Your guide will have ropes, climbing rack, first aid and survival equipment. 750m ascent, 2400m descent ~8-10hrs from the Vignettes (or 650m ascent, 7-8hrs from the Nacamuli). From the hut, we walk down a good path overlooking the glacier opposite the North Face of the Matterhorn past the old village of Zmutt, which was once used as summer settlement. Dave was fantastic throughout the tour. Fly to Geneva with numerous budget airlines, for an overview of the best options check out the excellent Sky Scanner website. The chalet stands in its own 2000m2 alpine garden with stunning panoramic views of Mont Blanc and the entire Chamonix valley. Return travel should be arranged on Monday morning, after your final nights accommodation. This is an eight day high level glacier trek, linking the famous Alpine centres of Chamonix in France and Zermatt in Switzerland. If you are into challenges – then the thought of doing a road sportive, or training to do a 1/2 (or maybe even a full) marathon, wouldn’t seem too ridiculous. 3 or 4 nights accommodation in the Chamonix valley, including breakfast. Taking a dramatic and uncompromising line, the classic Haute Route traverses the heart of the European Alps, linking Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn by a series of high cols and impressive glaciers. I think the rest of the group feels the same. 550m ascent ~2-3hrs walking time to the hut, plus 2-3hrs skills training in the afternoon. Was very happy with Dave Hollinger. We base ourselves for the week in the famous French resort of Chamonix, in the shadow of Mont Blanc. Our ski guides are ski touring specialists and know the Haute Route intimately. Champex – We’ll have 2 hiking choices today, crossing either the high, rocky Fentre d’Arpette pass, or a more moderate hike through woods and farms to the small lakeside village of Champex. I’ve had many guides in my mountain adventures and I would say that Dave’s performance was the best I have ever seen and enjoyed. This is another Alpine Start day… the ascent of the Pigne takes around 4 hours from the Dix Hut and we’ll be on glaciers all the way. To take part you should be at Fitness Level 3/4 and Tech Level 3/4 (see our Fitness/Experience guidelines below). **. If starting from the Mont Fort Hut, it takes a couple of hours longer to reach the traverse above the Lac de Dix, coming around the North side of the Rosablanche before making a good descent off the Col de Sovereu. For further information, please visit our Financial Protection page. The route traverses passes, glaciers and easier summits along the way, offering stunning views and scenery. In fact the bad weather added a bit of character to the week… Thanks for a great trip and I’m already looking forward to a tour next year. I would just like to say that Neil our guide was fantastic, he went above and beyond his duties as a guide – I can not express enough how grateful we are to him. During the trip we also stay at the 2* Hotel des Glaciers in Arolla. The summit views from the Pigne D’Arolla are some of the best in the region, so it’s well worth the effort! Just a quick mail to say thank you for arranging the trip for Tom and myself – we enjoyed every hard step of the way through the Haute Route. The regular haute route travels through Verbier and is slightly less technical than the classic itinerary. Val D’Arpette – Verbier – Prafleuri Hut or Mont Fort Hut. I really enjoyed the trip (especially now I’ve had a day or two to recover), the whole experience was great with a variety of different conditions and uncertainty all adding to the overall sense of achievement at the end, including some great skiing thrown in! Dave Hollinger is an exemplary guide. From the summit, it’s a 600m descent down to the Vignettes Hut, which lies perched in a spectacular position on a rocky ridge crest. The Haute Route ski tour is a classic Alps ski tour that every backcountry skier should experience. For more info please read the Using Alpine Huts article which provides an overview of typical facilities, average costs to help you budget for lunches/drinks, and general info on hut etiquette. Never once did I not trust his judgment and his commitment to the group’s safety. He was able to assess the skills and abilities of all and make appropriate decisions which resulted in success for the entire team. Bresting the col, the Lac des Dix dominates the valley beyond and we then a make a long traverse above the lake to it’s southern end at the Pas du Chat. The whole trek is well over 300km and takes between two and three weeks. We also strongly recommend that you purchase cancellation cover, in case you’re unable to attend your trip due to personal circumstances or injury. Either way, at the