Grachen - Europahutte

(S) From the Hotel Désirée in the centre of Grachen, take the road south, then turn left onto the sports trail, join the road and follow it to the hamlet of Gasenried.

(1) Continue along the road until you reach the large forest track, cross a large car park, reach the footbridge and then a crossroads.

(2) Take the left (signposted) path that winds through the forest and climbs steeply. At an altitude of 2,474 metres, you will see a statue of Saint Nicholas pointing with his left hand towards the peaks opposite.

(3) Then begin the long traverse, mainly southwards. After crossing a first area of scree, you will reach Mittelberg at 2562m.

(4) Continue in the same direction on this well-marked red and white trail, exercising extreme caution, especially in the successive scree areas. Reach a high point at an altitude of 2,663 metres.

(5) Keep heading south and, after passing through another scree zone and a series of gentle ascents and descents, you will reach an altitude of 2602 metres.

(6) Change direction completely at a 90° angle to head west, go around the Dirrufad spur and enter the scree of the Hohberge to reach the Himalayan footbridge.

(7) Cross the footbridge, following the instructions on the sign at the entrance. Continue west and you will easily reach the Europahutte refuge (E), your destination for the day.

Another long section on a ledge allows you to climb up the Zermatt valley and deserves special attention as it is in the middle of large scree slopes.
Be vigilant and even offer assistance to those who suffer from vertigo.

About halfway along the route, you can see the famous Randa rockslide opposite, which blocked road and rail access to Zermatt for several years. This impressive rockslide completely disfigured the mountain and must have been terrifying for the inhabitants of Randa.
See also