UK Mountains Expedition Report

For a self-declared spaghetti hater, choosing a trek which is commonly known as the 'Spaghetti Tour' would, on the face of it, seem rather odd, however, as will be explained, spaghetti only featured once in the entire trip and ironically, it was in the hotel in Zermatt!

The tour itself starts and finishes in Zermatt and is known as the Italian Haute Route, so as not to confuse it with the Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route. This Haute Route circumnavigates the Monte Rosa Massif and spends a considerable time above 3,000m and a decent amount of time above 4,000m. Clearly not for the faint hearted.

It was a very early start, we left at 4am for the drive down to Heathrow. I was flying BA from Terminal 5. Basically, Terminal 5 IS BA.

After the bag drop and tedious security checks - the officer managed to complain that I had not emptied my pockets - there was a piece of paper in one of them! - I headed to the 'B' gate which seemed to take an age and involved a long walk and a transit train. How they expect you to do that in the time between announcing the gate number and getting there, I do not know. Anyway, I arrived in time and in due course we boarded.

At Geneva, security once again took an age and in fact, all of our bags were waiting when we got to the carousel.

Soon away, I located a ticket office and purchased my ticket to Zermatt. I'd had the foresight to purchase a half price card. It cost £113 but I immediately saved £50 on the first ticket and in fact went on to save well over £130 during the trip. It would have been more, but of course, several of the cable cars were in Italy which is not included in the deal.

The train was waiting when I got onto the platform and I immediately boarded, unfortunately I didn't see the 'First Class' sign and it was several stations later that the ticket inspector came along, told me of my error and charged me for the first class fare to the next station! I then moved into second class and realised just how poor it was in comparison. I had initially thought that the Swiss trains were very nice!

One thing to be aware of, there is no buffet car or trolly service and I hadn't purchased anything to drink so was quite thirsty.

Due to various railway works, we arrived at Visp 15 minutes late which was unfortunate as I only had 20 minutes to change platforms and trains.

No time to buy a drink!

The Zermatt train was also waiting and I made it with ease, settling into what I confirmed to be second class.

It is part normal train, part funicular and as the journey progressed, we steadily gained altitude right the way to Zermatt, arriving about 20 minutes late! Swiss trains may well depart on time, but they most definitely do not run on time!

It was around 20 minutes walk to the hotel along busy streets. To say it is car free does not really tell the story of Zermatt. There may be no cars but there are lots of little electric shuttle vehicles, lots of electric bikes and lots of tourists so danger lurks everywhere and is silent! It had been around thirty years since I was last in Zermatt, that time was to climb the Matterhorn which dominates the head of the valley. I can only vaguely remember walking through the streets to catch the cable car up towards the hut.

Eventually I got to the very pleasant Hotel Aristella and got to my room with the minimum of fuss.

Dumping my gear, I headed down for a well earned beer and relax outside in the afternoon sunshine.

That done, I decided to stock up on some food to be able to make lunches for the next few days and found an excellent, reasonably priced supermarket where I got my supplies.

Back to the hotel via a quick recee of the station for tomorrow's walk, I deposited my foodstuff and headed down for dinner which, as I am on half-board, is included.

The meal was okay, but nothing special. The soup was an odd taste, main course was steak and chips, but the steak was just compressed beef. Dessert was again, okay, but nothing special, although I did feel quite full afterwards.

The water that was served was not part of meal deal as I discovered when I got up to leave and was told by a shirty waiter that I needed to pay.

I've already noticed how expensive it is here, a half litre of beer is CHF8.50 and the bottle of water I had CHF6.50. It's slightly less than parity for the exchange rate.

Overnight: Hotel, Altitude: 1,620m, High point: 1,620m

After a breakfast of croissants and juice, I was about to leave when I spotted the scrambled eggs and bacon! Disaster. Walking out I promised myself double helpings tomorrow. Kit sorted I headed out of the hotel and in the direction of the funicular to Sunnegga about five minutes walk from the hotel.

The funicular is unusual in that it is totally underground, so you get in, it heads up a tunnel angled at about 40 degrees and you pop out into bright sunlight on the mountain.

