398:. The last station lies at a height of 3,820 metres (12,530 ft), on the north side of the peak. A tunnel connects it with the Breithorn Plateau on the south side. There is also a panoramic view platform on the top which can be reached by elevatorâlocated midway through the tunnelâfollowed by a 10 m (33 ft) climb up stairs. The Ice Cave ("Glacier Grotto") is just outside the southern entrance with a view into the glacier below. As of 2005, over 14 million passengers had visited since completion, an average of 560,000 per year. The carriages were refurbished in 2005.
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in the mountain station, all of which had to be transported there by helicopter in specially insulated tanks, mixed with warm water and 2% anti-freeze. Weather conditions at the work site (3,820 metres or 12,530 feet above sea level) in high mountain terrain were extreme: temperatures falling to â40 °C (â40 °F), snowfalls, and high winds of over 100 km/h (62 mph).
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The next major obstacle proved to be the recruitment of a work force to build the lift system. At altitudes of 3,000 to 4,000 m (9,843 to 13,123 ft) above sea level, worker productivity would be reduced by up to 50% compared to normal levels, and workers would be required to live for weeks
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Licensing was further delayed until 1969 by the citizens of
Zermatt filing a complaint to the governing council of the Canton of Valais. In December 1970, the Swiss government finally gave permission for the cable way, but progress was further delayed until 1973 by objections from environmentalists.
437:) style), underground access to the gletscher palast (ice cave) and spare room for 2 cableways: one from Trockener Steg (3-cable gondola) and one from Testa Grigia (double cable car). Additionally: a private investor (Heinz Julen) launched the idea of a hotel. Official press announcement (in German)
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The construction of this cable car started in August 1976 at all three construction sites: the valley terminal, the three tower sites and the mountain terminal. Creation of the mountain terminal was a difficult undertaking. Some two thousand cubic metres (2,600 cu yd) of concrete were used
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On
December 9, 2005, the ZBAG (Zermatt Bergbahnen AG, the owner of this station) announced plans to significantly expand the facilities at the Klein Matterhorn. They had ordered studies from five large Swiss architectural firms stating some of the following demands: new heating-, water-, waste- and
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In
December 1978, all four track cables were installed, and all remaining operations were completed by the spring of 1979. In the fall of 1979, the two 100 passenger cabins were flown from the village of TĂ€sch to the valley terminal, attached to the hanger frames with the carriages lifted onto the
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In the summer of 1977 the track, hand and counter cables totalling 35.8 kilometers (22.2 mi) in length and weighing to 300 tonnes (295 long tons; 331 short tons) were dragged from
Schweigmatten to Trockener Steg, a massive undertaking in itself. It took several weeks to cover the distance of
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The station is a high-alpine environment, and in the thin air one must use caution when making any physical effort. If possible, take time to acclimatise on the way to the Klein
Matterhorn. There are plenty of warnings about this on the way up.
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It was announced in July 2006 the winning design for this construction was to consist of a pyramid of glass, with an observation platform at 4,000 meters with sky lifts on the outer wall to whisk passengers to the "new summit".
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and with the Swiss Nature
Conservation Society. These discussions resulted in two large natural reserve zones (the "Matterhorn" region and the "Monte Rosa" region). The third area (the "
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The Klein
Matterhorn is a starting point to several 4,000-metre (13,123 ft) summits that can be reached within a few hours. These include the
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3,600 metres (11,811 feet), with a vertical altitude of almost 1,000 metres or 3,281 feet and to rewind the cables on their reels.
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Zermatt
Mountain Cableways seem intent on marketing the construction as "the newest 4,000+ meter peak in the Alps".
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track cables, with operations starting on 23 December, the start of the winter season. The Cable car was built by
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Eventually, on 17 December 1973, the
Federal Council rejected objections and granted a construction license.
261:. At 3,883 metres (12,740 ft) above sea level, it is the highest place in Europe that can be reached by
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Even before the construction license application was filed, the building promoter had to negotiate with the
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electricity-installations, new toilets, shop and cafeteria, restaurant, mountain cabin (40 beds, SAC (
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The Klein
Matterhorn is at the end of a multi-stage cable car journey from Zermatt, via Furi and
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Fast ascents to a height above 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) will frequently lead to
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massif and overlooks on its south side the almost equally high flat glacier named
269:, as well as by any other means of transport. The Klein Matterhorn is part of the
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327:-Theodul Glacier-Klein Matterhorn" region) was designated as a tourist zone.
