The Haute Route is a legendary ski tour - departing Chamonix and traversing the Alps to finish off in Zermatt in the shadow of the Matterhorn.  It is a very popular ski touring route, and last week we had a full group of six, led by French Guide Greg Sauget. It was an extremely international group, with Edson from Brazil, Sarah from Australia, Daniel from Israel, Tony from New Zealand, Hannes from Iceland and Arne from Norway. Despite very mixed weather, they made it all the way across to Zermatt and had some beautiful days of great touring and skiing.

 

Leaving the mighty peaks of the Argentiere basin (Le Verte, Les Droites and Les Courtes) behind, you head up and over one of the bigger passes of the Haute Route, the Col du Chardonnet, on day two. You are already then in Switzerland and at the Trient refuge.

During a 7 day ski tour like the Haute Route you normally get to experience all sorts of snow and weather conditions, as this group discovered. You can have sunny days skinning uphill in a t-shirt and bitterly cold snow storms with minus 25 temperatures. You go from villages in the valleys where the flowers start blooming to glaciated high Alpine peaks. The highest point you cross over is the Pignes d’Arolla at 3790m.

There are many multi-day ski tours in the Alps that are less famous but at least as great if not better. Next winter we will be running one or two alternative ski tours to the Haute Route. Keep an eye on our website or subscribe to our newsletter for more information.  

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photo-blog elizabeth 15 Apr 2008 No Comments

With all this late snow we should have a great late touring season. We have a guided group skiing the Haute Route the 1st to the 7th of May. There is a slight change in the programme with a warm-up day skiing the Vallee Blanche and then going straight to the Trient refuge. Price is 1795€ including 3 hotel nights in Chamonix B&B, all refuges with dinner and breakfast, lifts and transport during the trip.

For more info contact us or see our Haute Route ski page.

 

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news Martina Palm 08 Apr 2008 No Comments

There are still places left on the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route ski tour at the end of this winter. Chamonix Experience are running weekly trips from the end of March to the beginning of May. This is a fantastic ski tour not to be missed for those who have the ski touring bug.

If you have not yet tried this sport we do not recommend that you go straight on the Haute Route but instead start with the Ski Touring Intro Course. This will take you to many different areas in the Mont Blanc range and finish off with a 4000m summit. Not bad for a start!

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news Martina Palm 27 Feb 2008 No Comments

Big days in the mountains start early: 8 am RV at the Aiguille du Midi lift in Chamonix. It is early February and already busy with mainly skiers and a few climbers buzzing with excitement about the day ahead.

We started the day by skiing a variation of the Valley Blanche called the Petit Envers and managed to find some nice snow that was still untracked. (more…)

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photo-blog Martina Palm 11 Feb 2008 No Comments

Opposite Mont Blanc is the Aiguilles Rouges with many ski touring possibilities. Slightly lower and less glaciated but nevertheless challenging.

Starting from the Index chair lift at Flegere you go pretty much straight up. You can skin most of the way but the last little bit is getting a bit too steep and narrow and you are better off putting crampons on and boot packing up. (more…)

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photo-blog Martina Palm 10 Feb 2008 No Comments

The snow conditions are very good in the Alps this winter. During March Chamonix Experience are running three courses which all still have places available. Book up now for a memorable ski Experience.

2-7 March Off-Piste Workshop - Improve your technique and mountain awareness and ski some great powder in one of the world’s foremost off-piste areas.

9-14 & 23-28 March Ski Touring Introduction- Try the beauty of exploring unspoilt backcountry areas. 6 days of ski touring in the Mont Blanc range finishing by skiing down a 4000m peak in Italy.

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news Martina Palm 07 Feb 2008 No Comments