end of the lake the long climb up to the Dix Hut begins – usually in the afternoon sun. The day begins with a few hundred metres of descent down the right bank of the Trient Glacier, followed by a short boot track to reach the Col des Ecandies at the top of the Val D’Arpette. Return travel should be arranged on Sunday morning, after your final nights accommodation. Our route follows the classic trek across the Swiss Alps starting in Chamonix at the base of Mont Blanc, Western Europe's Highest Peak, and concluding in Zermatt at the base of the Matterhorn, the world's most recognizable and stunningly beautiful peak. Haute Route program consists of 7 days ski touring. However, if you are both a very strong skier (ski level 4+) and very fit (fitness level 4+),  you can get away with a shorter period of focussed ski touring skills training beforehand e.g. This trip is protected by ABTOT – Alpine Guides Ltd, Membership Number 5394. With international groups, we will try to put all eg. Hopefully this will give an overview of recent conditions, particularly in the Mont Blanc massif. The Walker's Haute Route is a walking trail through the French and Swiss Alps, for 200km (125 miles) from Chamonix in the West to Zermatt in the East. I know that some of the success belongs to the team, but it was Dave’s ability to gauge our strength and weakness and his talent in inspiring us that helped lead to this success. The pace is quite relaxed, with plenty of time for photos and enjoying the scenery each day, but you need to be fit and prepared for back to back 4-9 hour days of walking on high mountain trails. The hut is newly re built, with a friendly young team in charge, who make everyone feel welcome. For further information, please check out our Haute Route Advice Article. All the logistics went off without trouble. The most common way to reach Chamonix is fly to Geneva, then take a shared minibus taxi transfer to the Chamonix valley (must be booked in advance). Or in the Lake District Langdale – Bowfell – Esk Pike – Angle Tarn – Langdale in ~ 6hrs. Thank you so much and please extend my best wishes to Dave. Using a splitboard, different techniques and lines are required on a number of sections of the route, which means we are unfortunately unable to accept bookings for splitboards on our Haute Route trips. From the Col Brule, the Col Valpelline doesn’t look that far away, but it always takes a good two hours to reach. Also important was the make up of the group; of course I knew Rosie and Jay which helps, but the other guys were great company and I would be more than happy to join them again. If staying at the Mont Fort Hut at the end of the day, we can get up a little later and enjoy a quiet descent of the Val D’Arpette before having an afternoon’s off piste skiing around Verbier, as the Mont Fort Hut lies within the Verbier lift system. If you need to top up your fitness for this trip, please see our ski touring training advice page. Above all, alpine climbing kit needs to do the job, but be as light as possible. The Haute Route is 60 percent trail and 40 percent glacier travel and each day you will trek though high mountain passes, while skirting through alpine meadows and wildflowers. Ideally you want a relatively shorter ski that is around 88-92 wide underfoot. Also, our Multiday Ski Touring FAQs page answers some of the most common questions we are asked about multi day ski touring and Haute Route logistics etc. From the bottom station of the chairlift, a short walk along the lakeside leads to our hotel, where we can eat, drink, shower and enjoy a comfortable night in the valley. Click or tap this notice to hide. Connecting the two alpine centres of Chamonix and Zermatt, the route offers everything you’d expect on a high mountain ski tour – with glacial terrain every day, amazing scenery, tough climbs and … You can put down a reasonable set of tracks in powder, but difficult snow types – eg heavy wet snow, crusts, poor visibility or 40dg slopes – can all cause problems (though you can cope with them safely, if not elegantly!) Looking forward to doing something next year, any suggestions would be appreciated! This is a brilliant viewpoint, offering a superb vista of the nearby Matterhorn and Dent D’Herens, as well as several other 4000ers. Your guide will have all other safety kit, first aid and survival equipment. The Walker's Haute Route (aka 'the High Route') is a legendary high level trek, connecting Chamonix and Zermatt. Dave’s communication on what to expect was spot-on. NB this is a refresher day, not a complete beginners training day – ie some of the skills may be new to you, but you must already be a good off piste skier and have done at least one weeks’ previous