Mettelhorn

In July 2026 I finally made it to the summit of the Mettelhorn (yes, Mettelhorn, not Matterhorn). The hike had lingered on my list for years. In 2024, two weeks before my trip, a flash flood tore away sections of the trail along the Trift gorge and wreaked considerable havoc in Zermatt itself. In 2025, the day I had set aside for the hike it dawned grey and drizzling. This year the weather obliged — almost too generously. I had arrived in the thick of summer's third heatwave: 36°C in Zürich, 28°C in Zermatt, and even high in the mountains the temperature refused to fall below 24°C. It felt less like the Alps than like hiking Canyonlands in Utah in late spring. To compound matters, I had entirely forgotten that I could have bought a 1.5-litre bottle of water at the Hotel Trift, about one third into the hike, sparing my shoulders that much weight on the way up.

The Mettelhorn — or Platthorn — ranks among the most spectacular hikes in Switzerland, and among the most demanding. From Zermatt at 1,620 metres, the route grinds upward through some 1,800 metres of ascent to a summit at 3,406 metres. It is roughly 11.5 km to the top, making for a round trip of about 24 km, depending on where your hotel sits. No cable cars scar this side of Zermatt, and no ski pistes either, which is precisely why it is my favourite flank of the valley. I tackled it as a day hike, setting off at 8:30 and returning at 18:30. An earlier start would have been preferable, but breakfast at my hotel wasn't served until 7:30, and I wasn't willing to forgo it, knowing what lay in store. The wiser plan is probably to break the walk with a night at the Hotel Trift, which also lets you fold the Edelweissweg into the descent.

Close-up of one of many waterfalls in the Trift gorge.

This is about 30 minutes climbing from Hotel Trift, near a plateau. If you're planning to hike the Edelweissweg I highly recommend adding a short detour for these views.

The views get better and better the higher you climb...

..and better and better until...

... you finally reach the saddle, which opens up entirely different views. Time for a short break and a slice of apricot pie.

I took out my camera to take some photos while crossing the glacier. Two other hikers had told me that it was possible to cross the glacier without crampons, otherwise I would have climbed Platthorn, but that at some sections I would sink knee deep into the snow. If I hadn't known this in advance I might have been a little worried.

It looks so easy, but the last 200 meters were a bit of a struggle.

One more photo before embarking on the final stretch...

The views from the top of Mettelhorn are breathtaking especially on a day like this.

The view to the other side of the valley: in the foreground to the right Rothorn, in the middle Oberrothorn, which I climbed the next day.

Did I already mention that the views from Mettelhorn are nothing short of spectacular?

I didn't climb to the top of Platthorn, seen here in the foreground of the picture, because I wanted to be absolutely sure that I had enough energy left for the way down.

On the way down I made another brief stop on the snow covered glacier.

It's a long, long way back to Zermatt.

On the way up or down from the saddle: just follow the blue-white signs.

Looking back with an immense sense of satisfaction.

The Triftbach at the bottom of the gorge near the edge of town. Back in Zermatt I bought a well-deserved ice cream at the gelateria opposite the church. After a quick shower I finished the day with dinner at one my favorite restaurants in Zermatt, Bazaar at the Cervo Mountain Resort.