Zermatt Hohbalmen 2. Over the Hohbalmen to Trift

[past my sell by date]

Again photos are from several different trips.

map of the Hohbalm traverse

First view over the Hobalmen

The views East start to open out - Liskamm, Breithorn and Klein Matterhorn

Monte Rosa (Nordend and Dufourspitz) appears

While behind, the Dent d'Herens sits above the top of the moraines

The hard work is not completely over but the angle of the path is a lot easier now

Looking back
The path continues gently upwards to reach a high point just over 2700m and then remains flat for about 2Km to reach a signpost. The path itself is not particularly exciting but the views are stunning. This a relatively dry South-facing slope so there are fewer and less "exciting" flowers

Views over the Hohbalmen

I keep seeing these buds: - if only they would come out I could identify them

Botrychium lunaria - Moonwort. This can be found in the UK and has various "superstitions" associated with it

Views in both directions from the high point

At this signpost you can turn R and descend the very steep slopes back to Zermatt on a narrow zigzag path - but what a terrible waste of all your efforts Better by far is to continue on and down to the Trift hotel and stay the night - or at least have a beer before continuing

The path begins to curve round to the L and the Mettelhorn, Platthorn and Wisshorn come into view

Then the Zinal Rothorn

And finally the Ober Gabelhorn and Wellenkuppe

Looking across the Mattertal - Dom, Taschhorn, Alphubel, Allalinhorn, Rimpfischhorn, Strahlhorn and Adlerhorn

Looking back to the Matterhorn

The Eastern end of the traverse seen from across the valley near Sunnega: The Ober Gabelhorn is on the R with the Trift valley beneath

Various late afternoon views as you start to descend. The grassy valley R of centre in this photo (and the next) is the start of tomorrow's route to the Mettelhorn

And a couple of early morning ones when I went the other way

The Trift hotel comes into viewl

nearly there
The Berghaus Trift has an interesting history. The original building - happily on a slightly different site - was destroyed in the Winter of 1898 by an avalanche so violent that items of crockery, cutlery and even undamaged bottles of wine were found in the meadows of Zermatt over 2km away
This is a typical "Berg hotel" and has individual bedrooms as well as a lager, indoor toilets , running cold water and a good supply of beer etc. The water is not drinkable - it costs too much to test - but everybody drinks it and no-one seems to suffer I stay there almost every year - and if you tell "Mein Host" Hugo Biner that Toni-from-Tasch has told you to come, he might be persuaded to play the Alpenhorn - at which he's rather good - but don't expect a discount - it's not a word that the Swiss are at all familiar with

This is Hugo playing his horn - an impromptu performance - he much prefers to practice. The Alpenhorn is not an easy instrument to play