The weather in the mountains can be fickle. You wake up and look out of the window, and see that the weather forecast was correct, the cloud base is just above the village and it’s raining hard. Zermatt has quite a few options for making the most of the time you have in resort. On the rainy morning in question I went for a Spa session at the Mont Cervin Hotel. It was wonderful, I felt lighter and fitter, after a morning of drinking copious amounts of Herbal Tea and Fruit Juice. A variety of Pools, and Sauna, Steam Rooms and Ice Showers! Compare and contrast, a Pedestrian Lift Ticket for Klein Matterhorn costs CHF 100, and a Spa session costs CHF 50. The Hotel provided me with a lovely Dressing Gown, Slippers and endless fresh Towels!

Suitably restored, I walked up to the Gorner Gorge after lunch. It’s only around 10 mins from the village and well signposted. Entry was CHF 4.25 and the pathways had mostly dried out from the rain.

Of course, if you have already paid for a Lift Ticket, then the best option is to visit the Ice Pavilion at the top of the Klein Matterhorn lift. I had a valid ticket for my visit, but the turnstiles would not open, so I was obliged to climb over. It was worth the effort.

A walkway leads you underneath a natural crevasse.

It’s very cold in the Ice Pavilion, so take a coat and a hat, if you feel the cold.  Walking underneath a crevasse was quite spectacular, and with the exception of the sculptures, it’s quite a hands-on visitor experience. There is even a slide!