Haute Route guided ski tour

The group will meet at our office in Chamonix Sud the evening before the first day of the trip. You will have an informal chat with your guide about the week ahead, weather, conditions, itinerary, etc. The guide will also want to check all of your equipment and make sure everything is in order.

Day 1: Ski Les Grands Montets and hike up to the Argentière Refuge

You start with some steep ski runs on Les Grands Montets. Your guide will want to check that you all have the right ski level before you set off and make sure that there are no issues with any of your equipment. After lunch you will ski down the Rognon glacier and across the Argentière Glacier to the Argentière Refuge (2771m). You will spend your first night there. Enjoy the beautiful views of the Argentière Basin!
Descent 800-900m • Ascent 200-300m • Time 4-5 h

Day 2: Argentière hut to Trient hut via Col du Tour

The day will start with a short descent from the hut down to the glacier, where you will put on your skins and climb up to the Col du Passon (3028m). From the col it’s a short descent before putting the skins back on for a short climb to the Col du Tour (3282m). Then the route takes you across the magnificent Trient plateau and up to the Trient hut where you will spend the night.
Descent 300m • Ascent 1100m • Time 6-8 h

Day 3: Trient hut to Prafleuri hut via Col des Écandies

This is a long day, which is rewarded by long descents. It starts with descending the Col des Écandies (2796m) followed by adescent by the Val d’Arpette down to the village of Champex (1500m). Transfer by taxi will be arranged to take you to a cable-car station in Verbier. Climb up to the Col de la Chaux (2940m), followed by another descent. Then hike up to the Col de Momin (3015m) and to the highest summit of the trip, the Rosablanche (3336m). From the summit you have a great ski down the Glacier de Prafleuri to the Prafleuri hut (2624m) where you will spend the night.
Descent 2700m • Ascent 900m • Time 7-8 h

Day 4. Prafleuri refuge to Refuge to Dix

This day starts with a steep climb over the Col des Roux before starting the long traverse above the Lac Dix. At the head of the lake there is a steady climb to the Pas du Chat and then a little more traversing before a short climb to Refuge des Dix hut (2928m). Here you will leave some of your equipment before setting out for either the Col de Cheilon (3237m) or to the summit of La Luette (3548m) for some extra descent before you dinner. This add on is optional!
Descent 450m • Ascent 800m • Time 5h

Day 5: Refuge des Dix to Vignettes Refuge via Pigne d’Arolla

From the hut you will cross the Glacier de Cheilon to climb the Glacier de Tsena Refien towards the Col de la Serpentine and on to the Col du Brenay. It is then an easy climb to the summit of the Pigne d’Arolla (3772m). Now you have a great descent to the Col des Vignettes and the spectacularly situated hut (3160m) of the same name.
Ascent 850m • Time 6 h

Day 6: Vignettes Refuge to Bertol hut via Col de Charmottane and Col de l’Evêque

The day will start with a quick descent to the Col de Charmottane (3037m) followed by a hike up to the Col de l’Evêque (3382m). A beautiful, long descent of the Arolla Glacier to the Plans de Bertol is followed by a long, but absolutely spectacular, hike up to the Bertol hut (3311m), where you will spend the last night in the of this trip.
Descent 750m • Ascent 1100m • Time 7-8 h

Day 7: Bertol hut to Zermatt via Tête Blanche and Stöckji glacier.

Fun day! A hike up to the second highest point of the trip, the Tête Blanche (3707m) is followed by a brilliant, long and relatively complex descent of the Stöckji and Zmut glaciers. You will be making your way through crevasses and around rocks as you go. The views of the Matterhorn are always changing and always spectacular. Eventually you will reach the edge of Zermatt’s huge piste area and stop for a well-earned beer at a piste-side bar before continuing to Zermatt. From here you will catch the train to Tasch to meet the minibus waiting to take you back to Chamonix, a 2.5 hour drive. Once back in Chamonix you will have a short debrief over a coffee at our office, where you can also swap photos before heading home.
Descent 2100m • Ascent 500m • Time 6 h

