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What is the easiest way to get from the Zermatt train station to the trail head at Blauherd to hike the Marmot Trail? Is the closure of the Blauherd – Rothorn cable car effect getting to the Blauherd tail head from Zermatt? Once we get to Sunnegga do you suggest hiking back down to Zermatt or is there a cable car or funicular from Sunnegga back to Zermatt. Our only previous experience in Zermatt was the train to Gornergrat then hiking part of the way down. We will have Swiss Travel Passes. Is the restaurant at Berghaus Fluhalp worth the effort? Thanks for any help you can provide.
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When?
There is a gondola from sunnegga to Zermatt. Probably a good idea to take as it’s quite a steep downhill walk down to Zermatt. Mark
Probably late September or early October, 2019.
Sunnega is at about 2290 meters elevation and Blauherd is at 2574 meters. It is unlikely that thee will be snow on the trails, which is why I asked.
If you had said May or early June, trails at those altitudes might not be accessible.
Slowpoke
As long as this is planned for late June to 29 September there is no problem
The Marmot trail is only open in Summer (Marmots hibernate in winter). The trail starts at Blauherd and that is the highest point served by the Zermatt – Sunegga – Rothorn route in summer. (Blauherd up to Rothorn is only open in the ski season)
<<“Probably late September or early October, 2019.”>>
It seems that October, a possible date, won’t work.
Slowpoke
Well, bugger. Cannot get there any earlier then late September so that trail hike is no longer in the equation. Thanks for the response. Bugger.
All may not be lost.
I found a 2019 timetable for Zermatt – Sunnegga – Blauherd, and it runs up until 13 October 2019, although the Marmot trail website says the best months for the Marmot trail are June – to September
Thanks. I’ll grasp at any straw available. Can certainly get to Zermatt before October 13th.
<<“Thanks. I’ll grasp at any straw available. Can certainly get to Zermatt before October 13th.”>>
Good luck. Warmer weather is extending a lot of the tourist seasons.
Slowpoke
My thanks to everyone who responded to the posted question. Much appreciated. Just wanted to know if anyone has ever eaten at the Berhaus Flualp restaurant that appears to be very close to the Marmot Trail? Worth the effort? Tourist trap? Thanks again.
It’s one of several mountain hotels, huts and restaurants serving hikers, mountaineers and skiers around the Zermatt area. Expect traditional Swiss fare (pork, sausages, Rösti etc) . I’ve not frequented it when skiing as our family rendezvous were always on the Gornergrat or Matterhorn side of the ski area. It certainly isn’t a tourist trap in the same way that Titlis and Junfraujoch now are.
“Warmer weather is extending a lot of the tourist seasons.”
A synic might say that the warming is caused by all the carbon emissions from planes bringing tourists to Switzerland to see glaciers that are shrinking year on year due to warming…
<<“A synic might say that the warming is caused by all the carbon emissions from planes bringing tourists to Switzerland to see glaciers that are shrinking year on year due to warming…”>>
Indeed, a cynic might say that. They’d probably be more accurate if they blamed the flights within the USA, or between the USA and the UK and the rest of continental Europe, or flights within Asia.
My view is that Switzerland can help with the problem as you state it by raising prices t0 the point of reducing traffic into the country.
By the way, look into the existence of traffic by foot between the Lötschental and the Lütschinental, in the time of extensive global warming in the 1400’s ( if I have my century correct). Those trails were dry rock. They still have ice on them today.
I find it interesting to take a more historical perspective. I believe that there were few or no tourists flying to Switzerland then, when it was a very poor country. Still , the glaciers were melting. And, the Netherlands were flooding. Not sure about The Broads in East Anglia…
Slowpoke
I’m not sure airline traffic is much of a factor. According to the EPA, transportation accounts for just under 30% of CO2 emissions. Of that 30%, aircraft accounts for 9% or a little less than 3% total. Of course whether carbon emissions are responsible for global warming is a very different subject way above my pay grade. But at least in the press, there seem to be a lot of reportedly smart people who believe there is a strong connection.
Sorry moderators we may have ventured a little off subject. 😇🤐. Mark
Hi Mark-
You have made the critical point. What do the numbers say?
Slowpoke
Hi everyone,
The global warming discussion is indeed off topic here. Feel free to start a new thread as long as it’s mostly Switzerland related. Let me just say that the heat capturing effect of CO2 was discovered a very long time ago (Svante Arrhenius in 1895 I think). Adding more CO2 to the natural cycle of growing and dying trees (for example) is risky. By now it is a fact that human activity is causing rapid warming. We’ve now moved on to discussing the solutions rather than the problem, at least on a political and scientific level (yes, there are exceptions). I don’t think that we should stop traveling. But doing it responsibly and compensating for emissions that can’t be prevented helps a lot: http://www.myswissalps.com/ab outswitzerland/nature/ environment.
Even more off topic: the Netherlands were flooded because of storms. We have managed that quite good, but are looking at a future with more severe storms plus sea levels going up. The famous Delta Works will most probably not be sufficient anymore a few decades from now.
Hi Arno
As the Temptations sang on their 1970 classic “ Ball of Confusion “, RIGHT ON BROTHER, RIGHT ON. Mark
P.S. ssh….Arno please tell me it’s still ok if I fly business class. mark
Hi Mark,
Enjoy business class I’d say, and 1st class on the Swiss trains 🙂
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