There is a connecting chairlift to Blauherd, but I decided to walk it as part of my acclimatisation. The signpost claimed one hour to walk it and as I looked up, I thought it unlikely I would be there in one hour. Heading up, it was quite steep but on a good track and I made progress, stopping at one point to get my walking poles out.

After about 25 minutes and a couple of photos stops, I spotted a cable car station and realised that the one I had seen initially was actually the Rothorn about 600m higher!

I arrived at Blauherd in just 40 minutes so happy with that.

My walk was to follow the 5 lakes tour which I mostly did, but took an extension, initially upwards towards the Rothorn, but then changed my mind, it was only day 1 after all.

Passing the first of the lakes, I continued onward to Fluhalp and then beyond, now on the Crystal walk. I decided that 2,700m would be my high point of the day and on reaching that, looked around for somewhere to take a break. Duly found, I ate some food, drank some water and relaxed for a while. I quickly regretted not bringing my mat, so vowed to purchase one in Zermatt.

After a short break, I headed off, but not before taking a look over the nearby rock wall. It was quite a sight, including an almost dry lake. Clearly the wall had been carved out by the glacier, which has retreated alarmingly, leaving a huge scar from where it used to be.

Back off the wall, I returned to Fluhalp and picked up the 5 lakes tour again, dropping down to the beautiful lake Grindjisee where I decided to stop for lunch.

That done, I headed off on the path which was not the 5 lakes tour but met it soon enough. I decided to stay high, rather than drop to the next lake as it was clearly nothing more than a small reservoir. Following this path for a while I rounded a corner and saw Sunnegga station again, and the final lake. There were dozens of people milling around and my initial thoughts were to pass through and up to the station, but on arrival, it was clearly some kind of organised party. I discovered it was in fact, the Swiss National Day and the beer and food was free - well, it would have been disrespectful not to have a beer!

I sat in the sun enjoying my drink when an announcer told us that the live music was about to start. I sat in the sun enjoying it all until I decided it was too hot and my bum ached from being on the hard ground. Definitely need a mat!

Back at the station I caught the train back down - they run every 5-10 minutes, then walked back to the hotel for a drink, shower and relax before heading off into Zermatt for a look around. I went via the Schwartsee station to check it out as I plan to take it tomorrow and walk up to the Hornli Hut. All good.

Zermatt was, of course, heaving with people but I found a very quiet little lane that had wooden huts precariously balanced in large stone circles. I discovered the stones were to stop rats and mice from climbing up and into the barns. Apparently they were ancient seed barns and cattle sheds dating back to the 1600s - they looked it too! I also found a wonderful looking bar, but sadly closed, despite the notice saying it was open Fridays and Saturdays.

I continued into the main tourist area and found a few souvenir shops which were filed away for a future visit. I also found a quiet cafe so stopped for coffee and cake, then off to Decathlon to purchase a mat. Finally back to the hotel where I set my alarm and promptly fell asleep.

Dinner was, eventually, very nice, but as I am on half-board, is a very limited choice, tonight, there were two choices, both spaghetti! I discussed it with the waiter and we agreed to change it to lamb. That was excellent, as was the salad starter and the Coupe Denmark (basically, cream, ice cream and chocolate).

That done, it was diary, lunch preparation and early night feeling very fat.

Overnight: Hotel, Altitude: 1,620m, High point: 2,700m

I wanted to get some altitude today, and had planned to take a cable car trip up to Schwartzee and then walk up to the Hornlihutte. Excellent plan, apart from one slight problem, the mountains were covered with cloud. I decided to go anyway.

Walking up to the cable car station, it was a bit dreary but not actually raining.

The chair lift was excellent, taking me all the way to 2,600m where it was totally in cloud and wouldn't you know it, no signposts for the hut.

I took a few minutes to figure it out and headed off, hoping I was going in the right direction. Very shortly I had to stop to put on waterproofs. It wasn't actually raining but there was so much humidity I figured I'd get soaked otherwise.

After 45 minutes or so I came to a higher cable car station which did have signs. I was on the right track!

The hut was signposted as 1 hour and forty five minutes which would give me an estimated arrival after 2 hours and 30 minutes. I set off.

