Riccardo Castellaro
The cabin at the cableway slowly leans on the starting center of Little Cervino. One’s breath, for whom is not used to the high altitude, is affected by the location and one’s movements become slow and calculated. It is here where the special atmosphere of Klein Matterhorn, as the Swiss call it, begins. In this location begins a long tunnel that brings skiers towards the start of a ski slope which from Little Cervino reaches Plateau Rosà.
In the middle of the tunnel, right after the little movie theatre, there is an elevator which lifts tourists to the panoramic terrace, essential to experience. Here we truly are at high altitude, between the highest altitudes accessible with skiing installations: 3883 m.a.s.l.. The view is priceless, allowing everyone to have a little taste of the great ecstasy a climber feels when reaching the top of a mountain: during sunny days the view spaces from the Monviso, to the Bianco, to the Gran Combin on the Italian side, with the Grand Murailles and the Cervino which frames it all; looking towards the direction of Zermatt, in the midst of the many tops, the ones standing out are Weisshorn and Zinalrothorn, while on the other side the ones who steal the scene are the Breithorn and the massive mount Rosa.
Grotta di Ghiaccio
When the visitor goes down in the elevator and descends the tunnel he is brought towards what is our primary target: the ice cave. Another elevator, available for our maximum comfort, will accompany us to the entrance of this artificial cave, which was created many years ago and has been modified various times during the years.
The impact one has with the cave and its vaults is truly particular, the visitor is immersed in an environment where the ice and its secular stratifications are emphasized by the lighting of various colors and a hushed atmosphere, which is the peculiarity of the place. There are various “naves”, in each one you find a distinct ice statue. There are several levels as well, to the point where, to entertain the little ones (but not only them…) a short gallery-slide was made entirely of ice.
Additionally it is possible to observe the deep internal areas of a real crevasse and have a close up look at the stratifications which, much like the tree rings, are engraved the “rhythm” of the seasons, the alternating summer and winter cycles.
The tour then proceeds amongst the ice galleries and constructions, and even an ice sculpture of a real size car which immediately brings us back to the real world that under here appears to be so distant…
No skier could miss this tour, it has that je-ne-sais-quoi able to embellish and construe a day and a vacation near the Great Becca, perhaps guided by one of the ski instructors from the Ski School of Cervino who would allow you to truly enjoy this magical and exceptional location.