The Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt is probably one of the most famous routes in the Alps, connecting two mountain capitals, steeped in history, through high altitude trails.
But seven days are not enough!
This route focuses on the Swiss landscapes. The trail leads us to the "Land of the 4000m", ending in Zermatt at the foot of the legendary Matterhorn (4478m), a pyramid of a rare elegance, the most mythical summit of the Alps and the storybook image of Switzerland.
Dates | Status | Prices | |
---|---|---|---|
From 23/06/24 to 29/06/24 |
Open departure | 1260 € | Book online |
Secure payment
The price includes:
The price does not include:
Purchase of mineral water is not included for night 2 at Cabane de Prafleuri.
The price is all inclusive from departure to end point.
Personalised tour available
Contact us !Meet on Sunday at the train station in Le Châble at 1:45pm (please have lunch before meeting)
LE CHABLE - LA LOUVIE
Short transfer to Fionnay village. Climb through forest and pastures to Lake Louvie. Stunning views over the Combins mountain range, the Corbassière Glacier and in the distance the Mont Blanc. Night in refuge *without luggage.
3 hour walk / Elevation: +750m
THE GRAND DESERT - PRAFLEURI
Beautiful day at altitude. Climb to Louvie pass (2921m​​) at the foot of "La Rosa Blanche" summit. Cross the rocky flats of the Grand Désert, passing by mountain lakes to reach the Prafleuri pass (2987m). Descend to the Prafleuri refuge. Night in refuge, *without luggage.
6 hour walk / Elevation: +950m -600m
GRANDE DIXENCE - PAS DE CHEVRE - AROLLA
Climb to Roux pass (2804m). The trail passes along the Grande Dixence reservoir, the highest gravity dam in the world. Climb alongside the Cheillon Glacier to the thrilling ladder climb at the Pas de Chèvre (2855m) and descend to Arolla village. Night in a gîte.
6 hour walk / Elevation: +630m -1200m
COL TORRENT - VAL D’ANNIVIERS
Short transfer to the village Les Haudères. Climb through the pastures passing mountain chalets up to Torrent pass (2915m). A day to encounter "nomadic" shepherds, making local cheese. Descend to Moiry dam. Night in a refuge in Val d'Anniviers.
7 hour walk / Elevation: +1200m -700m
MEIDPASS - GRUBEN
Another day in a high mountain atmosphere. Transfer to St Luc then climb to the Meidpass (2790m) via Roua pastures and Lake Armina. Descend to the pretty alpine hamlet of Gruben in the Turmanntal valley. Night in a gîte.
6.5 hour walk / Elevation: +1090m -1000m
AUGSTBORDPASS - TASCHALP
Climb to the Augstbordpass (2900m) and descend to the village of St Niklaus. With a little luck, it is possible to see many chamois in this area. Descend via the cable car and transfer to Zermatt. Night in hotel.
7 hour walk / Elevation: +1100m -950m
ZERMATT - AT THE FOOT OF THE "4000"
Balcony trail at the foot of the Matterhorn to get closer to that giant of the Alps. Surrounded by summits over 4000m, passing by small shepherd villages overlooking Zermatt; authentic and enchanting scenery.
3.5 hour walk / Elevation: +800m -800m
End point Saturday at 2:00pm in Zermatt.
The itinerary is established according to the latest information available, the possibility of unknown factors affecting this itinerary is possible including situations beyond our control which may change the route, timings etc.
LEVEL ***
Elevation: +/- 600 to 1250m average per day.
Walking time: 6 - 7 hours average per day.
Type of trek: this tour is not technically difficult, Day 3 involves a ladder climb of 40m,
possibility to take another route if this poses difficulties.
This is a legitimate question for a route called "Chamonix Zermatt".
We favored a departure from Le Châble, near the Swiss resort of Verbier, for several reasons:
- The complete route linking these two alpine capitals is too long to be done in just 7 days (except for very trained hikers).
