Geological excursion Zermatt

The route from Schwarzsee to Schönbielhütte takes us from the ocean floor to the ancient continent of Africa. It begins in  serpentinites, metabasalts and calcschists, originating in the Tethys 150 to 80 million years ago and ends in gneisses which were formed on an ancient continent over 500 million years ago. We'll be reminded of two superimposed worlds of very different origins. Along the way, we'll also learn about the history of erosion that has shaped the landscape around us.

After a restful night in the hut, we'll head back towards Furi. We'll revisit the long history of the previous day and see how the remains of a vanished ocean became trapped under the African plate around 60 million years ago. The hike ends at Gletschergartnen, a remarkable geological site, ideal for rounding off our journey through space and time. From here, we'll head to Furi and take the cable car down to Zermatt.

Useful information

• Meeting point: Upper station cabler car, Schwarzsee (map.geo.admin.ch).
• Finish point: Lower station cable car Furi-Zermatt (map.geo.admin.ch). The participants bear the costs of the cable car tickets (Furi-Zermatt).
• Time: Saturday, August 17, 2024, 10:00 am until Sunday August 18, 2024, 5:00 pm. Participants pay their own accommodation costs at the Schönbielhütte (half board, drinks not included).
• Walking time:
  1^st day:  approx. 3 hours. 550 m. ascent, 450 m. descent. Distance 9 km.
  2^nd day: approx. 3 hours. 200 m. ascent, 900 m. descent. Distance 12 km.
• Language: French, German (2 groups)
• Guides: Michel Marthaler, Micha Schlup (geoalpes.ch), Michael Wiederkehr (swisstopo)
• Equipment: Surefootedness, good walking shoes, clothing suitable for cold, wet and/or sunny weather. Silk sleeping bag, sleepwear, toiletries and towel. A picnic lunch in your backpack for the first day. A picnic lunch for the second day can be ordered from the Schönbielhütte (14.-).

Sign up for the excursion on August 17-18, 2024 (fully booked in german)