ski touring on alpine touring kit before joining the trip. We are a specialist adventure holiday company and mountain guide service for Climbing and Backcountry Skiing in Europe - just get in touch and we'll organise you a great holiday! A choice of routes now presents itself – either the Col du Chardonnet or Col du Passon. I guess from our point of view we take a gamble when signing up with guides via the internet. The Haute Route This is an eight day high level glacier trek, linking the famous Alpine centres of Chamonix in France and Zermatt in Switzerland. We had looked at a couple of websites, but didn’t really shop around a huge amount as your website was really comprensive, had all the right kind of information and technical ability required etc. Those wishing to join a midweek trip should arrange outward travel on a Wednesday (ski days being Thursday to Wednesday), and arrange return travel the following Thursday. Please enter a valid email address. Had a fantastic time skiing last week and it feels great to have completed the route albeit with a slight variation mid-week to mitigate the risk of bad weather and avalanche potential. PM Overnight in Chamonix valley. I liked the challenge of trying to complete a route, which gives the whole trip a tangible purpose, though obviously means the skiing is not necessarily always ideal. Although longer (1400m of ascent to Dix Hut), this route is quieter and offers good skiing. So we loved it, had an epic time! For more info please read the Using Alpine Huts article which provides an overview of typical facilities, average costs to help you budget for lunches/drinks and general info on hut etiquette. Purchasing Equipment Backcountry UK in Ilkley offer an excellent mountain boot fitting service and general equipment advice. During summer 2020 the Chanrion Hut is closed for renovation, so we are following a new itinerary along the middle section of Haute Route Trek this summer, via Verbier – staying at the Mont Fort, Prafleuri and Dix Huts. Except perhaps the bit about not skiing fast I was also very fortunate to have a great group of companions to travel with and we had a lot of laughs along the way which made the whole trip even more enjoyable. The highest point reached by the standard route is 2,987m (9,799ft) and the height gain on the route is around 15,200m (49,867ft). Eg: you should be able to walk from Ogwen Cottage in North Wales up Glyder Fach – Glyder Fawr – Y Garn – Ogwen in ~5hrs. our Ski Touring Skills Long Weekend. The Haute Route is a 6-day point-to-point ski tour in the Valais Alps of Switzerland (Only the first half day is in France). You should have several week’s previous hut to hut ski touring experience. Trekkers typically take 14 days to complete the trek, give or take a day or two. If you’ve any further questions or last minute requests, then this is the ideal time to bring them up before we head on to dinner. This trip is protected by ABTOT – Alpine Guides Ltd, Membership Number 5394. At first the path traverses through Alpine meadows, before crossing a steeper section of mountainside to reach a glacial moraine which we follow up to the hut, arriving there at lunch time. Even had a bluebird powder day in Zermat the day after the tour. Having said that I think we had great snow conditions. For flights and other travel options, including train, coach and driving, visit our Travel Planning page. (Hut slippers for indoor use, blankets/duvets and pillows are provided by the huts). Another Alpine Start for our final big day! Our Guides are already very familiar with this route and we have the logistics well dialled in, as this is the standard winter Haute Route Ski Tour route that we guide skiers along each spring. To take part you should be at Fitness Level 2+ and Tech Level 1 (see our Fitness/Experience guidelines below) – ie you need good general fitness and experience in UK mountains (summer or winter). Pigne D’Arolla to Vignettes Hut or Nacamuli Hut. The equipment used is telemark or alpine touring skis with skins, ski crampons, boot crampons and ice axes. Airport transfer from Geneva to Chamonix: Alternatively hire a car at Geneva airport (1.2 hrs drive to Cham): www.arguscarhire.com / www.holidayautos.co.uk, (Hut slippers for indoor use, and blankets/duvets and pillows are provided by the huts). We’ve been guiding the Haute Route for many years now and are well aware that having an extra day in the itinerary greatly increases your chances of completing the route. During the day we will recap on skinning and kick turns, do some transceiver training and either some crampon and ropework, or glacier skiing. Alpine Ascents International leads expeditions that have become benchmarks of quality in the climbing community. The evening views from here are spectacular, looking across at the mighty Dent Blanche and other 4000ers around Zermatt. Our final day to Zermatt is much easier than previous days, making for a mellow finish to the trip. We really had a fantastic trip. The hut accommodations were fine and the food plentiful. 