In 1861 English mountaineers opened the Haute Route between the two most famous mountaineering centres in Europe - Chamonix and Zermatt - the homes of Europe’s most well-known mountains - Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.
Our Haute Route trek starts, as tradition dictates, in Chamonix in the French Haute Savoie region and we walk East through the French speaking part of the Swiss Valais region before arriving in the German speaking Zermatt. Not only will we experience a change of language, but we will also note a change in local culture, food, flora and fauna. The route is bursting with great walking trails, breath-taking mountain views and fascinating mountaineering history.
The Walker’s Haute Route trek is completely tailored to walkers and avoids glaciers and sections where technical climbing skills are needed. The trip is long and demanding so we will need good fitness and strong stamina. Along the route we will stay in mountain huts, hostels and small hotels, which are full of character.
There are a number of possible variations to the route so we keep the itinerary flexible enough to match it as closely as possible to the group members’ aspirations and abilities and any other circumstances that may arise. A typical itinerary for our Walker’s Haute Route trek is shown below.
Brief itinerary:
Day 1:
Arrive Chamonix valley and meet with leader in the evening for welcome and briefing.
Day 2:
From Le Tour (1453m) in the Chamonix valley over Col de Balme (2191m) and descend to Trient (1297m) in Switzerland.
Day 3:
From Trient we trace a section of the Tour du Mont Blanc across the Fenêtre d’Arpette (2665m) and down to Champex (1477m).
Day 4:
From Champex we transfer to the famous ski resort Verbier and walk to Cabane du Mont Fort (2457m).
Day 5:
From Cabane du Mont Fort over Col de la Chaux (2940m), Col de Louvie (2921m) and Col de Prafleuri (2987m) to Cabane de Prafleuri (2624m).
Day 6:
From Cabane de Prafleuri (2624m) over Col des Roux (2804m) and down to Lac des Dix (2364m). Then over Pas de Chevres (2855m) and down to Arolla (2006m).
Day 7:
A choice of an easy walk from Arolla to the village Villa (1742m) or a rest day using public transport from Arolla to Villa.
Day 8:
From Villa (1742m) we ascend to Col de Torrent (2916m) and descend via Lac de Moiry (2249m) all the way down to Grimentz (1564m).
Day 9:
Transfer from Grimentz to St. Luc (1655m) where we start the ascent on foot to the Meidpass (2790m) and descend to Gruben (1818m).
Day 10:
From Gruben (1818m) via Augstbordpass (2894m) and Jungu (1955m) to St. Niklaus (1127m). We end the day with a short train journey to Täsch (1450m).
Day 11:
We leave Täsch (1450m) for the final leg of our journey, which traverses the Mattertal to Zermatt (1616m).
Day 12:
The morning is free to explore Zermatt. Return to Chamonix by train in the afternoon. Evening in Chamonix.
Day 13:
Depart Chamonix.
Walker’s Haute Route, Chamonix to Zermatt
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Trekking and walking holidays: Chamonix Spring Walking ; Best of Mont Blanc Walking ; Tour du Mont Blanc trek ; Haute Route trek, Chamonix to Zermatt ; Gran Paradiso trek.
Tailor made trekking and walking: Weekend Explorer trek ; Trekking skills weekend ; Tailor made trekking ; Tailor made trekking expeditions.
Snowshoeing in the Alps: Best of Mont Blanc snowshoe week ; Weekend Explorer Snowshoeing ; Tailor made snowshoeing.
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