Eilish AND Geoff / Adventure Elopement
They are relentless adventurers – it was clear from the first lines in Eilish’s email, where she told us about the Matterhorn trek they had planned and how they would love to hike to a local mountain cabin in Zermatt to celebrate their elopement. We chose the cabin that was the most exciting to access, requiring a glacier crossing and two guides.
Their closest family members flew in for the occasion and we all met on a grey morning by the Gornergrat train. The train took us into the heights above the treeline, from where we started our hike, armed with crampons and harnesses, led by Marco and Paolo, our two guides. We discovered with awe the valley opening up before us as we covered the first few kilometers.
Glaciers we didn’t know the names of, too many mountain peaks, the Matterhorn enveloped by a mysterious layer of fog. Little lakes of a charming shade of turquoise greeted us from the bottom of the valley.
We climbed down a ladder to meet the foot of the Monte Rosa glacier. The last part of the hike took us along a very steep, winding path up to the Monte Rosa hut. Eilish and Geoff, who had just finished a 10-day-long trek, let loose of the group and reached the cabin well before us. It was a reward to finally reach our destination, take off our hiking boots and lie down for just a few minutes, before we all met on the terrace for a cool beer in the afternoon sun.
Afterwards, Eilish and Geoff split off to get dressed for their first look moment. ”Are they really shoes if they’re not Italian?” Geoff commented with a laughter after as we walked to the spot they had chosen, a bit further away from the cabin. Finally Eilish appeared as a tiny silhouette on the path that led to our spot, wearing her brother’s hat.
“It looks beautiful and angry” Eilish whispered, as they were both admiring at the glacier unrolling at their feet. Geoff responded, “just like you when I didn’t do the dishes.”
We ended the day with a hearty homemade dinner and went to bed early as we had to set our alarm clocks for 5 AM the next morning in order to catch the rising red sun rays on the Matterhorn peak for an early morning sunrise ceremony.
“On our first date, I saw her entering the restaurant and observed her joking with the waitress before she headed to where I was sat. She laughed, and I thought: if she laughs like that at my jokes, I’m screwed.” Everyone was standing on the cabin’s helicopter landing platform, while Geoff and Eilish read their vows and the rising sun made its way across the valley. We crowned the ceremony with a bottle of champagne and a breakfast at the hut, before it was time to start the hike back.
