My Adventurous Autumn in the Alps

by AAKANKSHA DHARMIK (India)

I didn't expect to find Switzerland

Isn’t it magical how one word can provoke different emotions or alter the course of life? Take this word- Matterhorn for instance. Did you savour the Toblerone’s nougat taste at the tip of your tongue, or did you recall the famous Disneyland ride? Or you might have never heard this word before. For me, Matterhorn’s my first love, my obsession and my summit to conquer. There was something about this pyramid-shaped Swiss peak that beguiled me. Finally, twenty-two Septembers hence, I mustered up the courage to chase my dream and ventured on a trip to Zermatt. After I got off the Glacier Express, crisp autumn air embraced me as if it waited for me since eternity. The aroma of chocolates and pines tickled my heart that I yearned for so long and a peculiar feeling of Deja-visite enveloped my soul. I jumped up and down when I saw my mighty Matterhorn. It looked straight from E.T Compton’s masterpiece- Misty white clouds teased and kissed its bent tip. Fall foliage in shades of russet and gold rolled down its feet, creating a perfect contrast against its silver massif. My phone buzzed. It was my hiking guide. My blush drained down my cheeks when he informed the hike was cancelled due to inclement weather. Bummer! Did I come this far only to be turned back at the last moment? The hike I dreamed of doing since I was three? No…this can’t end like this. I decided to tempt my fate and hike alone instead. My boots clanked against the quaint cobblestone street as I walked to the other end of Zermatt. It felt as if Khronos sent me back to the 19th century where hansom cabs drove past me and people walked with vintage cane umbrellas. Pollution, global warming and over-population were nothing but alien words here. After an hour hike, the raindrops pitter-pattered on my clothes and drenched my eyelashes. Mother Nature was not on my side, it seemed. The gusting glacier wind made the Vispa river race against me. There was now a heaviness to my woollen jacket as I hurried back. I paused only once when a gate swung open in front of me. My foot walked instinctively through them and led me to a cemetery, next to the church. I hovered over the gravestones erected for the mountaineers who perished while ascending the mountains of Valais. I closed my eyes to pay them respect, the raindrops blending perfectly with my salty tears. Only my quivering body gave any clues to the sadness I bore. I accidentally slipped and fell over a black plaque, splashing a puddle of water over it. I lifted my head to see my hazy reflection and I wiped it with my sleeves to reveal the name elegantly engraved in bold - Alessandra Sgro 1870-1895. I rubbed the heel of the palm against my chest to calm my pounding heart. My free fingers automatically traced the carved epitaph and a tear formed at the corner of my eye when it read -Died while chasing the dream of doing the impossible. My cancelled trek and this walk through the cemetery developed a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. I did not miss a second to pass the Ibex statue before making my way to the Matterhorn Museum. I was immediately catapulted by the history of the Matterhorn and the mountaineers. I gazed at the equipment they used during ascent-mountain gears, water bottles, cameras when a sense of Deja-vu struck me. I entered a room where photos of mountaineers were decorated in chronological order. A sudden coldness hit my core when I stumbled across the photo of Alessandra. She was seated, wearing a puffed sleeve top and a floor-length skirt. A bonnet covered her head, spilling soft curls from the sides that framed her face perfectly. I narrowed my eyes and leaned forward to double-take her face when a yelp escaped my mouth. She shared my eyes…my nose…my smile…my soul! I took a quick step backwards. Was fate toying with me? Or was it just a crazy coincidence that I discovered Alessandra two times today? A picture speaks a thousand words. I never believed it…until now.