3. Please find further details on our insurance info page. Recommendations and Advice Visit the Knowledge Base section of our website, where we publish an annual review of the years best new skis, boots and touring equipment, plus a range of other interesting tips and recommendations. Hut choice depends on the group, current conditions the best combination of hut bookings for the week. Evening meals can be taken in Argentiere in the hotels partner restaurant. Your pre-trip correspondence, answering my numerous questions, was very much appreciated. The huge North Faces of the Matterhorn and Dent D’Herens lie just across the glacier and dominate views from the hut. His skill in route finding, putting in the track and navigation was certainly very obvious and appreciated. Just a quick note. Here we can take the chairlift down to the valley, thus saving our knees the final 700m descent to Champex. There are 3 pre-requirements for a safe and enjoyable Haute Route journey on skis: 1. Leaving the glacier, we follow a rocky trail down past the Cabane D’Orny (which makes for a good coffee break!) in North America, New Zealand, Scandinavia etc (ie ski touring in the Uk is not enough!) The Most Scenic Trek in Europe. On our first day, as we leave Chamonix, we will get the quintessential views of Mont Blanc and the Le … Airport transfer from Geneva to Chamonix: Alternatively hire a car at Geneva airport (1.2 hrs drive to Cham). This is a much shorter day than the previous one, but it’s mostly uphill! I can without any hesitation recommend Alpine Guides as a great guide service… I look forward for another opportunity to ski or climb with you, you guys rock! If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please get in touch! For further information, please visit our Financial Protection page. The Haute Route Chamonix to Zermatt is the most classic ski traverse in the world! For overnights in the high mountains we will use mountain huts. A number of our other touring trips are suitable for splitboards however, so if you’d like some advice and recommendations on these, then please get in touch. Regular sport and exercise in the run up to your trip, plus getting away for a few weekends hill walking (ideally in Wales, the Lake District or Scotland) would be ideal preparation for this trip! If you have not skied with us before, then please read our Haute Route Advice page and drop us a line before you make an online booking. Fitness Level 3 You do 3-4 hours cv training/sport per week. Please get in touch if you are keen to join us on the Haute Route this season. Rooms are provided on a twin (or occasionally triple or quad) sharing basis, but if you wish to book a single room please let us know and we will confirm availability. After lunch on the slopes in Verbier, if heading to the Prafleuri Hut we set off in the afternoon to traverse 3 cols with short descents in between, which leads to the glacier below the Rosablanche and a good north facing decent down to the Prafleuri Hut – this is a long day and we usually arrive at the hut around 5pm. This challenging 200.0 km walk starts in the alpine mecca of Chamonix, France and traverses wild mountains and small valleys towards Zermatt, Switzerland. On foot: you should be able to do the full Langdale Horseshoe: Langdale – Pike of Stickle – Angle Tarn – Bow Fell – Crinkle Crags – Pike of Blisco – Langdale in a day without finishing up exhausted. The Haute Route is a network of treasured alpine trails, not just a single path. As a result, no one offers more options for hiking the Haute Route—both on guided and self-guided hiking tours. Your course starts and finishes in the Chamonix valley, at our base in Argentiere – the Hotel De La Couronne. You also need some basic mountaineering experience, using ropes and crampons/ice axe. Plan your summer adventure now on the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route. For the Haute Route we offer both weekend and mid week departure dates. I for one will be looking into more tours and I’d love to go on another next year. There is no technical mountaineering involved, but on 3-4 days we will be crossing glaciers and climbing easier alpine summits wearing crampons – on all snow covered glaciers and any steeper ground we will be roped up for safety. new participation requirements, travel advice, View calendar for dates, prices and availability, 2 nights accommodation