Category: Matterhorn

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Breuil-Cervinia: chairlift failure: 27 skiers recovered by helicopter

Breuil-Cervinia: chairlift failure: 27 skiers recovered by helicopter

From Aostasera.it

VALTOURNENCHE – Due to a strong and sudden gust of wind the ski lift stopped and it was necessary the intervention of the Valle d’Aosta mountain rescue for the evacuation of skiers.

It took about fifty minutes for the recovery of 27 skiers stuck yesterdat morning on the Cretaz chairlift in Breuil-Cervinia. As explained by the President of Cervino Spa, Federico Maquignaz, a strong and sudden gust of wind blocked the ski lift, in the valley station, and it was necessary the intervention of the Aosta Valley Alpine rescue for the evacuation of skiers, all in good condition.

On the spot, with the help of the helicopter, technical guides of the Valdostano Alpine Rescue and of the Guardia di Finanza and, on the ground, operated by cableway operators have worked.

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Spot on Cervino Ski Paradise for the 2018-19 ski season

A skier with the Monte Cervino in its background. Spot on Cervino Ski Paradise for the 2018-19 ski season. Photo: Enrico Romanzi. Cervinia Ski Paradise.

What is new in the Cervino Ski Paradise for the 2018-19 ski season. Cervino Ski Paradise is comprised of 5 resorts, 3 districts and 2 nations (counting Cervinia, Zermatt and Valtournenche)

The ski lifts open early in Cervinia- by mid-October for the weekends and then they started on 27th October opening daily and they will remain opened until 5th May. This network of trails from both sides of the Monte Cervino -(or Matterhorn) allows you to never take your skis to admire the Cervino from both the Italian and Swiss sides, while being ‘captured’ to stop at any of the many rifugios for a quick warm up and to admire the views – people on both sides like to stop in Cervinia due to the rates being much cheaper in EUR than in CHF.

Fireworks with the Monte Cervino in the background. Photo Cervino Ski Paradise. Spot on Cervino Ski Paradise for the 2018-19 ski season.
Fireworks with the Monte Cervino in the background. Photo Cervino Ski Paradise. Spot on Cervino Ski Paradise for the 2018-19 ski season.

On top of Cervinia, Valtournenche and Zermatt, there are two other locations – Chamois, a magnificent village reached only by cable-car, and Torngon- a village that dominates the valley and is affectionately known as “pays du soleil” – or sun village. Both hamlets are more quiet, great places for families to stay and experience nature at first hand.

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Zermatt Must-READ Guide

Zermatt Village - Photo copyright: Leander Wenger - Zermatt Tourist Board. Zermatt is a high-altitude resort that will not suffer much in the future with less snow thanks to its altitude. What does Climate Change will mean to a Mountain Nation such as Switzerland by 2060.

Zermatt Must-READ Guide

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Zermatt’s History:

Zermatt is all what you have thought of and more….it is a chocolate-box village – quintessentially Swiss, that have been hosting guests for many years – mainly those trying to reach the peak of the Matterhorn. The area had human traces from 8,000 to the 1,800 BC with the “Schwarze Tschugge” shelter at Schwarzsee, a cup-marked stone at Ofenen, above Zmutt and a stone axe blade from the Theodul Pass. The Theodul Pass was used as a crossover and trade route for the Romans for finding coins and the Romanised Celts.

Zermatterhof in Dorfstrasse - Old Zermatt.
Zermatterhof in Dorfstrasse – Old Zermatt.

On the 8th century the Alemannic took possession of Upper Valais and German replaced Latin. But speed the time forward to 13th August 1792 when Genevese scholar Horace Bénédict de Saussure climbed the Klein Matterhorn. From the Theodul glacier, he determined the height of the Matterhorn to be 4,501.7 m (today 4,477.5 m) using a 50-foot-long chain spread out on the glacier and a sextant.

In 1813 the Breithorn is the first four-thousand-metre peak to be climbed.

In 1839 Zermatt surgeon Lauber opens the first inn (hotel Cervie) with three beds. Today is Hotel Monte Rosa.

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Thanks to a DNA test confirmation, the remains found near the Matterhorn where matched to a Japanese climber.

