We woke to similar weather as day 1. There were glimpses, however, of the Matterhorn. It’s an elusive gigantic mountain – it will show you bits of it but not the entire majestic thing!

We would not be derailed! We both really wanted to go cross country skiing and had no problem doing it in the rain. We just weren’t sure the trails would be open. “No, no, not yet” according to the girl in the tourist office. Next plan – more hiking! This time to another mountain called Sunnegga. And it was possible to hike the entire way. Off we went.

This time beginning in the town of Zermatt and walking in a different direction than we’d been so far. I have always loved getting “lost” in anew place and although not lost we were able to see a part of Zermatt we had yet to see. After a left at “the church” we came upon the mountaineers cemetery tucked behind the church. It serves as a memorial to the climbers who have lost their young lives climbing the Matterhorn and the surrounding mountains. There are climbers from all over the world and their agree are mostly very young – 20 somethings. One gravestone, however, commemorates two guides who died of natural causes. They were the guides to lead the first climb up the Matterhorn. It included a party of seven, all of which reached the summit but only three returned to Zermatt in the end. In fact, the Matterhorn and surrounding mountains continue to be some of the deadliest peaks in the world.

The cemetery was tragic and beautiful. One can only hope these young people died doing what they loved…

Onward to the trailhead. This time we’d be ascending the mountain. And the climb was just as beautiful as day 1’s but in a completely different way. We started hiking through the forest pines again, always able to see a brief glimpse of Zermatt behind and down from us. Eventually we walked right into the misty clouds and found ourselves on the edge of the mountain.

For the most part we were by ourselves. Since it was so cloudy – we were literally in the clouds! – it was the sounds that struck me. The sound of our boots in the slush; our breath; the sound of a waterfall on our right; snippets of superficial as well as meaningful conversations. These are the reasons why I love hiking!

The higher we went, the whiter the world became and the slush gradually turned to snow. We passed through more mountain “towns” – groups of little huts almost in the middle of nowhere – one of which is called Findeln, formerly Findelen. The timber houses were deserted and we wondered when they wouldn’t be. Well, apparently this village is world renowned for its mountain cuisine. The town is only accessible on foot – or ski! – as there are no other modes of transportation to get there. Fascinating!

As we ascended the mountain the whiteout conditions were interesting as so confusing! There were points when the sun would briefly break through – allowing us a stunning view of the peaks behind the clouds. And then literally within 10 seconds the clouds would reappear to mask the view. It was super cool!

Again we got lost – but just a little! They really do a nice job marking the path with those hot pink poles but when you can’t see more than 50 feet ahead of you they can be hard to spot! Luckily John and I make a good team but I wouldn’t let him out of my site. I was afraid he’d walk into the whiteness and I wouldn’t be able to see him again. Perhaps a silly fear but a fear just the same.

We hugged and puffed and eventually got to Sunnegga – 2.5 hours of a very difficult hike. It’s like a fish story – the more we talk about it the steeper it becomes! So it was a relief to reach Sunnegga.

Sunnegga is definitely made for families. Wolli’s park is specifically made for beginners learning how to ski. From here there are a multitude of athletic options – skiing, snowboarding and hiking in winter; swimming, hiking, biking and marmot-watching in summer!

We were achy and sweaty so decided to take the funicular ride back to Zermatt. This railway was built right into the rocks of the mountain and literally gets you back to Zermatt in 4.5 minutes! 2.5 hours to get up; 5 minutes to get back down!

Our afternoon and evening were spent exploring the sweet town of Zermatt. Shopping is the name of the game here. John has been glancing longingly and the multitude of Swiss watch shops so we decided to venture into the Omega shop. Let’s just say I felt like Pertty Woman when she was still in her working-girl clothes and trying to get service in an upscale shop! But Valerie was very friendly and helpful. John tried on a few stunning watches. He decided he liked one that was only $4500 with Valerie’s exclusive discount (what?!?!). Needless to say we left without a watch but mark my words – someday I will buy my husband his dream watch…

I was craving a glass of local wine while sitting next to a cosy fireplace that we’d seen on our first night. It is called Chami Bar and was exactly what the doctor ordered! We snuggled up on a couch next to a roaring fire and sampled some more local wine – this time two whites called Johannisberg and Petite Arvine – both yummy of course but incomparable to the Coeur du Domaine from day 1.

We decided to wander off the Main Street to find somewhere to eat and came upon Chez Gaby! Since this is John’s daughter’s name we decided why not? It was a small, warm restaurant decorated for Christmas whose specialty was grilled meat. Ok! And our little corner table reminded me of the snugs in Ireland.

A day in Zermatt isn’t complete in our minds without chocolate! But since all of the chocolaterie’s were closed at this point it was a mad dash to Denner the local grocery. But we made it!

An evening of chocolate, rest and good books completed another amazing day in paradise…