Service starts 1 July 2023
The countdown has started: the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II goes into service on 1 July 2023. The new 3S cableway will connect the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise mountain station with the valley station at Testa Grigia in Italy to create the highest border crossing in the Alps – the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing.
The once-in-a-lifetime Matterhorn Alpine Crossing project is set to bring the resorts of Zermatt and Breuil-Cervinia even closer together. The new 3S cableway known as the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II will run from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise mountain station at an altitude of 3883 metres above sea level down to the Testa Grigia valley station at 3458 metres. Instead of skiing or snowboarding, visitors will be able to make this passage from Italy to Switzerland and vice versa for the first time ever without getting their feet wet. The new section will close the last remaining gap between Zermatt and Breuil-Cervinia and make the long dreamt-of vision of the highest Alpine crossing by cableway a reality.
Focus on individuals and exclusivity
Zermatt Bergbahnen consistently sets new standards within the sector and this project demonstrates the company’s visionary and innovative prowess as industry leaders. According to CEO Markus Hasler, “The new connection between Italy and Switzerland further enhances the offering from Zermatt Bergbahnen. The pricing strategy will not serve to promote mass tourism or visitors in transit but the experience of the individual guest. From 2024, there will be a luggage service to make the trip across the Alps comfortable and convenient. A variety of attractions await on the peaks, including the SnowXperience Plateau Rosa around the Testa Grigia valley station and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise near the mountain station on the Klein Matterhorn.
Busy months ahead
The next few weeks will see the completion of the final concreting works at the valley station and the installation of electrical equipment. Since the beginning of February 2023, work has been taking place on the cable winch. This is one of the most dramatic phases of the construction and will take around three months. Then, at the beginning of May 2023, the first gondolas will be delivered, and various assembly and commissioning tasks will be carried out to get the new 3S cableway ready for use. Further information and facts and figures about the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing can be found on our website and in the electronic media folder which is updated on an ongoing basis: www.matterhornparadise.ch/alpine-crossing
