Haute Route

The Haute Route – The High Road – is arguably one of the most famous and magnificent ski traverses in the world. During the 6 days it takes to travel on skis from Chamonix to Zermatt, you will be immersed in the world of the high mountains: skiing on glaciers surrounded by dramatic 4000m peaks during the day, and enjoying the comfort of mountain huts after a long day out.

Trip description

Day 1:  This is an assessement day to make sure everyone is up to speed for the upcoming week.  We will get a feel for the groups fitness, skiing ability (uphill and downhill) and cover skills like skiing on a glacier and avalanche rescue.  Ideally we will ski the Valle Blanche, a ledgendary glacial decent above Chamoinx.  However, if the weather is not cooperative we may spend the day at the Grands Montets. Lodging: Chamonix

Day 2: We will begin by taking the lifts up the Grands Montets and skiing down to the Argentiere glacier.  From here, we will skin up to the col du Chardonnet, before dropping onto the Saleinaz glacier, which is our entrance into Switzerland. Another skin takes us to the Fenetre de Saleinaz, which leads to the Trient glacier. From there, we will traverse to the Trient Hut. Lodging: Trient Hut

Day 3: Ski down to the Col des Ecandies, after a quick climb we arrive at the Val d’Arpette, which we ski to Champex. We will then travel by taxi to Verbier.  Depending on conditions and the group, we will spend the afternoon exploring the Verbier resort or lounging in the sun at the Cabane Mont Fort, where we will spend the night.

Day 4: We start by skinning to the Col de la Chaux.  From here we immerse ourselves again in the world of glaciers and high peaks. We will summit the Rosablanche before skiing down to the Prafleuri Hut. Loding: Prafleuri Hut

Day 5: The day starts with a short skin up to the Col des Roux before the long traverse above the Lac des Dix. A steep climb up the Pas du Chat takes us into the Dix valley with stunning views on the Mont Blanc de Cheilon. Lodging: Dix Hut

Day 6: The last two days offer some of the most spectacular touring and scenery of the entire week and in the Alps for that matter. The skin up to the Pigne d’Arolla travels through a maze of crevasses and rugged terrain. After a last steep section, we will traverse a high glaciated plateau to reach the summit of the Pigne d’Arolla – the highest point on the Haute Route at around 3,800m – which offers mindblowing views over the Alps and the surrounding 4000m peaks. After taking it all in, we will ski down to the Vignettes Hut.

Day 7: Last, but not least… we have three cols to traverse and a lot of distance to cover before the long ski down to Zermatt: the Col de l’Eveque, the Col Brule and the Col de Valpelline. Once we reach the last col, the mighty Matterhorn reveals itself in the most majestic way and we will get to ski with this jaw-dropping view all the way down to Zermatt!

Fitness level:  You should be able to skin uphill 5,000/ft a day for 5 consecutive days over 6-8hrs during the day.

Skiing ability: Strong advanced-intermediate skier in backcountry or off-piste terrain (power snow, breakable crust, icy slopes and the unavoidable crud…).  Also, comfortable skinning in exposed terrain and executing kick-turns on steep firm slopes is required.

Price: $2,750 per-person based on a 4:1 ratio

Includes:

  • 3 nights hotel lodging (2 prior to trip and one at the end) based on double occupancy
  • 5 hut nights, demi-pension (includes breakfast and dinner)
  • Taxi service from Champex to Le Chable and luggage transfer from Chamonix to Zermatt
  • Lift tickets (one multi-pass ticket in Chamonix, one single ride at the Grand Montet, one single ride at                  Verbier to access Mont Fort
  • All guides fees and expenses

Does NOT include:

  • Drinks and huts (including water, which most of the time needs to be purchased seperately)
  • Trip insurance or rescue insurance
  • Travel to Chamonix prior to trip and travel from Zermatt at the end
  • Gear rentals

IMPORTANT: This ski tour is in high mountain glaciated terrain and we expect all of our guests to have a certain level of competency in both up and downhill skiing.  This is both for individual, as well as, group safety.  Because of this, we reserve the right to prevent someone’s participation on the tour if we feel they are not capable of the itinerary. We cannot offer refunds if you show up for a trip and are unable to participate due to your skiing ability or fitness level. If you are concerned of your ability please feel free to contact us directly so we can discuss this one on one.  Furthermore, if the weather prevents us from completing our proposed itinerary we will do our best to find suitable alternatives.  Because we are very familiar with this region of the Alps, we are confident we can make the best out of any situation.  However, some itinerary changes will incur additional costs.

CUSTOMIZE: As a small guide service we pride ourselves on being able to fit your needs.  If these dates don’t work for your schedule please contact us to arrange something that will. Also, there are many variations for the Haute Route and if you are coming with a lot of skiing and touring experience we can help arrange something that offers a challenge for anyone.  We know this region well and have both completed the Haute Route in one day…  so, let us know if you want us to put together something else that suits you best!