in the Chamonix valley, including breakfast and evening meals, 7 nights accommodation in mountain huts and valley hotels, including breakfast and evening meals, Equipment hire: ice axe, crampons, helmet, harness and belay kit. On skis: you can skin uphill at 300m/hr for 3-4 hrs a day (ie 8-1200m of ascent each day). For Mid Week Departures, days are shown in brackets. Please arrange your insurance as soon as your trip is confirmed to run. The final day of the Haute Route is always one of the most memorable days out in any ski mountaineers career – crossing three cols and six glaciers, with a final huge descent down to Zermatt under the North Face of the Matterhorn. Sign up for our newsletter for regular updates from Alpine Guides, 14 Wrenbeck Close, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 2BU United Kingdom. Trip Reports >>2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014. Luckily the Dix Hut is in a superb position, with a great sunny terrace where you can enjoy the view and a well earned beer before dinner. From the Prafleuri Hut, an hours skinning leads to the Col des Roux, where the long descending traverse above the Lac de Dix begins. This was a trip of a lifetime and went beyond me wildest expectations. However, in good weather it’s also possible to continue a further 2.5 hours to the Nacamuli Hut in Italy, which is less well known and makes the last day a couple of hours shorter. The descent passes by the Vignettes Hut, before dropping down glaciers, moraines and finally through pine forests to Arolla. Everything was first-rate. The aim is for you to get in a days acclimatisation, enjoy some good skiing and refresh on your touring skills. Its best to have your own boots and break them in well before the start of the trip – see advice below. For 2020 we are again offering midweek departures through March, alongside our standard weekend departures. If you need any help with this, then drop us a line and we’ll give you some recommendations. If France is closed but Switzerland is open, we will meet in Martigny and ski the Haute Route to Zermatt from there. Hiring Equipment Please see our Equipment Hire page for more details. This is a very accessible week, suitable for fit hill walkers as well as mountaineers wanting to enjoy a classic high mountain journey. The ascent from the Dix Hut involves 900m of climb and takes about 3 hours, passing through some steep glacier terrain, including the passage of the Serpentine, which often has to be climbed on foot. For overnights in the high mountains, we will use mountain huts. new participation requirements, travel advice, Book before 31 Oct and receive a £100 discount – view details, View calendar for dates, prices and availability. The training day we spent with Dave was excellent. before continuing down a very scenic trail for a further two hours to the Breya chairlift. From here, the path drops down to Zermatt where we’ll have time for lunch and sightseeing, before taking the train down to Tasch where a transfer minibus will pick us up for the return journey to Chamonix. Despite poor initial weather forecasts we were very lucky to get fresh snow and great weather until the last day. Before setting off on the Haute Route, we do a warm up and training day – ski touring in the Mont Blanc Massif. *Equivalent to Ski Club of GB Off Piste Level: Purple – Advanced* Likely to say: ‘I’d like to handle difficult snow/steep slopes more confidently in better style’ Our Advice: Off piste coaching still useful. Each night we stay at a mountain hut or valley hotel. Purchasing Equipment Backcountry UK in Ilkley offer an excellent ski boot fitting service, one of the best ranges of ski mountaineering equipment in the UK and top notch advice. The later route travels through Valsorey and the “Plateau du Couloir” on the south side of Grand Combin, it involves more mountaineering and greater exposure. Hiring Equipment Please visit our Equipment Hire page for recommended hire shops in your resort, and Alpine Guides hire equipment price list. Our Guides are professional with many years of experience and knows the areas they guide well. The Couronne is a friendly place in the centre of the village, close to ski hire shops, bars, restaurants and bakeries, and within walking distance of the famous Grand Montets ski area. ... Professional mountain guides will be with you at all times and will gauge the level of each individual and adapt each day to suit your needs. Good guide in Dave: particularly liked the stress he put on certain skiing fundamentals, the importance of which was evident on many occasions. Our alpine courses are based around some of the great peaks of the High Alps….Mont