Discovery Trail (Nr. 145)
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/ Winter wonderland on the way to FindelnPhoto: Zermatt Tourismus, Marc Weiler -
/ Whoever remains quite may see a squirrelPhoto: Zermatt Tourismus, Dominic Fux
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/ SchneeschuhwandernVideo: Zermatt Tourismus
The tour leads through a Swiss stone pine forest, where these ancient, gnarled trees along with larches line the snowshoe path. The objective is to find the Findeln hamlet, which is famous for its mountain restaurant and its inviting sunny terraces.
The forest is in part barren because the larch trees have dropped their needles. These fell from the larch branches at the beginning of winter and now lie dormant under the snow. If there is little snow, they add red colour to the ground cover. The old Swiss stone pine trees remain green and stand still in the crystal-clear winter air. Whoever remains absolutely still and does not move during a tour might see a squirrel or even deer.
Outstanding view of the Matterhorn in Findeln.
- Pink poles mark the route approx. every 100 m
- Guided tours bookable through the Zermatters
Author’s recommendation
Start the hike early in order to be able to enjoy the sun in the hamlet of Findeln for a longer period of time.
Rest Stop
FindlerhofEnzian
Safety information
- Plan every mountain tour carefully and adapt to participants’ fitness level as well as the weather and season.
- Weather conditions can change quickly in the mountains. Appropriate clothing is therefore essential, along with adequate supplies of food and water. In uncertain weather, turn back in good time.
- Inform others of planned route, and whenever possible avoid going alone.
- Do not leave the marked routes.
- It is forbidden to walk on the ski pistes.
- Please be considerate to other walkers and to plants and animals.
The snowshoe trails can be tackled without a mountain guide. Beware: they are not prepared in any way and are not controlled daily; nor are they secured from natural hazards such as avalanches or rockfalls. For safety, check the weather forecast and current avalanche bulletin.
All snowshoeing is at one’s own risk.
Equipment
We recommend:
- Good, waterproof footwear
- Snowshoes
- Hiking poles
- Warm winter clothing appropriate for the weather
Tips, hints and links
Start
Destination
Turn-by-turn directions
Riffelalp - direction Grünsee - Findeln
(Hiking time in reverse direction: approx. 1h 40)
Tip: You can also make a detour to the lake Grünsee with restaurant.
Note
Public transport
By train to the Matterhorn village: 3½ hours from Zürich airport or 4 hours from Geneva airport. Change at Visp onto the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (Matterhorn Gotthard Railway). From Visp, the railway leads through the Mattertal valley past idyllic small villages to Zermatt.Zermatt is also the start and finish point for the world-famous Glacier Express panoramic train journey (Zermatt to St. Moritz or Davos).
Getting there
Zermatt is car-free. Private vehicles are permitted only as far as Täsch (5 km before Zermatt). The Täsch–Zermatt road is closed to the public.Onward travel to Zermatt is either by private taxi or shuttle train. Trains depart every 20 minutes; the journey takes about 12 minutes, and ends at the Bahnhofplatz in Zermatt.
Parking
Täsch has car parks with both covered and open-air parking – e.g. at the Matterhorn Terminal or privately operated facilities.Onward travel: see “Getting there”.
Statistics
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