A paradise fallen from heaven—Switzerland: PRO TREK PRW-60Y accompanies me to witness the world’s beauty

      I’m JACKY, an outdoor sports enthusiast who thrives in mountaineering, trail running, ice climbing, rock climbing, and skiing. I’ve climbed over 20 snow-capped mountains, including the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, and have solo summited Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps. My day job is as a professional outdoor sports instructor, teaching related skills. Every summer, I make regular trips to the Alps, and this year my destination is Switzerland—a place blessed by the heavens, where snow-capped mountains surround lush alpine meadows. Zermatt, a famous Swiss Alpine town, is my destination. It boasts the world-renowned Matterhorn and the highest peak in the Swiss Alps, Mont Rosa. The pyramid-shaped Matterhorn is considered the most beautiful mountain in the Alps. Next, I’ll share my route and experiences from this trip.

D1-2: Journey to Zermatt

      I started my journey with a flight from Paris to Geneva, where I caught a perfect sunset at the airport, which made me even more excited for the trip ahead.

      Arriving in Geneva, the renowned watchmaking city of Switzerland—the closest major city to the Alpine hub of Chamonix—unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side, and my friend and I spent a very relaxing day in Geneva.

      Early the next morning, our team set off by small train to Zermatt, the Swiss Alpine town and my final destination, with breathtaking Alpine views outside the window. It truly felt like a paradise on earth.

      After some travel hassle, we finally arrived in the Swiss town of Zermatt, home to the world-famous Matterhorn. The blue sky, white clouds, green lawns, and the town itself all blended together in perfect harmony.

      In the town, you can find everything you need for daily life. For example, there are chocolate shops on the streets—chocolate is one of my favorite outdoor snacks, and as you know, Swiss chocolate is incredibly delicious. Strolling through this Swiss town, aside from food, you’ll find various luxury watch brands, including top-tier designer labels. The streets are filled with tourists who have come here from all over.

      After wandering the town for a while, we accidentally passed by a climbers’ cemetery and paid our respects to those who lost their lives in the mountains. Such places are sacred to us outdoor enthusiasts—where people have given their precious lives for the activities they love. Perhaps this is the purest place of all.

      Due to the town’s complex and maze-like streets, it’s very easy to get lost. Fortunately, I was wearing the Casio PRO TREK on this trip.

      The PRW-60Y’s compass function, combined with a local map, helped us avoid getting lost in the town. Along the way, we also encountered a marmot statue at the entrance of the Matterhorn Museum—marmots are a highly representative animal in this area. There was also a horse-drawn carriage service from a nearby luxury hotel. All of these were fun and novel experiences.

      Two days flew by, and feeling bored one evening, I went hiking up a mountain. The town under the night sky gave off a completely different vibe. And the PRO TREK PRW-60Y performed exceptionally well at night, equipped with a dual illumination system of neon light and LED, which made me feel very secure during my nighttime outings.

D3: Rainy Day Acclimatization Hike

      Today’s original plan was to do some physical acclimatization training, but the weather wasn’t great, so we had to give up on the idea of hiking to the summit. However, the base of the Alps’ most beautiful peak, the Matterhorn, under the rain, was truly stunning, which piqued my interest and led me to start exploring. Early in the morning, the town and the foothills were shrouded in mist, but I could still see hikers and trail runners out and about. The scene before me was perfectly harmonious.

      As I wandered near the foothills, the rain grew heavier, and many people hurried to find shelter. Fortunately, I was wearing a windbreaker and had my Casio PRO TREK PRW-60Y with me, allowing me to leisurely enjoy the mountain scenery. Thanks to the waterproof design of the PRW-60Y, I didn’t have to worry about the rain affecting the watch’s performance.

D4-5: Matterhorn + Mont Rosa High Route Hike

      The weather was clear today, allowing us to stick to our original plan of hiking up to see the Matterhorn, then trekking for five hours to a high-altitude mountain hut at the foot of Switzerland’s highest peak, Mont Rosa, for an overnight stay, and also experiencing the fantastic Mont Rosa High Route.

