This walk is part of the trek The Matterhorn Tour.
Discover the giant that resides here, the splendid Matterhorn itself, before getting a closer look in the evening at the Gandeg cabin.
Calculated time: 10h00[?] 
Distance : 19.33km
Vertical gain : 1570m
Vertical drop : 1422m
Highest point : 3315m
Lowest point : 1941m 
Difficulty : Difficult
Back to starting point : No
Walking
Area : Alps 
Location : Valtournenche
Starting point : N 45.903713° / E 7.567431° 
Arrival : N 45.964184° / E 7.725445° (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 :
D : km 0 - alt. 2872m
1 : km 0.77 - alt. 2683m - Lake Balanselmo
2 : km 3.13 - alt. 2323m - Chevalley Tsigannaz alpine pasture
3 : km 3.58 - alt. 2382m - The Tsigannaz Window
4 : km 8.13 - alt. 1949m - Bus stop
5 : km 10.47 - alt. 2024m - Lower cable car station
6 : km 16.56 - alt. 3315m - Upper cable car station
7 : km 18.29 - alt. 3116m - Matterhorn circuit crossroads
A : km 19.33 - alt. 3020m
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.
Visorando and this author cannot be held responsible in the case of accidents or problems occuring on this walk.
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).
5.81km
+1100m
-221m
4h50
Very difficult
Starting point in Bionaz - Province de Aosta Stage starting in pasture which quickly heads into the high mountains passing through the Valcornera pass.
156.13km
+11626m
-11485m
10 days
Difficult
Starting point in Bionaz - Province de Aosta Undertaken over 10 days, this circuit around the Matterhorn is outstanding. Each day it takes you over the 4000 m peaks of this alpine range. As it is located in 2 countries, Italy and Switzerland, it also brings you into contact with three European languages: Italian, German and also French in Valais in Switzerland.
4.46km
+184m
-134m
1h50
Easy
Starting point in Bionaz - Province de Aosta Warm-up walk to reach the Prarayer refuge along the right bank of the lake.
15.56km
+214m
-1630m
5h05
Average
Starting point in Zermatt - Valais A Tour du Cervin alternative today, visiting the north side of the colossal peak before reaching Zermatt.
16.78km
+1206m
-1167m
8h15
Very difficult
Starting point in Evolène - Valais A high mountain stage which requires hiking boots with crampons to cross the Arolla glacier. You should get an early start for this long stage of the hike.
16.78km
+1491m
-822m
9h05
Average
Starting point in Zermatt - Valais An easy climb reaching part of Zermatt ski slopes, extending to an uphill-downhill balcony trail leading to the famous Europahutte (Hut).
Watch out: The Himalayan footbridge just before Europahutte is currently out of service. You'll need to head down to Randa valley along the second blue marked trail on the map before heading back up to the hut (allow for 2 extra hours).
22.61km
+1453m
-764m
10h35
Difficult
Starting point in Evolène - Valais A long climb to Torrent Pass before reaching Moiry Lake, then Saint-Luc by bus, Tignousa by cable car and finally Bella Tola by foot.
Think about correcting the distance indicated by points (5) et (6) : you need to deduct 10 km.
19.76km
+1315m
-2289m
9h25
Very difficult
Starting point in Hérémence - Valais An unusual stage today: it starts with a downhill hike before a long climb uphill, a second descent and a ski lift ride followed by a walk over flatland and a bus ride to the lodge.
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The GPS track and description are the property of the author.
