Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route Expedition

The first day of our itinerary is the arrival day. If you’re arriving at Geneva airport, our transfer partners will meet you and take you to our hotel in the Chamonix valley. Our airport transfer is included between 6:30 am and 7:30 pm, please inform LHO Base Camp of your arrival and departure times. If you’re meeting us directly at the hotel, your LHO Team Leader will be waiting for you there. Check-in at our accommodation usually begins at 3 pm. If you arrive early, you can store your bags at the hotel and explore the area. Your LHO Team Leader will send you a list of things to do in Chamonix closer to the time. For those of us requiring rental gear, we highly recommend arriving early because the gear stores close at 7 pm, and we generally try to get an early start the following day before shops open. A team dinner and briefing will take place at 7:30 pm, hosted by your Team Leader and lead mountain guide. This will be your first opportunity to meet everyone we’ll be spending the week with, ask questions, and learn about our exciting week ahead. Gear checks will be coordinated by your LHO Team Leader throughout the day based on your arrival times to make sure you have everything you need for our week ahead.

Distance: 4.1 KM | Ascent: 551 M | Descent: 37 M | Max Altitude: 2,715 M

Our first day together starts slow. We normally get started at around 10:00 am so we’ll have more than enough time to enjoy breakfast and check out. You can leave your luggage at the hotel for the duration of the trip. We’ll only be taking our backpack, which your LHO Team Leader would have assisted you in packing efficiently for the adventure ahead. We’ll take a short bus ride to Le Tour, a town at the very end of the Chamonix Valley. From there, we’ll take the cable car and chairlift to Col du Balme. This is the starting point of our trail, which follows a southbound direction towards the Le Tour glacier.

The trekking portion of the day is actually one of the most incredible walks in the Chamonix valley. The entire Mont Blanc range will be visible straight ahead of us, with views of other iconic summits such as the Aiguille Verte, Aiguille du Chardonet, and the Aiguille du Midi. About one hour up the trail, the path takes a hard left behind the slope. The gigantic Le Tour Glacier suddenly opens up in front of us with incredible views of the ice falls and towering summits around it. We usually stop for a picnic lunch somewhere along this section of the trail.

Once we get moving again, we’ll continue to follow the trail until it meets the glacier, at which point it will follow the glacial moraine along a steep trekking path to the Albert Premiere above. During early parts of the season, this last section may be covered in snow but will not necessitate the use of any technical gear. Once we arrive at the Albert Premiere, we will check in and take a break to enjoy the views. Your LHO Team Leader will brief you about the etiquette followed in the mountain huts. After some rest, we’ll take our technical gear and descend to the glacier for some training on the use of crampons, ice axes, and how to efficiently walk as a rope party on a glacier. This will take up the rest of our afternoon. Dinner will be at the mountain hut, followed by an early night’s rest.

Distance: 12.2 KM | Ascent: 697 M | Descent: 1,218 M | Max Altitude: 3,340 M

Our second day in the mountains will begin relatively early. We will try to depart from the hut just before sunrise to benefit from the frozen conditions on the glacier, making it easier to walk on. After breakfast, we’ll put on our technical gear and head out. The trek to the glacier access takes about forty minutes. Once there, we’ll put on our crampons, tie into the rope, and begin the first big walk of our glacier crossing.

The glacier trail begins flat, followed by a series of steep inclines interrupted by more moderate flatter areas. Once we pass the towering Aiguille du Tour on our right side, we will begin ascending the steepest section of the day to reach the Grande Col du Tour. This is the natural border between France and Switzerland and boasts an incredible view of the Valais and Oberland massifs ahead of us. After a short break, we will begin to descend along the Trient Glacier and then onto the Orny Glacier before reaching the end of the ice. We try to reach this point before having lunch to traverse the full glacier before midday.

Now that our technical gear is in our backpacks, we’ll begin trekking along a dry trail characterized by a series of couloirs that we traverse horizontally. It’s common to see walkers and hikers on day trips from nearby Champex-Lac at this point. The end of our trail is the top of the Breya chairlift, which we will use to descend to the valley. Our private shuttle will be waiting for us there to take us to Mauvoisin, the starting point of the Valais section of our traverse. The accommodation used in Mauvoisin has showers, and it may even be possible to wash some clothes. We advise you to take full advantage. Dinner will be at our accommodation.

