Matterhorn - Mynydd yr Alpau Alpau Eric Jones

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-The Alps, the highest mountains in

-Europe stretch over 74,000 miles...

-..through eight countries.

-Home to 14 million people.

-The Alps are under threat

-due to the thousands who flock here.

-Hundreds of miles

-separate Wales and the Alps...

-..but comparisons can be made.

-We face similar problems.

-I'll journey through the mountains

-in search of a solution.

-Matterhorn - The Alpine Mountain

-The next stage takes me

-to the heart of Switzerland...

-..and the country's

-most famous icon.

-I've reached its peak seven times -

-twice on my own.

-The Matterhorn mountain.

-The Swiss have tunnelled

-through the mountains...

-..and use trains to reduce traffic

-problems in the narrow valleys.

-I'm going to Goppenstein Station.

-In order to enter the tunnel,

-I'll drive my car onto the train.

-I'll travel through the tunnel

-to Kandersteg.

-I've used this tunnel

-many times in the past...

-..when I climbed

-the Bernese Oberland and Eiger.

-The weather would be terrible.

-I'd travel on this to Zermatt

-to climb in the Matterhorn region.

-Zermatt is the town

-at the foot of the Matterhorn.

-Cars, lorries and buses are banned.

-The only way to arrive is by train,

-which gives time to reminisce.

-The northern face is the most

-challenging climb of the Matterhorn.

-I climbed it on my own in 1973.

-The following year, I returned

-with three friends in the winter.

-We were on our way

-to climb the Matterhorn.

-Before we reached the mountain...

-..about two or three feet

-of fresh snow had fallen.

-It was impossible to find the path

-in the deep snow.

-I was leading and the conditions

-had become very dangerous.

-I was about to suggest

-that we turn back...

-..and attach the rope.

-Suddenly, I lost my grip...

-..and slid down the slope

-in an avalanche.

-I thought I was going to die.

-At the end

-of the 100-yard slope...

-..there was a 1,000-foot drop.

-Luckily, I managed to grab a rock...

-..and cling to it

-as the avalanche swept over me.

-I stopped within five yards

-from the edge.

-I was extremely lucky.

-We reached the summit

-after three cold, tough days.

-All my friends were delighted.

-But the ascent had given me

-frostbite on my toes.

-Climbing and filming

-on the Matterhorn...

-..opened a new chapter

-in my life with the Alps.

-For many people, Zermatt is the

-Mecca of their visit to the Alps.

-The Alps sit on the borders

-of France, Italy and Germany.

-But, in Switzerland,

-they form the centrepiece.

-This is why

-they're important to the country...

-..the economy, tourism

-and the identity of the Swiss...

-..as well as to mountaineers

-and climbers like myself.

-I met an American...

-..who ran an adventure school

-at Zermatt every summer.

-He asked if I'd work for him

-for about eight to ten weeks...

-..running the school's

-climbing department.

-I came here every summer

-for five years.

-I spent six weeks

-teaching the Americans to climb...

-..and showing them the mountains.

-It was a happy time for me

-and teaching them was a pleasure.

-I made a lot of American friends

-and I keep in contact with them.

-In the shadow of the Matterhorn,

-climbers gather to tackle the peak.

-Inexperienced climbers

-must have a professional guide.

-The president of the

-Zermatt Guides Association...

-..is Bettina Sulliger-Perren

-who is the only female guide.

-I recall many instructors

-with the same surname as Bettina...

-..during my time at Zermatt.

-Hello, Bettina. I'm Eric.

-Hello, Bettina. I'm Eric.

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-Nice to meet you. Sit down.

-It's a beautiful day.

-It's a beautiful day.

-

-It is.

-Did you walk here?

-Did you walk here?

-

-Of course.

-Some families have done it

-for generations.

-Most of them are in Zermatt.

-My grandfather

-and his four brothers were guides.

-We have many visitors at Zermatt...

-..including inexperienced climbers

-who want to scale the Matterhorn.

-They're shocked when we get there.

-It isn't a difficult mountain,

-but you must know how to climb it.

-Bettina has climbed

-to its summit 50 times.

-It's a dangerous mountain,

-but easy to climb on the main route.

-For safety purposes,

-each climber has a mountain guide.

-On average, ten climbers

-are killed on it every year.

-Bettina is preparing to climb

-to the peak again.

-It's difficult to get up early

-to start climbing...

-..but the moon and dawn

-are an amazing sight every time.

-Three friends were killed

-on this striking mountain.

-Two of them had made the ascent

-up the dangerous route safely...

-..but were killed by falling rocks

-descending down an easy route.

-My third friend

-died on the Furgen ridge.

-It's a beautiful mountain...

-..but I feel happiness and sorrow

-when I see it again.

-When I started visiting the Alps...

-..I'd fill a van

-with food and equipment...

-..then drive for three days

-and spend the summer climbing.

-We left when the weather changed

-or when our pockets were empty...

-..but, shortly afterwards,

-we'd plan for the following summer.

-Mountaineering is safer today and

-more people flock to the mountains.

-I see it in Wales and the Alps.

-As in Snowdonia,

-mobile phones are a blessing...

-..and a burden on the mountain.

-People are often unable

-to come down in time.

-They must have an overnight bivvy.

-When they cannot tolerate the cold,

-they phone us to collect them...

-..or their worried families

-call out the rescue teams.

-Often, these people

-aren't in any danger.

-This takes up a lot of our staff

-and our time...

-..when we could be doing other work.

-Usually, people begin climbing

-in the middle of the night.

-It's safer before the sun

-melts the ice...

-..and loosens gravel on the slopes.

-It's one of the biggest dangers.

