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The Oberrothorn which at 3415 metres or 11204 feet is situated to the East of Zermatt in Switzerland's Valais region. The mountain - though not so well known as the nearby Matterhorn - does have one claim to fame in that it is the highest peak in Switzerland with a marked path to its summit. With no glacier crossing or difficult ground to contend with it is within the capabilities of reasonably experienced hill walkers using only standard mountain hiking gear. To make the ascent, first head to Sunnegga at 2288 metres - itself a wonderful viewpoint - by the underground funicular railway from Zermatt and after admiring the splendid view of the Matterhorn across the valley you can either follow the well marked trail from Sunegga up to Blauherd which is the next station above on the Rothorn Cableway or take the cable car up to reduce the ascent by 250 metres or so. The peak ascended by the cable car above Blauherd is the Unterrothorn at 3103 metres and the wide trail from Blauherd climbs firstly towards this before circuiting below it to the right and up into a high valley south of the peak where you will often see marmots. The path - which is also used as a mountain bike descent from the Rothorn cable car station - climbs steadily with the landscape turning from pasture to stones until it reaches the col between the Unterrothorn and Oberrothorn. From the col a much narrower path heads to the right and climbs the shaly slopes for another 500 vertical metres to the summit. While this path is not so wide as the route to the col, there is no difficulty under normal summer conditions and the way leads past strange eye shaped sculptures denoting plant, animal, human and spirit as you climb higher. The last part of the route ascends the far side of the Oberrothorn with views of the high Alpine terrain beyond to emerge on the summit which is marked by the final "eye" and extensive views of Zermatt's 4000 metre peaks. For a much shorter ascent you can take the cable car to Unterrothorn and descend to the col separating the 2 peaks before walking up to the Oberrothorn - a route known as the Weg zur Freiheit or Freedom Path. If this route is followed I would recommend walking down to Blauherd or Sunegga. You can of course omit to use the lift system at all and walk all the way up from Zermatt. This would be a very long day with over 1800 metres of ascent. It is worth adding that while this ascent route is free from technical difficulty, the altitude is considerable and one should not it the day after arriving in the area if you've come up from near sea level! Equally, check the weather as the upper part of the mountain can often be snow covered even in the summer season. Routes to the Oberrothorn from its other sides are not so easy and should be left alone by the unguided walker. Zermatt itself is easy to get to - situated at 1600 metres above sea level in the Mattertal valley, the town is accessible by train and post bus from Visp in the Rhone Valley. You can only drive as far as Tasch where you'll need to board a train to Zermatt. The resort has plentiful accommodation. Pete Buckley is a regular visitor to the mountains of Switzerland and is the author of A Long Walk in the Alps which recounts a journey from the Eiger to the Matterhorn. For photo diaries of walks in Switzerland including the Oberrothorn please see the the Alpine Trails blog.
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