      Early in the morning, we took a cable car up the mountain, and the Matterhorn finally revealed its true form under the clear skies. During the ascent, a fellow traveler told me that this was the best angle to view the Matterhorn, which instantly sparked my interest—and I took a selfie with the PRO TREK PRW-60Y.

      After having our fun, we began hiking toward our destination for the day: the Mont Rosa mountain hut. We hiked on dirt trails for over an hour before transitioning to glacier trekking. Once on the glacier, I used the compass function on the PRW-60Y to determine our general direction.

      The image shows a typical glacial area, with numerous crevasses, and it took at least three hours to cross the glacier, making it very easy to get lost. One of my companions had to descend due to health issues and seek treatment, so I continued onward with the rest of the group on my own. This is when the reliability of my gear became crucial. The PRW-60Y’s ability to withstand temperatures as low as -10°C allowed me to walk more comfortably in the glacial zone, without worrying about the watch malfunctioning in extreme conditions.

      While walking across the glacier for over three hours, I had to be extremely cautious, carefully following the blue markers—any slight misstep could lead to getting lost in the vast expanse of the glacier.

      After three-plus hours of glacier trekking, we faced an entirely different terrain: a field of large boulders. This terrain was just as challenging—if not more so—than the glacier.

      Similar to the glacier, navigating the boulder field also required following the blue markers. Getting lost in these extreme terrains was easy, but in the steeper sections of the boulder field, ropes were available to assist with climbing.

      After today’s glacier trek, dirt trail hike, boulder field crossing, river ford, and via ferrata, we finally reached the mountain hut at Mont Rosa, Switzerland’s second-highest and the Alps’ highest peak.

      Behind the hut lies Mont Rosa, Switzerland’s highest peak—but this mountain has numerous crevasses, especially hidden ones, making it unsuitable for solo climbing. About 90% of the people staying in this mountain hut are climbers, as reaching this point without climbing skills is nearly impossible.

      After a long day, I rested on the mountain for a while until the sunset appeared. Gazing at the breathtaking snowy peaks and the setting sun helped me forget the day’s exhaustion.

      After the sunset came the enchanting afterglow, much like the rich features of the PRO TREK PRW-60Y—offering endless possibilities. It also significantly reduced my hiking time, giving me more time to rest and recover.

      After waking up the next day and getting my body adjusted, I felt very comfortable and began the next part of the journey. After descending the mountain, I looked out at the Rosa Hut and the Rosa Peak, and the view before me felt incredibly majestic.

      During the descent, my hiking partner and I demonstrated the altitude measurement function of the PRO TREK PRW-60Y. Everyone really loved this feature. The reason is that real-time altitude data feedback allows the person receiving the information to properly manage their energy, thereby increasing efficiency.

      These two days, I was also hiking with another climbing duo—this Swiss elderly man is not a professional mountain guide. But he is a long-time climbing enthusiast. At 61 years old, he brought his 20-year-old beloved daughter onto the glacier. His daughter didn’t have much climbing experience, and he took meticulous care of her along the way, vividly showing the love of a father for his daughter~

      This loop hiking route included glacier trekking, crossing crevasses, mixed ice and rock hiking, large boulder hiking, river crossings, Via Ferrata climbing, ladder climbing, and rock climbing (the hardest part being 5.7–5.8 solo climbing)~ In short, this is a hiking route where I had to wear all my climbing gear~ Want to know about the views? Basically, you can enjoy the most beautiful views of the Alps’ Matterhorn from every angle without any obstruction~ Over the past few years, I’ve hiked many famous trails, but in terms of scenery, difficulty, and variety, this one is probably my favorite~

    It’s worth mentioning that due to the sleek design of the PRW-60Y, which is significantly smaller in size, it greatly improved wearing comfort and practicality, without affecting my wrist movement during the climb at all.