Hiking the Haute Route

Day 1: Arrive in Switzerland. We rendezvous at the Geneva Airport at 1:00 pm for a group transfer to our hotel in Chamonix, France. This transfer is included in the cost of the trip. Welcome dinner and orientation.

Day 2: Chamonix to Trient: From the end of the Chamonix Valley, we begin our journey ascending to the Col de la Balme (7,230′). Magnificent views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding peaks and glaciers will grace us as we enjoy the first day of our hike. Our day will end in the quiet hamlet of Trient.

Day 3: Trient to Champex: Our hike takes us from Trient to the high alpine pastures of Bovine with expansive views of the Rhone Valley. Our hike will conclude in the picturesque lakeside village of Champex and our wonderful hotel. All rooms with private bathrooms. Dinner and breakfast included.

Day 4: Champex to Cabane Louvie:  Morning transfer from Champex Lac to the gondola in Verbier. From Verbier, we take the gondola to gain easy elevation to Ruinettes from where we begin our hike to Cabane Louvie, where we spend the night. This narrow trail leads us close by several clusters of chamois and bouquetin. In the distance rise the stunning Grand Combin (14,149′), draped with its numerous glaciers, and the Mont Blanc Massif.

Day 5: Cabane Louvie to Cabane Prafleuri:  This is a day of great variety. The route rises to a high belvedere with expansive views of the Val de Bagnes and the Grand Combin before reaching the Col Louvie at 9,640′. From Louvie we traverse a landscape of barren rock with views of massive, remote mountains including the Rosablanche (11,000′), tumbling moraines, and drying glaciers before ascending to Col de Prafleuri (9,785′), our final col, and on to the Cabane Prafleuri for the night.

Day 6: Cabane Prafleuri to Arolla: Today is a wonderful hike with some “easy” sections interspersed with very steep, rugged and challenging trails. From Cabane Prafleuri we hike along Lac des Dix, across the decaying Glacier of Cheilon and over the Pas Chevres by way of the “ladders” route and to Arolla.

Enroute there are great views of the great triangular mass of Mont Blanc de Cheilon and the green pastures of the Val des Dix, bordering the huge five-kilometer lake. We may even get our first glimpse of the Matterhorn off in the distance. This is a stunning hike.

Once over the pass the route soon becomes less demanding as it parallels a grassy moraine carved out by the long Tsijiore glacier. The hike concludes in the small village of Arolla. Overnight in a hotel with private bathrooms. This is a classic older style hotel, with simple rooms. Dinner and breakfast included.

Day 7: Arolla to Evolene: A short but beautiful day starts with hiking down the valley to Les Hauderes to Evolene. The last 2 miles are alongside the very pretty stream, La Borgne. Evolene is situated in a wide-open basin, offering plenty of sun and open green space. Overnight in a hotel with private bathrooms. Staying in this classic older-style hotel, with its simple rooms, is like stepping back in time. The family is friendly and they have been welcoming Distant Journeys hikers for over 25 years. Dinner on your own, breakfast included. The small village of Evolene is a classic Valasian village, with old farmhouses, called mazots, narrow lanes, and a pretty main street with small shops and restaurants.

• Extra luggage from Chamonix will be at the hotel in Evolene when we arrive. You can swap items from your pack. Luggage will then be transferred to our hotel in Zermatt.

Day 8: Evolene to Cabane de Moiry: This is a strenuous plus hike with significant elevation gain.  Short transfer to La Sage, where we begin our hike to the remote Col de Tsate. This spectacular route is well worth the effort. The trail climbs steeply, passing by farms and rugged, stark landscape all the way to the pass. The downhill trek leads to the south end of Lac de Moiry. At this point, we now climb on the rugged, rocky trail to the Cabane de Moiry. Cabane de Moiry is spectacularly perched overlooking the tumbling Moiry Glacier. The cabane is nothing short of astonishing, with enormous glass windows allowing views of the glacier below and the rising peaks above. Dinner and breakfast included. Bunkrooms and shared facilities.

Day 9: Cabane de Moiry to Zinal: Descending from Cabane de Moiry, we join the trail on the east side of Lac de Moiry. This trail, high above Lac de Moiry leads to the Col Sorebois. We'll have a wonderful morning hike as the sun rises, shining on the mountain peaks to the west. A 45-minute hike from the col leads to the cable car station, from where we take the cable to the pretty village of Zinal. Overnight in a hotel with private bathrooms. Dinner and breakfast included.

Day 10: Zinal to Gruben: From Zinal we hike to Gruben via the Meiden Pass or the more challenging Col Forcletta. The weather will dictate which option we select.

The most challenging and longest route departs right from Zinal and leads over the Col Forcletta. The initial climb is steep, long, and not for the faint-hearted; however, this is a magnificent hike worthy of extra efforts. Eventually, we reach the Col Forcletta and begin the long descent to Gruben.

The other option, shorter and less strenuous but still magnificent, begins with a bus transfer from Zinal to the small village to St. Luc followed by a funicular ride to Tignousa. From Tignousa the route leads to the Meidpass (9,207′). This is a wonderful hike and has an entirely different feel than the other hikes. The descent to the hamlet of Gruben in the Turtmanntal is like a hike into the past. Remote and relatively undisturbed, this valley with its hiker’s hotel affords a beautiful and restful stopover. Private rooms, triples, and twins with shared facilities. Dinner and breakfast included. This is a hiker’s hotel, simple and basic.

Day 11: Gruben to Zermatt: Today we cross the last pass of the Haute Route, the Augstbordpass. During the middle ages, this was an important trading route from the Rhone Valley to Italy. It is a varied route through woodlands, pastures and stony wilderness and offers stunning views of the high mountain peaks, including Balfrin, Nadelhorn, Lenzspitzen, Dom and Taeschhorn to the east and the Bruggenhorn, Bishorn, and Weisshorn to the south. To the north and west across the Rhone Valley, the Bietschhorn and the Breithorn stand tall and massive, each rising well over 12,000′. The day will end in the village of St. Niklaus, from where we board the train to Zermatt. We arrive at Zermatt later in the afternoon. Celebration dinner and breakfast included.

Day 12: Individual departure from Zermatt. Please allow for travel time when making plans. The earliest train departs Zermatt at 5:40 am, arriving the Geneva and Zurich Airports at about 9:45 and 9:20, respectively. Please plan flight times accordingly.

If you would like to spend extra nights in Chamonix or Zermatt, please let us know when you book your trip and we will make reservations at the same hotel.