One image of the Matterhorn endures beyond all others: it shows a hiking trail curving around a mighty pine, and the distant Matterhorn framed by bare angular branches arching out from a tree just in front of the viewer.
In the year 2000, this image was used on the reverse of Goldfrapp's 'Felt Mountain' album. In 2003, Phespirit set out to locate the Goldfrapp Trees .....
..... and after much searching, he succeeded.
Phespirit found the Goldfrapp Trees whilst en route from Grünsee to Riffelalp. Halfway along, the path divides and goes up towards Riffelalp or onwards to Riffelalp Station. Phespirit headed up, towards Riffelalp, crossing over the Gornergrat Railway. Ten minutes along from the railway, there they are: the Goldfrapp Trees, approximately 25m further on from where telephone wires pass overhead.
The mighty lone pine is now slightly obscured by a fresh new tree growing in front of it. Also, the younger pines in the distance are much taller, as would be expected. The classic photo is captured by stepping off the path onto a well-worn sandy patch of ground in front of the near tree, about a metre and a half down to the right.