- The first stages starting from Chamonix (Col de Balme, Fenêtre d'Arpette/Bovine) are beautiful hikes but also particularly crowded and every hikers who have previously hiked the Tour of Mont Blanc are already familiar with them.
- Starting directly from Le Châble allows you to avoid a long transfer, usually necessary to cross the Val d'Entremont, but also to be able to do the superb high-altitude hike above the Louvie and Prafleuri passes.
Group between 6 and 14 people supervised by a qualified mountain leader.
5 nights in gites or mountain refuges in dormitories of 8 to 10 persons.
1 night in a hotel in Zermatt in bedroom of 2 persons.
All accommodation offers hot showers.
Nights 1 and 2 are without luggage, you will have to take with you a toilet set and a change of clothes for the night (max 1 or 2 kg). We made that choice to favour an enchanting route but also to lower the cost and limit the environmental impact. Let us know what's your opinion on that !
Breakfast and dinner are provided in each accommodation.
Picnics are included and are carefully prepared daily by your guide, comprising a variety of healthy salads and local products.
We do our best to accommodate special diets (gluten-free, vegetarian etc.). However, we encourage you to bring some additional products for your own picnics.
Ability to easily walk 20km (on flat trails) in a maximum of 4 hours.
If this is not the case, we recommend you to train during the three weeks prior departure: running 4-5km or hiking/cycling 3-4 hours, 2 to 3 times per week. Your physical preparation will enable you to enjoy your trek to the maximum.
Federal Office of Topography: Grand St Bernard 5027 T, Monté Rosa 5028 T.
Meeting point at 1:45pm in front of the train station in Le Châble (Valais, Switzerland).
BY TRAIN
Inbound: depart Gare de Lyon (Paris) at 8:18am arriving in Le Châble at 2:15pm.
Return: depart Zermatt at 2:37pm arrive (Paris) Gare de Lyon at 9:42pm.
Times given are indicative and should be verified in a train station or on
www.oui.sncf and www.cff.ch
BY CAR
Take the A40 motorway to Chamonix, follow direction Martigny (Switzerland), continue direction Italy and follow signs for Verbier.
There is ample parking at the cable car, opposite the meeting point in Le Châble.
End point at 2:00pm in Zermatt.
At the end of the tour the return from Zermatt to the departure point in Le Châble will be organised by your mountain leader at the best price with a taxi (about 50 to 60€ per person, 2 hours lift, 6 persons minimum)
Or by train from Zermatt to Le Châble, about 60€ per person (3 hour journey).
Le Châble - Hôtel Le Gietroz: +41 (0)2 77 76 11 84
Tourist Office Verbier: +41 (0)2 77 75 38 88
Tourist Office Zermatt: +41 (0)2 79 66 81 00
In accordance with regulations, we are covered by Professional Liability Insurance. In no case can we be responsible for your own Personal Liability. If you chose to take out repatriation insurance with EUROP ASSISTANCE whom we propose, Altitude Mont Blanc will only serve as an intermediary between the client and the insurer. We cannot influence either party. We adhere to strict conditions of sale. You are responsible for compliance with the reporting procedures of any incident.
Our insurance can only be sold to European citizens speaking French.
Before making any decision, contact EUROP ASSISTANCE.
If you are late please contact the agency as soon as possible on: +33 (0)4 50 79 09 16 or +33 (0)6 42 49 76 07
Clothing
Other Equipment
Bring a comfortable backpack of 30 to 40 litres for your personal belongings for the day (warm clothes, waterproofs, water, plate and cutlery for your picnic, sunscreen and your identity papers) and please keep a little room to carry a picnic and snacks.
Your baggage will be transported between accommodation by our vehicle (except day 1 and 2).
You are allowed 1 soft, sports type bag with all your possessions inside, no heavier than 12kg. Your bag has to be carried everyday by the driver, where access is not always easy, please think of their backs! Baggage which is too big and too heavy won't be accepted by the drivers!