Level and Experience

• This trip is for experienced ski tourers who have already done at least one hut-to-hut tour or a multi-day ski tour. You should be able to do up to 5 hours skinning with up to 1100m vertical gain per day, at a good steady pace.
• You have to be good and efficient in your skinning technique and confident moving over a steep and exposed terrain. You are expected to be comfortable and safe doing kick turns on slopes of over 35 degrees.
• You have to be skilled using ice axe and crampons and be happy to climb over steep, snowy and rocky terrain.
• You have to be an excellent off piste skier, confident and efficient
• in skiing in all snow conditions without stopping or losing control over your skis. You have to be confident and safe skiing on slopes of 40 degrees.
• You have to be physically fit, ready to hike and ski for up to 8 hours per day without being too tired the next day. You have to be able to move reasonably fast (climb 400m/h).

We recommend our ski mountaineering course as a preparation for the Haute Route.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the ski & fitness levels for this trip, we will be happy to help.

Training for Haute Route

Haute Route and its variations are all physically and technically very demanding.

You have to be able to hike and ski for about 6 hours without getting too tired the next day. Remember that skiing with a rucksack is more tiring than skiing without one. We will advise you how to reduce the size & weight of your backpack to minimum but you will still have to carry all the essentials. The snow may also not be the easiest to ski if windblown or crusty – you can expect all snow conditions along the way. In short, the fitter you will be more fun you will have on this trip. Best way to prepare is to regularly exercise – running, biking and uphill hiking will keep you stamina at a good level.

You have to have very good skinning technique and know how to efficiently use your equipment (skis, skins, boot crampons and ice axe, ski crampons). Therefore it is very important that you have good ski touring experience and done some technical tours with use of crampons and ice axe. Ideally, you have already done one hut-to-hut tour and know how to be energy efficient while hiking and skiing. Since Haute Route season starts closer to the springtime, you have plenty of time to ski and ski tour prior the trip.

Equipment rental

We highly recommend that you bring or hire modern and light ski equipment for this trip. Skiing with a heavy backpack is very difficult and tiring. We recommend using modern touring skis ideally 85 – 95 mm under foot – using skis that are too skinny will be hard work in deep powder and skis that are too wide are not great for skinning on a hard-packed snow. Prior to the trip, make sure that your equipment is freshly serviced (waxed and sharpened edges) and in good working order.
If you need to hire your skis or other equipment, please let us know at least 2 weeks in advance as the hire shops can have limited availability in the busy season.
You can collect your equipment the evening before the start of the course and return it in the evening at the end of your course. We work with the following Chamonix ski hire and mountain shop:
Concept Pro Shop which is conveniently located directly next door from our office. Open 7/7 08:00-19:00

Airport transfers

We can help you to organise your transport to/from Chamonix. We work with well established airport transfer companies which use new and comfortable vehicles and which have the capacity and know-how to handle everything from delayed and cancelled flights, to unexpected traffic jams with professionalism and efficiency.

To book your transfer, we will need the following:

• Your full name
• Mobile phone number
• Email address
• Your destination address
• Your flight details (date, time and flight number)

SHARED TRANSFERS:

This is the most economic and ecologically friendly way of travel. The driver will meet and greet you at the airport, gather you and the rest of the passenger group together and then head off to your chosen destination. The door-to-door service means that you will be dropped off and picked up right at your hotel /chalet / apartment. From 40€ per person for one way and 80€ per person for a return trip.

PRIVATE TRANSFERS:

Private Transfers are the quickest way to get to and from the airport. Your driver will meet and greet you at the airport and guide you to your vehicle. There is no waiting for other passengers. Private transfers are available for one to eight person bookings and travelling together and you are guaranteed sole occupancy of the vehicle for your transfer. And, of course, it’s a door to door service, so you won’t be lugging any bags very far. 250€ per car for one way and 500€ per car for a return trip.

