Day 0
Gear Check in Zermatt, Switzerland. Our guides will double check that you have all the right gear for the trip and help you minimize weight, decide on the perfect layers, and choose how much food and water to bring.
Day 1
We’ll get a casual start, making sure that we have all the necessary gear before we take the Gondola from Zermatt to Schwarzsee. From the Gondola we'll hike from to the Hornli Hut (about 2.5 hours) where we'll settle into our bunks and organize our gear for the climb before enjoying an excellent dinner from the hut cooks. After dinner and desert, we'll get to bed early for the next day's alpine start.
Day 2
A predawn start will leave us time for a long day of climbing at altitude. We’ll start with a hot breakfast from the hut, gear up and head out for the summit via the Hornli Ridge Route. We’ll climb just under 4,000' (1200m) of alpine rock and snow to reach the summit of the Matterhorn. From our high point, we’ll descend back to Hornli Hut where we’ll enjoy freshly cooked food and cold drinks.
Day 3
We’ll get breakfast at the Hut, descend back to the gondola and take the lift back to town when the tram opens in the morning.