Zermatt Switzerlnd

Christmas vacation 2013 may be our last Christmas living with such easy access to so many different countries.   Therefore, we wanted to leave the kids with a lasting impression of Europe.  Reed, being an avid skier, has always dreamed about skiing in the Swiss Alps.  Since we're a family of skiers with a love for outdoors, the Swiss Alps sounded perfect.   Zermatt, Switzerland was rated as the top destination for a skiing vacation when we were researching Switzerland.  Thus, Christmas 2013 was all about skiing in Zermatt.

History about Zermatt

Zermatt, Switzerland was a little farming village surrounded by many large mountains with twenty- nine of their mountains soaring over 13,000 feet high.   As a matter of fact, Zermatt is home to nine out of the ten highest mountains in all of Europe with the Matterhorn being the highest mountain of that group at 14,692 Feet.  These mountains are what first drew people to Zermatt around the 1860s.  Mountaineers from all around the world came to conquer and climb the well known mountains in Zermatt.  Consequently, tourism began and Zermatt grew into a popular destination during the summer months.  The winter months in Zermatt were not a tourist destination until around 1928, when Zermatt began expanding tourism by luring people to ski those mountains.

Today, Zermatt is home to the highest ski lift in all of Europe, it has the largest summer skiing in the Alps, it has the longest winter skiing season in Europe, and it has the longest ski run (13KM).  As you can see, Zermatt came a long way from being a little farming village to one of the world's top tourist destinations all year round.

Our Vacation

Traveling to Zermatt was an all day event.  We had two flights and then a train ride into the mountains.  When we landed in Switzerland we found that their railway system was very confusing.  They spoke little English, which made things even more difficult.  Eventually, we were able to find the platform to catch our first train, but it took a lot of asking and redirecting to get to the correct one.  Once on the train, we knew we would have to transfer, but again the specifics were rather confusing.  An American couple was sitting near us.  They could hear our conversations and our dilemma.  The man worked for 3M and was living in Germany.  He told us he that they were going to Zermatt for their vacation.  He and his wife understood all the train logistics and were willing to take us under their wing to help us through the process.  They were very kind to take our family of five along with them through the process of transferring trains.  WHEW...  We made it to Zermatt.

When we got off the train, the first thing that hit us was the beauty of this quaint village.  The scenery was just incredible; all the mountains in the background were impressive.  This village has banned all gas-powered vehicles to keep their village free from noise and air pollution, which is pretty unique.  Being free from such pollutions makes you really notice and feel connected with the nature around you.

The view right outside our hotel window

After some rest and unpacking, we went to explore the village and get all the necessary ski equipment.  The ease of walking around the city and the friendly people made the day fun.  Our favorite restaurant was the Brown Cow Pub.  This restaurant had the best burgers and beer.  Of course the kids did not drink the beer, but loved the enormously thick juicy burgers. 

A horse carriage 

A Church in the middle of the village

We found a Santa for the boys

This hotel offered an outdoor ice bar

The village

Walking around the village....   Look no cars!

Skiing in Zermatt

The boys only ski about once a year.  Reed and I signed all the boys up for a few skiing lessons to acclimate them to skiing and the terrain.  They all loved their instructors and had a great time during their lessons.  As a matter of fact, when Connor was sick with Strep Throat his instructor called to check on him and see if he was getting better.   Awww, that was so kind of his young instructor to have such compassion.  It definitely made Connor's day to feel that he was missed.

Sam and his instructors

Nate on the mountain waiting for his instructor

Connor before meeting with his instructor

After the boys had a couple of lessons, it was time for them to ski with dad.  Snow came in the night before and continued throughout their ski day.  Unfortunately, Connor had a fever and was very sick.  Reed, Nate and Sam went out skiing and had a blast.

The boys heading out to ski

Taking a little break

Sam got stuck in the deep snow

Reed had to fetch him out...

And Nate got stuck trying to ski off the groomed path

As the boys were skiing, Connor and I were at the Doctor's office trying to figure out his illness.  I had learned through Facebook that several of his classmates were sick with Strep, so I had a feeling he also had Strep.  The nurse saw Connor first and took a small vial of Connor's blood.  She then put the vial in a machine, which tested it for the presence of a bacterial infection.  I was amazed by this blood test and had never heard of such a test.  It is a simple test and I wonder why it is not performed in America.  Think about it: what an easy way to inform doctors when a person needs antibiotics instead of guessing.  In the end, Connor tested positive for a bacterial infection and positive for Strep.  We immediately got antibiotics and were on the road to recovery.  Poor kid was sick on Christmas day, but he got better and was able to ski with dad on a different day.

Connor skiing with dad

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

We planned one day to venture up to the highest peak near the Matterhorn.  Reed and the boys were skiing and agreed to meet Connor and I at the top of Matterhorn Glacier Paradise to take in the incredible view.  Connor was taking his antibiotics, but still weak.  He did not want to miss out on this adventure, so I bundled him up and we slowly made our way to the cable car that would carry us to the top of the mountain.

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is on the top of Klein Mountain.  We rode in an enclosed lift that passed several skiing on and off locations for about a half an hour.  The last portion of the ride to Glacier Paradise was in a very big cable car that was a fifteen-minute ride straight up Klein Mountain.  I had never been in such a device and it was pretty cool watching us progress up to the mountaintop.

The Cable car docking

We got out of the cable car, walked through a very long tunnel and met up with Reed and the boys.  After that long scenic ride up the mountain, I could not wait to see the dramatic view that I had read so much about.  We stepped outside and could not believe the incredible landscape; the bright sun illuminating these enormous mountains.  We saw the Swiss, Italian, and French Alps all together in this one area.  It is hard to explain how small we felt viewing all these amazing mountains but it was unbelievable.  We were glad that we took the time to make the side excursion, even though the wind was at high levels, which prohibited the boys from skiing down from our location.  We all took the cable car down to the first stop where the boys (Reed and Nate) got out to ski for the day while Connor, Sam, and I transferred to the enclosed lifts to ride down the mountain and head back to the hotel.

The tunnel through the mountain

Family pose in front of the mountains

Amazing- These Mountains are just enormous

BUT this is only a small portion of the scenic mountains

Picture from the same area, we wanted to include the Matterhorn

What a wonderful Christmas vacation in Zermatt.  We were there for almost a week and had a blast skiing, eating good food, going on excursions, and being together.  The Swiss Alps were everything we read about and more.... magnificent!