Chamonix accommodation

If you need help to find a place to stay in Chamonix, don’t hesitate to let us know! We work with a network of excellent chalets, hotels, gites and B&Bs offering Chamonix accommodation to suit all tastes and all budgets.

Mountain rescue insurance

We don’t include mountain rescue insurance in any of our courses but it is obligatory on these trips. Mountain rescue may be very expensive, particularly if helicopters are involved. Check with your travel insurance provider if you are covered for the specific activity you are going to do with us.

However, we can organise the mountain rescue insurance for you. The cost is 8€ per person per day for EU residents and 12€ per person per day for non-EU residents. Details of the insurance cover are different for EU and non-EU residents; please contact us for more information.

Q1 I AM A VERY STRONG OFF PISTE SKIER BUT HAVE NO SKI TOURING EXPERIENCE. CAN I JOIN YOU FOR THE HAUTE ROUTE TRIP?

This itinerary is designed for skiers with solid ski touring experience. You’ll need good skinning technique to move confidently and efficiently while conserving energy. If you’re new to ski touring, we recommend focusing on developing your skills throughout the winter before the trip. Reaching the required level doesn’t take long with consistent effort. To accelerate your progress, consider booking a private guide or joining our Introduction to Ski Touring course for professional instruction.

Q2 I AM ON A SNOWBOARD. CAN I JOIN THIS TRIP?

Due to the many long traverses and frequent flat terrain, the Haute Route is not suitable for splitboarders. The route involves a continuous 7-day journey from Chamonix to Zermatt, which poses significant challenges. If you’re a splitboarder, feel free to contact us at info@chamex.com to enquire about more splitboard-friendly itineraries.

Q3 DO I NEED A SLEEPING BAG FOR THE HUTS?

No, you just need a sleeping bag liner. All huts are equipped with warm covers but they do not have fresh linen. The liner serves as a personal linen, it is for hygienic purposes.

Q4 HOW FIT DO I HAVE TO BE?

High physical fitness is required for this tour. You will be skiing and hiking in hight Alpine environment for about 7h per day for 7 consecutive days. You have to be fit and strong to complete the day pitches without getting too tired the next day.

Q5 WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO SKI THE HR?

The Haute Route season starts mid March and ends at the beginning of May. The huts are closed outside of this time span and the snow conditions / weather are rarely favourable for this trip. If you enquire for this trip for a private group, you can chose any dates within this time-frame as long as you place your booking with us by the end of October. Check with us for later booking, we may still be able to reserve your places in huts. If you wish to book for a group trip, please check the dates we have on this page.

Q6 WHAT SKIS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT SHOULD I TAKE FOR THIS TRIP?

You want to have as light gear as possible. Modern ski touring skis are light and still perform well in deep and varied snow. You want to have skis of about 85 – 95mm underfoot width, fitted with a low tech bindings. You certainly want to take true ski touring boots – light and comfortable. We highly recommend to bring a helmet. There are many ski touring specific helmets on the market, which are lighter than regular downhill ski helmet.

Q7 DO I NEED A SPECIAL INSURANCE FOR THIS TRIP?

Yes, a search and rescue insurance is obligatory on these trips. Contact us if you need help organising this prior your arrival.

Q8 IS THERE WIFI AND MOBILE RECEPTION ON THE HUTS?

There is no WIFI on the huts and the mobile reception is very limited.

Q9 CAN I CHARGE MY DEVICES IN THE HUTS?

In most of the huts you can but not all of them and potentially not every time. Best is to preserve energy when you can.

Q10 WHAT IF THERE IS BAD WEATHER OR CONDITIONS?

We will adapt the itinerary as needed—modifying individual stages or, if necessary, changing the route entirely—to ensure we ski where the weather and conditions are best. No matter what the forecast brings, we’ll make sure you have a great ski trip.

Q11 CAN I FILL UP MY WATER BOTTLE IN THE HUTS?

Access to water is very limited, and the water available in the huts is usually not safe to drink. You can purchase bottled water at the huts, but keep in mind it’s transported by helicopter, which is why the price is typically around 10–15 CHF for 1.5 liters.