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Switzerland 2025
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Wednesday July 30, 2025
Zermatt

Thursday July 31, 2025
Breithorn and Straßenfest
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Friday August 1, 2025
Swiss National Day

Kent and I climbed Breithorn in 2017.  It was relatively late in the day so it was nearly empty which was awesome, but it was also very windy, so I didn't wait for Kent or linger on top and have no pictures from the top.  Kent summitted a few minutes after me and caught me quickly on the way down.

I have mulled climbing Breithorn again ever since but hadn't invented an excuse - Ray coming to Switzerland - until this year.

I seriously considered buying an ice axe in both 2017 and 2025, but didn't...
If I am in enough trouble that I need an ice axe, I am not going to be able to use it successfully with zero experience anyway.

Other than lack of ice axe and experience necessary to compenantly use one, my other nagging concern was crowding on the trail.
Dealing with dozens of other people on that single track would not be fun...

Ticket office for the gondolas in Zermatt opens at 6am.
First lift up goes at 630am.
I told Ray we'd be on the first lift, and we were...



06:12 Switzerland time 22:12 California time



06:32 Switzerland time 22:32 California time

First lift up in Zermatt....



06:54 Switzerland time 22:54 California time

Trockener Steg, looking up at Breithorn and Kleine Matterhorn

At Furi we went left on a relatively new lift directly to Trockener Steg, bypassing Schwarzsee

The old gondola from Trockener Steg to Kleiene Matterhorn holds 100 people.
Out of that maybe 50 where skiers, and it appeared many climbers had higher ambitions than the Briethorn easy route.
Once we got to the top folks dispersed rapidly.
Enough climnbers headed up Breithorn that I assumed conditions were as optimal as they appeared to my dumb ass...

I put my crampons and gaitors on right outside, I see no advantage in waiting.



07:32 Switzerland time 23:32 California time



07:32 Switzerland time 23:32 California time

The dropoffs on both sides of the ski run were much more dramatic than I'd remembered.
I've been here seven times, you'd think I'd remember...



07:39 Switzerland time 23:39 California time



07:40 Switzerland time 23:40 California time



08:04 Switzerland time 00:04 California time
Ray's pic



08:05 Switzerland time 00:05 California time
Ray's pic

I remembered the trail being somewhat less steep and starting a little more to the right in 2017.
It was, a little, but that shouldn't have concerned me.
It did.
A few folks had made a trail to the right towards Italy that merged with the main trails above.
I choose the trail less traveled to ascend less steeply.
I quickly realized this was a poor decision, but I didn't want to turn around, so I kept going and eventually regained the main trail uneventfully, other than the fact I was already breathing hard and it was only the bottom of the hill.



08:41 Switzerland time 00:41 California time
Ray's pic

It was steeper than I remembered...



08:41 Switzerland time 00:41 California time
Ray's pic

You may notice obvious evidence of a very recent avalance here, we certainly did not at the time....
It didn't even occur to me that it might avalance anywhere tame enough for me to climb it in July after a heavy snow.

I didn't spent much time looking down, I was laser focused on the trail and not tripping or loosing my balance in any way.
I also wanted to get up and down it before it got crowded, and the one thing I did notice was more people coming up the trail behind us.

By the time I reached the final switchback toward the top I got overheated and started sweating a little.
I should have stopped and taken off my hood, but I didn't want to stop anywhere except the top.



08:41 Switzerland time 00:41 California time
Ray's pic



09:05 Switzerland time 01:05 California time
Ray's pic

me:
The top!
Ray had his camera out so I didn't have to get mine out!
I wasn't sweating anymore once I stopped moving, there was a very slight breeze.

I was very happy to be on top, but I did not feel comfortable and did not get my camera out, again.
In 2017 I remember the summit being a nice flat "safe" spot of snow maybe 20' wide and 50' long but way too windy to feel safe.
Today the summit felt like it was maybe 10' wide but in two snow tracks and not flat, didn't feel like a nice big safe spot.
Looked more like it had recently received over a meter or two of fresh snow, which it probably had...

I couldn't celebrate on top, i hadn't accomplished anything until i was safely down.
I did wait for Ray on top so he could get pics of us, and as it happens he took a magnificent pano of me heading down a spacewalk



09:06 Switzerland time 01:06 California time

Ray's pano
from right:
Gran Paradiso 4061m
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise ski area / Klein Matterhorn 3883m
Mont Blanc 4805m
Breuil-Cervinia 2050m
Grand Combin 4314m
Dent d'Hérens 4171m
Dusty coming down Breithorn Occidentale normal route 4165m
Matterhorn 4478m
Dent Blanc 4357m
Ober Gabelhorn 4063m
Wellenkuppe 3898m
Zinalrothorn 4221m
Zermatt 1600m
Weisshorn 4505m

09:13 Switzerland time 01:13 California time
Ray's pic

When I was coming down from the top and I ran into two groups hogging both lanes uphill
I stepped from the uphill lane into the downhill lane and started to loose my balance and tip over forward....
My poles held me and I quickly recovered...
Only close call I had, but it was too close...



