‘The Horn’ is a TV documentary that follows the Zermatt mountain rescue team.
The series was filmed in 2016 and is named after the famous mountain in Zermatt, the Matterhorn.
Air Zermatt saves lives
Have you ever wondered what it is like for the teams that put their lives on the line to rescue climbers, mountaineers and skiers who get into difficulty?
All episodes feature the skilled search and rescue team of Air Zermatt – the resort’s helicopter company that also offers sightseeing, rescue, avalanche control and transport.
Watch ‘The Horn’ online at RedBull.com
This program is produced by RedBull TV and is available to watch free on their digital channels.
Each episode is 50 minutes long. As the team can be involved in up to twenty rescues a day there is no shortage of drama and adrenaline.
What happens in ‘The Horn’?
Visually this program is a feast, with dramatic wide aerial shots of the mountains and peaks that surround the Matterhorn and Zermatt.
These are intercut with interviews with the crew about the incidents that are unfolding on screen. We also get to experience heartwarming reunions between the rescuer and the rescuee.
None of the action is a recreated: it’s all original footage captured mainly by a camera crew based in the rescue centre.
There are times when the danger is too much to involve a television production team, so the action gets taken up by the multiple mounted GoPro’s on the rescue team and the hardware.
Throughout the series, you can expect to see broken legs, mountainside rescues and incredible people faced with impossible decisions.
Episode Guide
The show is made up of six episodes.
In the opening episode, we get to witness the skill of the team in full as they work with a team of mountain guides to rescue a skier who has fallen into a crevasse.
In other episodes, a ski racer needs to be rescued after a serious fall, skiers find themselves in a dangerous avalanche zone and there are emergency hospital transfers.
Episode 1: The Crevasse
A skier gets caught in a crevasse.
Episode 2: The Mountain
A look at the dangers on the mountain.
Episode 3: Faster than the Grim Reaper
A helicopter is put in danger.
Episode 4: The Longest Day
The ski season is in full flow.
Episode 5: The Smallest Piece
How mountain rescue has improved over the years
Episode 6: The Storm
The team are grounded due to the weather.
The people behind the drama
This show isn’t just about the drama. It is about the teams, the pilots and the specialist.
We get to know the crew and find out how they get emotionally involved in the job and the people they rescue.
Behind the drama, we get to learn about the training and planning that the team are involved in to make sure they are ready for any situation.
The less glamorous side of the operation gets a look in Episode 5 as the hangar crew show how the kit and helicopters must be continuously maintained.
Despite the many talking heads the show never descends into judgement about the people who need rescue.
There is an understanding through the show that everyone is in the mountains pursuing their passion, including the crew of Air Zermatt.
Accommodation in Zermatt
If you are looking for a base for your own Zermatt adventure, then check out our serviced properties or talk to one of our team on +41 7924 71588
And if you really want to fly in a helicopter we can organise heliskiing!
