To reach to the Monte Rosa hut requires crossing a glacier,
on a route marked with flags. Crampons are not necessary but you may find walking poles useful. There are
crevasses, so take care.
We took the Gornergrat train to the Rotenboden station (2800m), we were fortunate as another couple staying at
the hotel had given us their unused Gornergrat rail tickets. The path goes along the side of the valley before
descending to the glacier. Following the flag poles should mean that any
crevasses that need crossing are just a step over. At the other side there is a short steep rocky path up to the
hut.
The Monte Rosa Hut (2795m) is situated on one of the
faces of the Monte Rosa, and is used by climbers ascending the peak. The Monte Rosa is the highest peak in
Switzerland and it shares its summits with Italy. It is a very complex mountain with a number of summits over
4000m. From the hut there are marvellous views down the valley and across to the neighbouring 4000m peak of
Lyskamm. We had bowls of soup at the hut and beer, the chap serving us was from Nepal.
Leaving the hut we retraced our steps across the glacier, and instead of taking the path to Rotenboden we
took the path to the top of the Gornergrat (3110m). Another excellent viewpoint, but very popular as the
terminus for the train is only ten minutes walk away. There is also the
Kulm Hotel, the highest in the Swiss Alps,
which sells meals and refreshments. From the station we took the train back down to Zermatt.