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The Klein Matterhorn, with the adjacent ski-lifts to the slightly higher
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List of mountains of Switzerland accessible by public transport
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View from the summit towards the ski area (Breithorn Plateau)
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The lift serves the largest and highest summer-ski area in
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Construction of the Klein Matterhorn cable car lift
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342:. The Klein Matterhorn is not visible from here
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33:The Klein Matterhorn from the aerial tramway
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948:Tourist attractions in Switzerland
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379:View from the summit towards the
963:Three-thousanders of Switzerland
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49:3,883 m (12,740 ft)
216:Horace-Bénédict de Saussure
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416:and its subsidiary peaks,
953:Cable cars in Switzerland
351:on end within the camps.
241:(sometimes translated as
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958:Mountains of Switzerland
943:Alpine three-thousanders
16:Peak of the Pennine Alps
311:with sensitive people.
257:in the Swiss canton of
162:Location in Switzerland
59:88 m (289 ft)
475:Encyclopédie du Valais
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938:Mountains of the Alps
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307:or other symptoms of
435:Schweizer Alpen-Club
99:45.93833°N 7.72972°E
933:Mountains of Valais
120:English translation
95: /
849:Monte Rosa Glacier
842:Zwillingsgletscher
827:Breithorngletscher
800:Tiefmatten Glacier
788:Schonbielgletscher
778:Matterhorn Glacier
682:TĂȘte de Valpelline
505:Zermatt Bergbahnen
480:2009-02-26 at the
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367:Bern Switzerland.
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334:Cable car between
39:Highest point
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866:Hohlichtgletscher
832:SchwÀrzegletscher
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371:Current operation
321:Swiss Alpine Club
309:altitude sickness
275:Breithorn Plateau
243:Little Matterhorn
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104:45.93833; 7.72972
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897:Klein Matterhorn
861:Mellichgletscher
822:Triftjigletscher
793:Stockjigletscher
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224:Easiest route
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902:Unterrothorn
896:
876:Ried Glacier
871:Bisgletscher
677:TĂȘte Blanche
672:Dent Blanche
662:Zinalrothorn
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365:Von Roll LTD
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283:Theodul Pass
274:
267:gondola lift
251:Pennine Alps
242:
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210:First ascent
198:Pennine Alps
192:Parent range
732:Allalinhorn
647:Brunegghorn
592:St. Niklaus
547:Settlements
184:Switzerland
102: /
77:Coordinates
65:Parent peak
927:Categories
912:Schwarzsee
892:Gornergrat
752:Lenzspitze
722:Strahlhorn
717:Monte Rosa
692:Matterhorn
597:Herbriggen
462:References
325:Schwarzsee
279:Matterhorn
125:Matterhorn
87:45°56âČ18âłN
55:Prominence
757:Nadelhorn
742:TĂ€schhorn
697:Breithorn
657:Weisshorn
635:Mountains
611:Gasenried
567:Riffelalp
414:Breithorn
381:Breithorn
305:headaches
271:Breithorn
131:Geography
90:7°43âČ47âłE
70:Breithorn
45:Elevation
771:Glaciers
737:Alphubel
642:Barrhorn
602:Mattsand
478:Archived
450:See also
214:1789 by
204:Climbing
172:Location
885:Tourism
762:Balfrin
712:Liskamm
652:Bishorn
616:GrÀchen
571:Zum See
563:Findeln
554:Zermatt
294:Zermatt
255:Zermatt
249:of the
245:) is a
176:Zermatt
123:Little
707:Castor
702:Pollux
626:Törbel
422:Castor
418:Pollux
407:Europe
259:Valais
180:Valais
115:Naming
587:Randa
582:TĂ€sch
575:Zmutt
428:Plans
621:Embd
559:Ried
420:and
338:and
336:Furi
296:and
247:peak
237:The
747:Dom
265:or
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565:,
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300:.
285:.
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556:(
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