The Haute Route
Starting out on the ski traverse of the Pigne d'Arolla on the penultimate day of the Haute Route.
The Chamonix to Zermatt High level route (Haute Route) is the most famous ski tour in the world and with good reason. It is a long, tough journey through some stunning ski touring terrain linking the worlds two best know Alpine hubs. En route the Swiss Valais provide some fine options for skiing over peaks, challenging cols and long descents. This tour will test your skinning, skiing and mountaineering skills and provide a wonderful climax when cruising the final descent under the N. Face of the Matterhorn and into Zermatt.
The Haute Route has many variations which has the advantage of meaning we can tweak the route according to weather and snow conditions and your experience, fitness and aspirations.
Six days is normally allowed for the traverse but check the links on the right to investigate different options from as quick as possible to an extended tour finishing with some of the classic ski 4000m peaks above Saas Fee.
Required fitness and experience levels:
The Haute Route is not an ideal beginners tour, partly because it has a long and tough first day. This is not the best place to learn how to kick turn! It is infact a fairly challenging tour with some big days and steep terrain and therefore suitable for folk with some previous ski touring experience and a good level of fitness (ability to sustain 300m/hour for up to 6 hours. There are some long and steep descents on a wide variety of off-piste snow conditions and folk should have the technique and fitness to cope with this whilst carrying a rucksack with all your kit for the week in. Some basic mountaineering (use of ice-axe and crampons) experience is also desireable.
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The advanced level ski tours are challenging tours and only suitable for those who have previously completed at least 1 multi-day ski tour or have a lot of day ski touring experience. Good skinning technique, kick-turns, experience of using crampons and walking/climbing uphill with your ski's on your rucksack are essential skills.
You need to be a confident and competent advanced off-piste skier, able to ski in all conditions with a heavy rucksack on with all you need for a week hut-to-hut