The Matterhorn Tour D3: Perrucco Vuillermoz Refuge - Gandeg Cabin
Discover the giant that resides here, the splendid Matterhorn itself, before getting a closer look in the evening at the Gandeg cabin.
Description
(S) Head south, passing near two lakes.
At the second lake, Lake Balanselmo (1), travel east to reach the great pastures of Chevalley Tsigannaz.
(2) Head up through the pass called the Tsigannaz Window.
(3) Then begin a long descent through a north-east direction then north, then the route joins the road leading to Breuil Cervinia and a first bus stop.
(4) Take the bus to the Breuil cable car station (5), use the following two lifts to reach the top of the Theodul Glacier.
(6)Reach the glacier, remembering to put on crampons and following the ski slopes: the crossroads of the route of the Matterhorn circuit
(7). Turn right onto this route that alternates between trail and glacier leads to Gandeg cabin (F).
Waypoints
- S : km 0 - alt. 2,872 m
- 1 : km 0.77 - alt. 2,683 m - Lake Balanselmo
- 2 : km 3.13 - alt. 2,323 m - Chevalley Tsigannaz alpine pasture
- 3 : km 3.58 - alt. 2,382 m - The Tsigannaz Window
- 4 : km 8.13 - alt. 1,949 m - Bus stop
- 5 : km 10.47 - alt. 2,024 m - Lower cable car station
- 6 : km 16.56 - alt. 3,315 m - Upper cable car station
- 7 : km 18.29 - alt. 3,116 m - Matterhorn circuit crossroads
- E : km 19.33 - alt. 3,020 m
Useful Information
Water fountains on the circuit and at the first hamlet in Tsigannaz before the bus stop.
This stage is includes a large transfer by bus and cable car as these areas are not particularly suitable for hiking. Furthermore these connections save a day’s travel on the circuit.
Make sure you are aware of the mountain cable car and bus timetables.
Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.
During the walk or to do/see around
Breuil Cervinia is a city Mussolini built up in order to compete with its German counterpart by creating this great winter sports resort.
(8) Gandeg cabin, we slept in an especially nice and well put together 12-person dormitory. But the peculiarity of this cabin is the proximity to a number of sites of note:
- Due west is the east face of the Matterhorn,
- Due east is the west face of Mount Rose,
- Due south is the north face of Breithorn.
Just this view is well worth the cost of half board, which here is still of the order of €70 (with Walliser).