The first section was on a reasonable gradient and I made good progress. Then it started going up at quite a steep climb. Not being able to see much, I couldn't work out how far I'd come, so just used my altimeter, knowing the hut was just over 3,200m.

Eventually I spotted it and a few minutes later arrived on the terrace. Straight in. Removing my waterproofs I headed over and ordered coffee and a Snickers. Expensive at CHF 7. The coffee was horrid. I added some sugar to take away some of the bitterness.

Luckily for humans, acclimatisation doesn't actually require us to do anything except go to altitude so I sat around for an hour before deciding to start back down.

The descent was straightforward, steep in places but not stupid and as I descended, the clouds cleared and I could see the mountains around me. After about 20 minutes I stopped for lunch, enjoying the view and my newly purchased mat.

Onward and downward I made my way back. At times I wondered if I was on the right path as I didn't recognise anything, but then realised it was because the ascent had been in the mist and I'd not been able to see much anyway.

Rounding a corner, I could see Schwartzee below me and the whole of the Zermatt valley and the mountains beyond that I'd walked up yesterday. I was shocked to see the amount that the glaciers had receded. I sat for a while taking in the view before completing the walk to the restaurant. Not hungry, I had a coffee and a bottle of water and was somewhat shocked to receive a bill for CHF 12.50! I took my time, watching the Matterhorn come and go in the clouds before heading off to the cable car and the short journey back down to Zermatt.

After a shower and snooze, I headed down to the hotel reception area where I met up with my fellow travellers; David, a Scotsman and experienced mountaineer, and our guide Paul. We chatted about various things before heading in to dinner. More mountain related chatter over dinner. Afterwards, we headed down to the hotel basement where we collected the gear we required, in my case a harness and a couple of Karabiners. I had everything else, although I did weigh my axe and crampons against those available and was pleasantly surprised to discover mine were a very similar weight to the modern stuff, so happy with that, I kept my own gear. Paul told us he would come to the hotel in the morning around 8:30am

Overnight: Hotel, Altitude: 1,620m, High point: 3,260m

A relatively late start, we left the hotel around 9am and walked up to the Matterhorn cable car, which we took right the way up to the Trockner Steg. From there it was 4km up to the Teodulo hut at 3,300m. It only took 1 hour and 40 minutes so after sorting our room and bed, we had lunch, then spent some time practising rope crevasse rescue on the terrace, then went down onto the glacier for some more practice including crampons and taking rope loops - something I had done in the past but needed the refresher.

Back up to the hut it was free time, spent rearranging gear which will no doubt get rearranged several times before the day is done.

Feeling pretty good at the moment. The walk up was easy enough. Boots mildly uncomfortable - I'm wearing my Scarpa Mantas which I rarely wear so not surprising.

I was warm enough in a T-shirt and Stellar mid layer.

Dinner was a three course affair and very nice, in fact too much.

It's noticeably cheaper - we have crossed into Italy, with a picnic being €12, a Cappucino at €3 but oddly enough a can of Diet Coke was €7 and more expensive than the equivalent wine!

Oh yes, the bedroom is on the first floor, the toilet is in the basement! That will be fun in the night.

Breakfast is at 6:30am.

Overnight: Teodulo Hut, Altitude: 3,300m, High point: 3,300m

We had a 6:30am breakfast. I was awake anyway, mostly because I'd had a dreadful nights sleep which annoyed me because I'd deliberately not had a snooze in the afternoon.

I just had muesli and some sort of juice for breakfast, my appetite has already started to abandon me!

We were away not long after 7am for the walk back down to Trockner Steg. It wasn't as cold as I was expecting but still I needed my gore tex and gloves. About half way down in warmed up enough to remove them.

Arriving at 8:15 we had a 15 minute wait for the cable car to open but as soon as it did we were off to Klein Matterhorn. We put on crampons, harnesses and what we thought we needed but as soon as we came outside it was obvious it wouldn't be enough as it was quite cold so on went the gore tex and gloves again. I also replaced my Tilly hat for a beanie.

The Breithorn (4,160m) is described as easy but it's a good hard climb on quite steep snow. There are a couple of turns on a zig zag climb - it would be very severe if attempted direct. We went roped up in case of falls. Occasionally the wind picked up which made it really cold and I had to add my liner gloves which I had carefully put into my pockets.

