Tour of the Matterhorn — Stage 5: Zinal → Gruben

From Zinal climb the Barneuza valley to the Forcletta (2,874 m), the crossing between French- and German-speaking Valais. Descend past the Chalte Berg alps into the Turtmanntal, one of the most secluded valleys in the Alps, to the seasonal village of Gruben (1,822 m).

A linguistic page turns: the Forcletta separates French-speaking from German-speaking Valais, and beyond the pass even the place names change language. The climb from Zinal ascends the pastoral Barneuza valley past working alps that still sell goat’s cheese. The pass is a clean notch in the crest; beyond opens the Turtmanntal, Valais’s “forgotten” valley: no lifts, a single road, and the village of Gruben-Meiden inhabited only in summer, with the Hotel Schwarzhorn as the sole roof for the night. Water at the alps, no other supplies.