09:13 Switzerland time 01:13 California time
Ray's pic



09:13 Switzerland time 01:13 California time
Ray's pic



09:55 Switzerland time 01:55 California time
Ray's pic



09:55 Switzerland time 01:55 California time
Ray's pic



09:56 Switzerland time 01:56 California time
Ray's pic



10:04 Switzerland time 02:04 California time

We got down!
Still have to walk back to the gondola without falling into a crevasse, but that the risk of falling off Breithorn is probably over.

We probably didn't have more than 20 or so come down from Breithorn while we were on our way up it.
We met maybe another dozen on their way up while we were on our way down.

I finally got my camera out, took pictures, got something to drink, and started to relax and truly enjoy some of the most amazing scenery I'd ever seen.

Ray texted:
It was a dawdle :)
Noticeably easier than doing Piestewa twice, no scary parts.
We had a blast!
Nice weather helped!
Coming down

me:
Breithorn Normal Route is not a dawdle even under the ideal conditions we had this morning.
One of the most beautiful days of my life, amazing views.
It was much harder and steeper than I remember.
I was extremely pleased to see two tracks up the switchback so crowding (my primary concern, since it would increase danger and stress) would be much less of a concern.




10:12 Switzerland time 02:12 California time



10:14 Switzerland time 02:14 California time

Ray looks for a crevasse....

As we hiked back toward the ski area we ran into several groups of roped up climbers on the trail.
At first I carefully and slowly continued walking along the side of the trail as climbers and their rope passed slowly to my left.
After a few of these I simply stopped to let climbers get by unencumbered without them worrying about me stepping on their rope.



10:54 Switzerland time 02:54 California time



10:56 Switzerland time 02:56 California time
pano - find Ray!



10:59 Switzerland time 02:59 California time

Shortly after we got back to the safety of the ski area Ray went for a cappuccino while I continued to take pictures and enjoy the scenery.

Ray:
At the coffeeshop at Glacier Paradise now.
Decent place.
Here's a longer review of Breithorn: It is more dangerous than Piestewa Peak.
There are a couple of short, steep sections where I used a bit of French step.
There was nothing I saw where you'd die because one good trip, even without an ice or poles, but I guess anything is possible.
On the upper sections there were two tracks, making it easy to pass people going the other way - until two groups of assholes going up decided they needed to take both tracks and push us to the side. Shitters.
There was nothing as intense as my Portland training and Mt St Helens but the danger factor was higher.
Doing that training was one of the best things I've ever done.
Felt very comfy in my crampons.
I put away my poles after a few minutes but took out the ice axe when the shit started getting serious.
Saw the "mass mountain tourism."
Good times.
Let me also give a really big shout out to the scenery.

Paul:
Even from a distance I recall the trail up the Breithorn looking plenty spooky enough for this flat-earther.

Ray:
Looks crazier than it is!
Haha.
One thing is certain, if you had to start lower than where we did, few would try it.
Loved the Klein Matterhorn cablecar.



10:10 Switzerland time 02:10 California time

Kent:
Good job.
Dusty, I know that meant a lot!
Congratulations!
:)
Here's a good one from my collection.



Kent annotated Ray's picture and texted it back

Kent:
Lot of fresh snow. 
Pretty thick recent slab avalanche.

Ray:
Yes, I took some photos of it from afar.
Wondered what it might have been like to be on the trail when it happened.
Didn't notice it at all on the climb.



15:57 Switzerland time 07:57 California time

On the way down overhead someone bragging about completing Lyskim and Breithorn traverse as well that morning (from the margharita hut i assume) in 8h...

We finally got down off the mountain, showered, and needed something to eat.

It appearred they were setting up part of the town for a gathering tonight, but no food was being served yet and we were famished.
It didn't take long to settle on pizza.



15:57 Switzerland time 07:57 California time



By the time we were done eating there was food for sale at a few booths in the street and more booths were being setup everywhere all around us....
Soon we were in the middle of a huge street party, and I eventually learned a new favorite word Strassenfest.
Every trip to Europe should have at least one Strassenfest.

Several stages and performers all up and down Bahnhoffstrasse. 
EDM stage was in front of the Brown Cow, it was ground zero, people dancing pretty much nonstop.
















One of the hotels sold tacos out of their booth - tacos with pulled pork, pickled onions, coriander and peanuts!

Ray got a margarita at another booth, it was a tequila slushie, zero margarita taste.




I decided we needed Breitling Beers
They had signs up saying all proceeds went to charity...




21:05 Switzerland time 13:05 California time



21:22 Switzerland time 13:22 California time

After 9pm I had awesome street risolo for second dinner (assuming pizza was first dinner) and endless beer.
They asked how I was doing when they handed me my plate, I said "you can't wipe the smile from my face!!" 
The hosts loved that answer :)
I had never been served chunks of parmessan cheese in risoto, omg yum...

Street party lasted until 11pm, we made sure to get our money's worth.
Freaking awesome!

Previous
Wednesday July 30, 2025
Zermatt

Thursday July 31, 2025
Breithorn and Straßenfest
Next
Friday August 1, 2025
Swiss National Day