The final summit ridge was soon upon us and we crested the rise. The wind was howling and there was zero view so we didn't stay more than a few minutes before heading off. Dave managed to lose his hat in the wind but Paul rescued it, then dropped his pole so had to go after that! The plan was a second peak but along the way we changed our minds as it was very cold and cloudy. Heading back up slightly we picked up the path that would bring us back down to almost the foot of the climb before turning left and heading off across the glacier underneath the twin peaks of Castor and Pollox.

It was a long slog across and we could see our destination below but couldn't drop straight down as it was a huge crevesse field. Right along to the end then right and down, eventually coming to the final boulders that led onto the terrace of the hut.

It seems like a very popular hut with people everywhere. Paul soon organised us and we went to our rooms. Wouldn't you know it, three flights up from the ground with the toilets in the basement!

We sat and had some lunch and a chat, then we headed off for a nap. I figured I may as well as I won't sleep well tonight and at least I'll get some sleep. I slept like a baby for an hour and a half.

Dinner was the usual three course affair, but I mostly picked at it, trying to force food down because I knew I would need it.

Nothing to do after dinner but to head to bed, get organised for the next day and try to get some sleep.

Overnight: Ayas Hut, Altitude: 3,420m, High point: 4,160m

Today was an up and down day, or rather down, up, down.

We had an early breakfast, 6:00am. As it was downhill over rocky ground, no crampons, axes or, in my case, walking poles were needed.

Very quickly it got too warm, so hat, gloves and gore tex came off. Not too long after that, so did my mid-layer.

We made it down to the Mezzalama hut at 3,000m in around an hour and stopped for what turned out to be the biggest coffee I have ever had.

From there, suitably refreshed, it was more downhill until, two hours after leaving the hut, we reached the low point of 2,400m, at which point we turned left and headed up for the big climb to the col. This was an epic exhausting three hour climb, walking and scrambling over big boulders, loose rock and scree, which eventually bought us to the ridge at 3,100m.

From there we descended again to the cable car station at 2,700m. A drink and a spot of relaxing waiting for it to open at 2pm when we headed down to the valley of Stafal, then another cable car up to the short walk to the magnificent Gabiet hut, our home for the night.

It is an excellent hut, we have a two-bed room with toilets and showers a few steps away.

Shower and clothes wash was the next task, then we sat out in the sunshine enjoying a beer.

Later, a nap for an hour or so, then a huge dinner.

It was more or less straight to bed afterwards.

Overnight: Gabiet Hut, Altitude: 2,357m, High point: 3,420m

We got away at 7:45am. No point leaving earlier as first thing we took a cable car and then a cabin and they didn't start until 8:00am. It was a 10 minute walk.

At the top we then had about 1 1/2 hours walk over mixed terrain including one section requiring crampons. Another very rocky section was tough going but eventually the hut came into view.

A coffee and mars bar stoked me up for the days climb. The hut was a jumping off point for a couple of 4,000m peaks and there were boxes to leave gear, so out went everything we didn't need. Even so, my pack didn't feel all that light.

It was a long slog up, crampons on and poles out. Eventually we crested Pyramid Vincent at 4,215m. We had awesome views all around. It wasn't too cold but I still had mid layer and gore tex on.

Our next destination was the Balmenhorn (4,167m) which was mostly a descent, a traverse across a col and a small climb, which felt huge, up to the base of the rocks. From there, we dumped packs, poles and crampons and ascended via a rope and staples. There is a Jesus statue and a small bivvy hut at the top.

Twenty minutes later we started down, picked up our gear and walked down for just over an hour back to the hut.

I felt totally wiped out and soon went for a sleep. After that, some admin, a clean up and complete change of clothes I began to feel a bit better although still not 100%.

Dinner was at 7pm.

Overnight: Mantova Hut, Altitude: 3,498m, High point: 4,215m

We had an early start at 6am and it was tough uphill from the get-go. Following the route we did yesterday, we passed underneath the Balmenhorn towards our first 4,000m peak of the day, the Ludwigshohe at 4,341m.