-Everyone thinks that I'm the boss...

-..but the truth is,

-I have 96 bosses.

-They tell me what to do.

-I find work for the guides, make

-sure the office runs smoothly...

-..keep the guides

-and customers happy...

-..look after the mountain routes...

-..and ensure that

-the safety points are in place.

-It's my job to keep everyone happy.

-Bettina said that many clients are

-surprised to see a female guide...

-..with such a dangerous job,

-who's also a mother.

-I bade farewell to a favourite

-mountain and headed for Austria.

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-In the Alps,

-motorways and by-passes...

-..are the solutions

-to their transport problems.

-The beautiful valleys echo

-with the sound of traffic and fumes.

-My journey takes me to Austria...

-..to Sonnblick,

-Europe's highest weather station...

-..and to a Romansh community

-in Switzerland.

-I begin with another scheme

-to reduce traffic in the Alps.

-Architect, Michael Prachensky

-lives in the Tirol area in Austria.

-He wants to remove traffic

-from the streets...

-..and into a system of tunnels

-and smaller roads.

-His project is called the Talpino.

-The aim is to connect

-Milan and Munich.

-It would be beneficial

-for residents of the Alps...

-..lorry drivers and travellers.

-Prachensky believes that

-a new transport system is needed...

-..as the railway

-belongs to another era.

-I visited Michael Prachensky

-to hear more about his ideas.

-The Brenner Tunnel has

-been under discussion for a year.

-Show me the Talpino.

-This is an interesting

-Talpino project through the Alps.

-It's an ecological project.

-A tunnel of this type

-is greatly needed.

-Traffic levels have doubled

-during the last 15 years.

-In the future, it's expected

-to increase more quickly.

-It'll get rid of all the pollution.

-This project is one

-of the best ideas through the Alps.

-South and north-east Europe

-would be linked by a long tunnel.

-The Talpino system would have many

-carriages to transport lorries.

-These would run independently...

-..so that they could stop and unload

-while other carriages didn't stop.

-It would be driven by a combination

-of magnets and air on rails.

-The project would follow the natural

-contour of the Alpine valleys.

-It would be simple to use

-like any road system.

-The journey from Milan to Munich

-would be 200km shorter...

-..than the present journey

-via the Brenner Pass.

-The Talpino would be made up of

-a system of small 20km tunnels...

-..instead of a single long tunnel.

-The politicians have decided

-to improve the transport system...

-..but how do you persuade them that

-Prachensky's pioneering scheme...

-..is worth serious consideration?

-The residents of Val Lumnezia

-in Switzerland speak Romansh.

-It's one of Switzerland's

-four official languages.

-Only 45,000 people speak it today.

-The mountain village of Vrin

-has a population of 250.

-The locally-born architect,

-Gion Caminada...

-..is responsible

-for renovating the village.

-Caminada designs buildings

-that complement traditions...

-..and the requirements

-in his home town.

-Gion, I'm Eric. Pleased to me you.

-GION SPEAKS ROMANSH

-Romansh is the only true

-Alpine language...

-..spoken in Alpine regions.

-Today, the language

-is spoken only in remote valleys.

-Gion employs many local people.

-Creating work in the village

-is important.

-Romansh derives from Latin.

-What does the future hold

-for this language?

-The fate of Romansh

-depends on combating depopulation.

-Do our communities

-want to preserve the language...

-..and does our society

-think it has any value?

-In addition to

-preserving the language...

-..the area also faces

-the problem of depopulation.

-I design multi-purpose buildings

-to maintain local interest.

-This building

-is a centre for people to meet...

-..a gym for children

-and a venue for concerts and plays.

-Caminada wants to

-prevent depopulation...

-..by creating work and quality jobs

-as an incentive to stay.

-This fantastic scenery...

-..masks the major changes

-unfolding in the Alps.

-I've witnessed the shrinking of

-glaciers in the Grindelwald area...

-..in the last 20 years.

-This is due to global warming.

-Today, I've come

-to the district of Rauris...

-..to meet Ludwig Rasser,

-a weather expert.

-He works at the weather station

-on the summit of Sonnblick.

-It's the oldest station in Europe.

-Hello.

-Good morning, Ludwig.

-Where's the observatory?

-LUDWIG SPEAKS GERMAN

-How high is it?

-How high is it?

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-SPEAKS GERMAN

-Scientist, Ludwig Rasser...

-..has worked at Europe's oldest

-weather station for 20 years.

-It's the perfect place

-to detect changes in our weather.

-Only one unsteady cable car

-connects them with the valley below.

-It's winter throughout the year

-at this station.

-Even in the age of satellites, the

-daily data collected by Ludwig...

-..throughout the year, in

-all weather is extremely beneficial.

-LUDWIG SPEAKS GERMAN

-Ludwig has witnessed huge changes

-in the weather in the last decade.

-The number of days when

-snow and ice cover the mountains...

-..is decreasing.

-As a result, there's an increase

-in avalanches, landslides...

-..and the glaciers are melting.

-This station collects information

-about the atmosphere...

-..the rays from the sun...

-..and pollution in the air.

-It's one of the most

-important sites in Europe.

-BOTH SPEAK GERMAN

-It's a lonely life for Ludwig

-and his co-worker in Sonnblick...

-..but their work

-is relevant to us all.

-Ludwig observes the changes...

-..but we must decide

-whether or not to prevent them.

-In the next programme...

-..I visit one of the best

-climbers in the world.

-Join me at the castle

-of the King of the Mountains.

-I return to Switzerland...

-..to hear about the changes

-on the treacherous Eiger mountain.

-S4C subtitles by Tinopolis

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