Haute Route Ski Traverse

The Haute Route, meaning “High Road”, traverses the French and Swiss Alps from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland. A bucket-list tour that every backcountry skier should experience! From Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn, the route traverses some of the most exciting mountain scenery to be found anywhere on the planet while staying at spectacularly located Refugios where the rooms are clean, the food is great and there's always some wine to help wash it all down.

The Accommodation:

There are a number of ways to tackle the Haute Route and of course different Refugios that can be utilized. We generally plan our trips as follows:

Night 1: Chamonix
Night 2: Cabane de Trient (3170m)
Night 3: Refuge Verbier (2457m)
Night 4: Cabane Prafleuri (2662m)
Night 5: Cabane des Dix (2928m)
Night 6: Cabane des Vignettes (3157m)

If you're looking for a more detailed description of the route just click on the "Itinerary" button below.

Wrap-Up:

Of course the official Haute Route trip ends with a ski down to Zermat. But that doesn't mean that you have to leave! There's always the option to stick around Zermat for another day or two of skiing if you're so inclined. It feels like such a shame to not spend a little time there as it's such an amazingly beautiful area.

Waiver & Risk Management:

As you know, outdoor activities involve numerous hazards including, but not limited to, avalanches, crevasses, rockfall, slips and falls, equipment failure, poor weather, etc. And while we do our best to anticipate and mitigate these hazards we cannot completely eliminate them. So, as with anything fun, you will be required to sign our Participant Release to take part in one of our courses or trips.

Itinerary

Day 1
The MER DE GLACE!! It is in full caps because it is awesome. Not a hard day, but a mandatory classic lap to shake the jet lag and stretch the legs

Day 2: Grand Montets – Cabane du Trient

Ascent: 1100m
Descent: 1600m
Length: 10km
Highlights: Aiguille du Chardonnet

The Haute Route starts in the deep end with one of the biggest days of the week. From the Grand Montets lift system, we ski down the Argentiere glacier. Here we have two options: the classic option through the col du Chardonett or the Col du Passon. Both lines are similar in length and involve a steep snow section. Once through the col, its fairly smooth sailing over to the Trient hut. The Trient hut is one of the highest on the routes at 3200m.

Day 3: Cabane du Trient – Verbier

Ascent: 200m
Descent: 1800m
Length: 10km
Highlights: Col des Ecandies, fun evening in Verbier

A gentle day to recover from the last, A short glacier ski through wild glaciers takes us to the most technical climbing section of the route, Col des Ecandies. A 200m boot pack sets up for a 1600m cruiser down the Val de Ferret to the Swiss town Champex. A one-hour taxi takes us to Verbier, where we spend the night.

Day 4: Refuge Verbier – Refuge Prafleuri

Ascent: 1200m
Descent: 1550m
Length:11km
Highlights: Summiting Rosablanche 3300m

After a hearty breakfast in Verbier, we will catch the first lifts to the top of Mont Gele. A quick skin up the piste and over the Col de la Chaux. From the col, a quick traverse and descent lead to the lac du petit mont fort. From here, we start the long climb up to the summer of the Rosablanche before a long descent to the Prafleuri for evening beers and the night.

Day 5: Refuge de Prafleuri – Cabane des Dix

Ascent: 1000 m
Decent: 700 m
Length: 9 km
Highlights: The spectacular lac Dix and an afternoon rosti on the best hut’s patio on the whole trip!

A quick early-morning climb up the Col des Roux sets up for a long traverse above lac Dix. From the edge of the lake, a long skin takes us to what we consider the best hut of the trip, Cabane des Dix. Once at the hut, we have two options: beers and rosti or more northing ski runs.

Day 6: Cabane des dix – Cabane des vignettes

Ascent: 1000 m
Descent: 750 m
Length: 9 km
Highlights: Passage de la serpentine, Summiting the Pigne d’Arolla

This day is a big up followed by a big down. First, we head up the glacier de Tsena Refien over the spectacular passage de la serpentine and finally to the summit of the Pigne d’Arolla. Here we shed our skins and ski down the glacier de Piece to the steps of the Cabane des Vignettes for the evening.

Day 7: Cabane des Vignettes – Zermatt

Ascent: 1700 m
Descent: 3200 m
Length: 29 km
Highlights: The long descent into Zermatt, it is unforgettable!

The sting in the tail. This big day will certainly have you feeling you deserve that celebratory beer and fondue. Passing over 3 cols, 7 glaciers, 3200 of descending and 29 km of epic alpine goodness.