At the Matterhorn's foot
You stand directly beneath the wall climbers ascend.
Whgler — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tiia Monto — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Whgler — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tiia Monto — CC BY-SA 3.0
Yes, given good fitness and tolerance of height. The route is mountain walking rather than technical climbing, but it is long, steep and has exposed sections secured with cables. Anyone afraid of heights or unused to mountain walking should stop at Schwarzsee, where the view is also excellent.
Ankle-supporting mountain boots, warm layers as the temperature drops sharply with height, water and food, and sun protection since the radiation is strong at that altitude. Start early and check the weather and path conditions at Zermatt's mountain office before setting out.
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A mountain hut at about three thousand two hundred and sixty metres at the foot of the normal route up the Matterhorn, the starting point where climbers sleep before going for the summit. This is not an ordinary tourist destination. The hut serves climbers first: they sleep here and leave before dawn, because the ascent and return take a full day and must be done before the ice melts and the rock becomes dangerous. But reaching the hut itself is possible for a strong walker with no technical climbing: a mountain path from the Schwarzsee station taking about two hours uphill, parts of it on rock secured with cables and metal ladders. This is not a stroll — it demands fitness and a head for exposure. What you get is standing directly at the Matterhorn's foot, looking up at the wall climbers go up, with a view over the valley and the ice that is seen from nowhere else. The hut serves food and offers beds in season; beds are booked in advance and fill.
You stand directly beneath the wall climbers ascend.
Parts of the route are on rock with ladders and cables — for those who tolerate exposure.
You see a real launching point for a summit attempt, not a tourist display.
On the Matterhorn's ridge, about 3,260 m