Sig Pueschel, from Rhode Island has led an adventurous life. I can't begin to recount all the things he has done and places he has been. Climbing the Matterhorn has recently become a new goal for him. This year, however, the conditions on that peak were some of the worse in the memories of many a local guide. Out of the entire summer season, there were perhaps a dozen days in which the local guides were climbing the peak. Victims of the same nasty weather and conditions, we had to settle for other summits.

Sig, on the summit of the Riffelhorn. We climbed the Egg route on the South Face.

The view out towards the Gornergletscher and Monte Rosa from Rotenboden, the starting point for the Riffelhorn climb.

The Almageller hut, high above the Saas valley. We stayed here for a couple nights, climbing the Dri Horlini as well as the Weissmies.

Sig, on the spiny ridge crest of the Dri Horlini traverse. Behind can be seen the summits of the Täschhorn and Dom.

Inside the very pleasant Almageller hut.

Climbing on the South Ridge of the Weissmies Unfortunately, the clouds came in not far above, and that was it for views for the rest of the day.

Sig's feet took a beating on the Weissmies, so we took the next few days a bit more easily. Here we are enjoying the Gornerschlucht, a wild ride though the water carved canyon below the Gornergletscher.

The Gornerschlucht. There are fixed steel cables to clip into to safeguard the entire route.

Mountain Ash on the hike back into Zermatt after the Gornerschlucht.

We took a day to hike up to the Hörnli hut. Here is Schwarzsee and the small chapel there. Behind is the Ober Gabelhorn.

A cross on the way up to the Hörnli hut.

Zermatt, seen from the Ritzengrat, a fine hike down from the Rothorn. The Matterhorn can be seen lurking in the clouds behind.