stretch to infinity. It was a long slog along rocky terrain, a 5 mile trek taking a good 4 hours.
A British climber stumbled past. His face was sad and his body slumped, still tied to his guide. I thought, “What is it about that mountain that would affect a climber that way?”
That afternoon we reached the Austrian and Swiss Huts. Inside the Austrian Hut I saw a climber in tears, slurping his soup. Again I paused, “What is it about the Matterhorn to cause grown men to cry?”
Our group was still on the mountain at 5 pm. When they did descend, they acted like zombies. I had to spoon feed a friend of mine at dinner, he was so “blown away.” It is difficult to find the route without a guide.
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We jumped out of bed at 3:30 am, awakened by a French horn. After breakfast my guide, Berni Julen, introduced himself and checked my gear. At 4:30 am we left the Hut with headlamps turned on. It was pitch black outside.
My guide tied a six foot length of rope to my harness. I felt like a dog. He set a good pace. I had no trouble keeping up with him. The dawn bathed the mountain in hues of purple, blue, rose and pink. We paused at the Solvay Hutte for water and snacks.
“You are like a chamois,” he said, “I can’t hear your boots. You are a dancer on the rock.” We continued to climb in daylight. I felt like a kid. I love climbing on rocks. We moved steady and fast. We were the third climbers that day to reach the summit.
On the descent the other guides shook my hand congratulating me, as they drew near with their clients. “Tell your group you did it the right way.” They had fretted the evening before that they might have to rescue my club’s climb party.
Before we returned to the Hornli Hut, Berni told me to run past an avalanched slope of jumbled rock. It was an area where many climbers died. You have to be down off the Matterhorn before noon. She spits rocks frozen at night that become thawed by the sun.
I was jubilant. I had successfully summited the Matterhorn.
Famished, I ate a huge lunch in the tourist cafe before taking the cable car down. My roommate had to turn back at the rescue hut. She had waited and was happy for me. At the hotel, I stripped out of my clothes, crawled into bed and fell asleep upon hitting the pillow.
She spread the word to the rest of the group that I had summited in record time. Everyone congratulated me at dinner. The leader apologized for not believing in my ability. (I was so glad I wasn’t part of the initial group’s climb.) I had a much more enjoyable and safe experience.
I spent the following day wandering alpine trails past tiny villages. With a constant view of the Matterhorn, I had trouble comprehending my achievement. It all seemed to happen so fast. I praised God for helping me meet my goal. While enjoying a hot toddy and apple strudel at a quaint Chalet, an alpine horn sounded throughout the hills.
I have fallen in love with the Alps of Switzerland. I could have easily emigrated if it weren’t for the fact that I had a family in America. The simple peasants of the alpine villages are my kind of people.
It is estimated that over 500 alpinists have died on the Matterhorn, making it one of the deadliest peaks in the world. Wikipedia
This post is written in a response to the prompt “Majestic Mountains” by Dr. Preeti Singh.
Please read the three articles I am recommending below. You’re sure to enjoy their words. Let the writers know your thoughts.
Katie Michaelson lists several instances of showing kindness in this world.
https://readmedium.com/are-you-ready-to-read-about-kindness-f92189c6b408
Josephine Crispin reminds us that events that seem to suggest failure may be instead a door to another opportunity.
https://readmedium.com/a-fall-is-not-a-fail-bdf0e6700f61
Jan Sebastian shares her unique humor & funny video clips showing her dogs’ antics.
jmacgallery.medium.com/those-crazy-pets-gotta-love-em-75dfaa752ee6?