Matterhorn by Chris Holgersson. Thanks to a DNA test confirmation, the remains found near the Matterhorn where matched to a Japanese climber.

Thanks to a DNA test confirmation, the remains found near the Matterhorn where matched to a Japanese climber.

On 11 September of 2018, a rescuer from Zermatt discovered bones of a human body and mountain gear at the foot of the Matterhorn. These are related to an accident in 2014.

Matterhorn Frisch Verschneit. Matterhorn in winter. Thanks to a DNA test confirmation, the remains found near the Matterhorn where matched to a Japanese climber.
Matterhorn Frisch Verschneit. Matterhorn in winter. Thanks to a DNA test confirmation, the remains found near the Matterhorn where matched to a Japanese climber.

On July 23rd, 2014, a 40-year-old Japanese mountaineer climbed the Matterhorn alone. He never returned and he was considered missing.

Time passed, and on September 11, 2018, a rescuer from Zermatt found the human bones and mountain gear at the foot of the wall on the eastern side of the Matterhorn – this was due to melting snow which allowed the bones and equipment to resurface.

Continue reading “Thanks to a DNA test confirmation, the remains found near the Matterhorn where matched to a Japanese climber.”

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Leitner presents the “Matterhorn Glacier Ride” the world’s highest cablecar, located in Zermatt designed by Pininfarina and showcasing Swarovski crystals.

The Matterhorn Glacier Ride. German innovation award for Zermatt 3s cabins.

Zermatt’s latest attraction, the “Matterhorn glacier ride”, is set to open at the end of September. The world’s highest 3S cableway, combining the ultimate in design sophistication with maximum comfort, will serve Europe’s highest cableway station. The new 3S cable car ride built by LEITNER ropeways will enable visitors to reach the Klein Matterhorn, a popular destination for excursions, 365 days a year. The making of the “Matterhorn glacier ride” is a story as extraordinary as the ride itself. A total of 38 companies from Switzerland and Italy have been involved in Zermatt Bergbahnen AG’s largest-ever construction project. With the project due to be completed in an incredible 600 working days, they are turning the vision of the “Matterhorn glacier ride” into reality.  Zermatt Bergbahnen AG and LEITNER ropeways worked together with Swarovski to produce a very special premium product: a state-of-the-art ropeway technology in Pininfarina design meets premium crystal finishing, and provides an as-yet unrivalled level of finishing and design.

The station for the 3s Bahn that will ride to the Klein Matterhorn. Zermatt Bergbahnen. Zermatt Tourism Office.
The station for the 3s Bahn that will ride to the Klein Matterhorn. Zermatt Bergbahnen. Zermatt Tourism Office.

Europe’s highest construction site

145 people from 38 different companies have been involved in the biggest construction project in the history of Zermatt Bergbahnen AG. From September 2018, the 3S (three-cable system) cableway will transport up to 2000 passengers an hour to Matterhorn glacier paradise (Klein Matterhorn) – 365 days a year.

The Klein Matterhorn usually has daytime temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees, wind speeds reaching 240 km/h, heavy snow and dense fog.

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A mysterious skier who has resurfaced from the Matterhorn Ice has been identified thanks to Facebook.

Monte Cervino/Matterhorn, where Henri Joseph Leonce Le Masne was recovered and finally identified thanks to Facebook.

Story from Corriere de la Sera. – A mysterious skier who has resurfaced from the Matterhorn Ice has been identified, thanks to Facebook. He has disappeared in March of ’54: he was called Henri Joseph Leonce Le Masne, a 35-year-old Frenchman. He was identified with a DNA test. His niece Emma, who lives in Paris, replied to the Italian police’s Facebook appeal

The skis that were recovered with the Ice man that came from the cold.
The skis that were recovered with the Ice man that came from the cold.

There is a woman, Emma Nassem, who is driving through the streets of Paris; it is the beginning of July, a month ago. Suddenly the radio hears about a strange cold case, an almost impossible mission attempted by the Italian police, which on its most popular Facebook page, Agent Lisa, launched an appeal on June 29: “Help us to give a face and a name to the skier found in 2005, at 3,100 meters above sea level, on the Matterhorn, in Valle D’Aosta ». Here, we will say, what are the social media: a post that in a few hours becomes viral made the record of shares and rebounds throughout Europe.

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