From there, we descended into a col and began the big slog up to the Parrotspitze. I had been feeling rough all day, not coping well with the altitude but eventually we got there. It is a proper knife-edge summit which felt quite intimidating so it was good to get off, although it was a steep and very thin descent.

At the bottom, we had a decision to make. I was exhausted and our overnight hut was about 300m higher than we currently were. Could I make it? I decided to give it a go and we slowly headed up, stopping just once to remove some extra layers as it had warmed up quite a bit.

It is a frustrating ascent, very gradual, but in some ways, better for tired legs. It does qualify as a 4,000m peak, called the Signalkuppe, and in fact, the hut is the highest building in Europe at 4,552m.

I was delighted to reach the hut and get my kit off. Once checked in, I had a coffee then went to our room and fell asleep for four hours. I might not get a good nights sleep but I think I'm getting enough rest.

Awake, I set about reorganising my kit which had just been thrown in to my pack, then headed down for a drink and to take a few photos.

Dinner was quite nice, soup followed by chicken and chips. I managed it reasonably well.

I was in bed by 8:30 doing my best to sleep. The alarm was set for 5:45am.

Overnight: Margherita Hut, Altitude: 4,552m, High point: 4,552m

I didn't feel much like breakfast but managed a bowl of cornflakes.

I'd decided I wouldn't join the other two on their morning climb as I still felt pretty tired so waited at the hut for half an hour, geared up and headed down to meet them.

It was an easy, but cold descent to the col.

I dropped my pack and headed in the direction of their climb where I felt totally drained very quickly which confirmed my decision was a good one.

Regrouped we headed down the Grenz glacier. It was somewhat crevassed and took some negotiating before we reached the rocks at the bottom. Even there it was hard going over the boulders but finally the hut came into view and 20 minutes later we were getting our boots off and finding our room.

The hut is huge! Very well equipped with proper toilets, not holes in the ground, showers, comfy beds and an excellent dining room, probably the best hut of the entire trip.

Admin done we headed down for lunch. I decided to have an omelette as I'd felt quite hungry coming down and felt like I could eat something. I did and very nice it was too.

The afternoon was spent relaxing, reading, drinking coffee and generally chilling out, admiring the views - the Matterhorn was directly ahead of us, and looking very impressive.

Overnight: Monte Rosa Hut, Altitude: 2,880m, High point: 4,552m

Today was described as a walk down to the Gornergrat station. In my head, that meant downhill all the way. How wrong can you be?

Out of the hut around 6:45am we did indeed step down onto a rocky moraine. We then spent the next hour or more hopping from rock to rock slowly making our way across it, and in fact when we came to the end of it we were higher than when we started!

From there, we had a significant glacier to cross which required crampons and poles. As with most glaciers, it was far from straightforward and we weaved our way across up and down looking for the best route.

Eventually we got to the far side, still no lower than the hut. Crampons off, we followed a good track that, far from heading down, was trending upwards. This was not the plan!

At one point, Paul, our guide got ahead of us as we were stopped by a family who wanted to know whether they could walk to the hut - the gear they had, it was a definite no. They then asked a bunch of questions and by the time we'd finished, Paul was well out of sight. No worries, we just had to walk to the Gornergrat.

Soon enough we came to a station garden and saw a sign pointing up the hill to Gornergrat station. That must be it. The next 20 minutes or more was a real slog uphill with the station nowhere to be seen. Finally it appeared and we climbed the last 100m of ascent.

We'd finished, but were 200m higher than our start point and my watch claimed over 700m of ascent!

Paul was nowhere to be seen so we called him. It transpired that he'd waited for about half an hour (at the lower station) then continued down, assuming correctly that we'd gone to the wrong one. Tickets purchased we got on the next train and enjoyed the trip down, reuniting with Paul in Zermatt.

We said our 'thank yous' and 'goodbyes' then Dave and I headed for the hotel. It was only lunchtime but with typical Swiss efficiency, our rooms were ready and our suitcases already installed.

Before going up, we enjoyed a celebratory beer in the lobby.

I set about making a mess in my room before showering and heading out for food and souvenirs, plus supplies for the journey home tomorrow. Experience had already taught me that Swiss trains do not have a buffet car.

Back at the hotel I attempted to tidy up and sort out which I did slowly before a second shower and heading down for dinner.