Blanc, The Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa, Weissmies, Matterhorn, Eiger or, for an even longer & tougher challenge you could try & climb the 3 highest peaks in the Alps (‘The Mission’) or the 3 most iconic alpine peaks, Mt Blanc, The Matterhorn & The Eiger (‘Mission Impossible’). For this trip you must have specialist travel insurance providing medical, emergency search/rescue and repatriation cover for climbing and mountaineering activities as outlined in the course itinerary. It was great to meet Johnny, he was a fantastic guide, great guy & I’d happily trust and recommend him to anyone. *Boots: These are VERY important to the success of your trip! The hotel has ski and general storage facilities, so any extra luggage can be left until your return to resort at the end of the week. Haute Route Ski Traverse - Northern Alpine Guides Haute Route Ski Traverse, Chamonix to Zermatt. All rights reserved. Happy to say that the website is bang on. Like most high altitude ski tours, reasonable weather and snow conditions are required on critical sections of the route, but our 7 day itinerary has a contingency day built in, so your chances of reaching Zermatt are greatly increased. Please visit our Covid-19 Climb Information page for Covid FAQs, details of our new participation requirements, travel advice and what to expect on your trip. On the descent of the Stockji Glacier below, we have to negotiate numerous crevasses and other route finding challenges, before finally climbing up the moraines on the north side of the Zmutt Glacier to the Schönbiel Hut for our final night in the high mountains. Although the distance looks short on the map, this is a long mountain day. The day starts with a 40 minute climb above the Prafleuri Hut to the Col des Roux. In any event, the touring skills you should have before setting out include: The Haute Route is possible on a splitboard, but being a long A to B tour, the route traverses a lot of terrain that it’s far quicker and easier to cover on skis. This deep, north facing valley gives a wonderful long ski run right down to Champex, where we meet a pre arranged minibus to take us the few kilometers down the valley to the Verbier lift system. Rooms are provided on a twin (or occasionally 4-6 person) sharing basis, but if you prefer a single room please let us know and we will confirm availability. Tech Level 3 Confirmed Off Piste Skier. To view all climbing Technical and Fitness Levels, and for advice on trip preparation and training, please visit our training advice page. This section of the route is south facing, so in warm weather, must be completed early in the day. Cresting the final col, the Matterhorn rears up ahead, opening the way to the final 1900m descent down the Stockji and Zmutt Glaciers to Zermatt. The most common way to reach Chamonix is fly to Geneva, then take a shared taxi transfer to the Chamonix valley – transfers will drop off at the destination of your choice, but must be booked in advance. It does, however, require participants to be decent skiers. The Haute Route Ski Tour is the most famous ski tour in the world and a classic mountain journey. It was conceived as a summer mountaineering route in the mid-nineteenth century by members of the English Alpine Club. Please ensure you are happy with this before making a booking. You have UK hillwalking and perhaps summer UK scrambling, or European via ferrata experience – but no rock or ice climbing, or previous alpine mountaineering experience. NB If you are a Telemarker, then it needs to be at Level 4. After breakfast, we make a short transfer across the valley to Le Chable, where we use the Verbier summer uplift system to reach the Col des Gentians at 2900m. Depending on snow and glacier conditions, there are at least 3 different routes across the border here, so we’ll choose whichever one is currently in the best condition – most involve a short scramble up onto the ridge, then an easy walk off the back. In the afternoon, we head out to the glacier for a skills and training session – learning how to use ice axe and crampons on snow, as well as rope work skills for glacier travel. It makes the trip a little more expensive, but you get 7 days skiing and it’s definitely worth it if you are serious about reaching Zermatt. In this European Alps ski tour, we traverse the spectacular alpine ski touring terrain from the Mont Blanc massif in Chamonix to the Matterhorn in Zermatt through the heart of the Valais Alps of Switzerland. International Alpine Guides is a world wide mountain guiding company based in California. Haute Route, Verbier-Zermatt. It does, however, require participants to be decent skiers.

alpine guides haute route

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