We were both pretty tired so after dinner it was bedtime. I was in by 9pm and almost straight to sleep.

Overnight: Hotel, Altitude: 1,620m, High point: 3,085m

As I didn't need to be at the airport until around 5pm and the train journey just over four hours, I had plenty of time.

Dave and I had breakfast together, taking second helpings - my appetite seems to have returned. Afterwards we headed off to our rooms to do the final packing.

I walked up to the delicatessan shop to buy a sandwich for the journey to go with my provisions already purchased. When I got back, I was treated, if that is the right word to an alpine horn ensemble playing something I didn't recognise. It was a fitting farewell I felt.

Finally by around 11am I was bored so set off for the short walk to the station. A wheely suitcase is a must in Zermatt!

My planned train was 12:30pm but I caught an earlier one, intending to sit at Visp for a while, just a change of scenery. As I had a half price card, I decided on one final treat, I would travel First Class! The train down from Zermatt passes through some wonderful countryside and it is a treat just to look out of the window.

Visp is the interchange between the mountain funicular and the main line. I sat for around 45 minutes until my train arrived. Knowing more about the Swiss railway system, I was able to wait at the exact point on the platform where the First Class would stop. It did and I got on, made myself comfortable and got my lunch out.

The journey went well with no hold ups or stops and I was soon at Geneva Airport. As luck would have it, BA allowed check in three hours before the flight so I was able to drop my suitcase off straight away. I went off, looking for a place to relax, finish my drink and have some more food before going through security.

Genevas security was straightforward - we could learn a thing or two! The rest of the time was spent sitting and reading before boarding time. One hour and fifteen minutes later I was at Heathrow. What a drama! UK Border control was overwhelmed with hundreds of people trying to get through. Finally we made it and I collected my suitcase. It had taken an hour from landing to exit arrivals - almost the same time it took to fly from Geneva!

After a few days at home, I reflected on my trip. Did I enjoy it? I'd say mostly yes, but it is relentless, with tough days pretty much every day and a considerable amount of time spent at altitude which did nothing for my appetite and other bodily functions. Having to walk down three flights of stairs to the loo in the night was a low point, but looking out over the awesome mountains was a high point and that happened most days. Apart from the first day, we had superb weather, sometimes cold, but no colder than expected, sometimes hot, but not so hot it was unbearable. The huts were a mixture, some excellent, others functional but overall good.

Did I take the right gear? I think so. There was nothing, other than my waterproof overtrousers that I didn't use at some point, and there was nothing that I wished I'd taken, so what did I take?

* I wore Fjellraven summer weight trousers, two pairs of socks, Scarpa Manta GTX boots, shreddies, a Mammut summer weight T-Shirt and a Stellar Equipment mid-layer. I wore a Tilly sun hat. That was my clothing setup for most days.

* In addition, at times I wore my Rab gore tex jacket for the cold and wind. I swapped my Tilly for a beanie on occasion of cold or high wind. I had a pair of silk liner gloves which I paired with either Rab sticky gloves or Rab waterproof cold weather gloves depending on the temperature.

* Only once did I resort to wearing a thermal top and that was only for an hour or so on one of the mornings.

* Climbing/walking equipment comprised crampons, Ice Axe, Walking Poles and a climbing harness.

* I carried and used a spare T-shirt, spare socks and several spare pairs of shreddies.

* I took general bathroom stuff; toothbrush and toothpaste, hand gel, wet wipes, tissues etc, plus Immodium, Paracetemol and Ibuprofen.

* I had a small charger kit for my phone.

* Other random items included a first aid kit, two water bottles of one litre and a half litre, a mat for sitting on, and a small supply of goodie bars and chocolate that got replenished at every opportunity, but not too much.

* For sleeping, I took a silk liner (duvets/blankets are provided) and a pillow case (pillows are provided). I guess technically, you could do without these, but what if the person that slept in that bed before you also did without?

Everything went into separate waterproof bags, partly in case of rain/snow but also to make finding stuff easier.

Would I do it again and would I recommend it? I probably wouldn't do it again, but that's only because there are so many other places to visit. Would I recommend it? Yes, with the caveat that it is relentlessly hard every day.