Distance: 10.3 KM | Ascent: 1,010 M | Descent: 390 M | Max Altitude: 2,625 M

Our first day in the Valais Massif is primarily a trekking day with lots of opportunities to rest and recover. After breakfast, we will head in the direction of the Mauvoisin dam. The trail passes through a series of man-made tunnels created to support the dam. Once we exit, the gigantic Mauvoisin lake and all the incredible waterfalls and streams come into view. Most of the day will be spent walking along the lakeside until we reach its end. From there, we begin a series of wide switchbacks that gradually climb to the refuge of Chanrion, our home for the evening. Like Albert Premiere, this hut also sits on the edge of the glacier, albeit in a less obvious manner. The views appear to be of green pastures, but the glacier isn’t far. It is common for us to arrive at Chanrion at or around lunchtime, in which case we’ll have our picnics at the hut. The lazy afternoon will enable us to rest and recover for the challenge ahead. Dinner will be at the mountain hut.

Distance: 12KM | Ascent: 1,003 M | Descent: 317 M | Max Altitude: 3,230 M

Today is a big day, and we’ll be getting an early start in order to finish in good time. After breakfast, we’ll follow the trail in an eastward direction as it descends gradually toward the start of the Otemma glacier. During dry seasons, it may not be necessary to put on our technical gear, as the objective risks such as crevasses are clearly visible and may not be threatening. This decision is normally left to the guide to make. At some point, it will be desirable to put on our gear to continue safely.

The Otemma glacier is the longest single glacier on this trail. Its saving grace is that it is gradual. In fact, it can almost feel flat most of the time. Flanked by the Pigne d’Arolla and the ridge line forming the natural border with Italy, the remoteness of this location cannot be overstated. As we approach the end of the glacier, the Vignettes Hut will come into view on a cliffside above us on the east ridge of the Pigne. We usually stop for lunch before ascending the trail that leads us to the Vignettes hut. Although it may be arguable which hut boasts the best views on this trail, the Vignettes Hut certainly lives in the top spot for most. Its strategic location boasts views above the Arolla, Eveque, and Otemma glaciers, not to mention the summits that surround its 360-degree panorama. We usually arrive in the early afternoon, giving us plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and take pictures before dark. Dinner will be at the mountain hut.

Distance: 13.9 KM | Ascent: 1,193 M | Descent: 1,052 M | Max Altitude: 3,390 M

The next two days are arguably the most epic days in most people’s mountaineering careers as we connect the last two major glaciers that lead us to Zermatt. We’ll get a very early start after breakfast with the aim of descending onto the Arolla glacier and traversing along an easterly trajectory in the direction of Col de L’Eveque. The last section to the Col is a moderate incline with the possibility of crevasse considerations the higher we go. The views from the Col are spectacular with the possibility of seeing Dent Blanche and Dent d’Herens, just to name a couple. After a short picture break, we’ll begin our descent along the Oren glacier. Navigating the icefall on the descent can be time-consuming during certain seasons. Once underneath the icefall, the glacier flattens out, making it very easy to cross. Technical gear is no longer needed as we approach the end of the ice and follow the dry trail to Plan de Bertol. This is our usual lunch spot. From there, we’ll begin our direct ascent to the Bertol Hut. This Hut sits on the top of a sharp summit along the towering ridge above. The trail to the hut is steep but largely straightforward with little need for technical gear until we reach just below the infamous Bertol ladders. To access this hut, we will need to climb one hundred meters of ladders. For this, we will be roped up as we would be on the glacier, and the guide will be ascending the ladders and fixing a belay station to secure you to the ladders. You will then ascend the ladders to the belay station and wait for the guide to ascend again. There are three to four pitches of ladders to ascend. They are not technically difficult but they do require your meticulous attention. We’ll check-in to the hut upon arrival and take in the incredible views of the last glacier of our experience. Dinner will be at the hut.

Distance: 10.2 KM | Ascent: 681 M | Descent: 1,254 M | Max Altitude: 3,690 M

Our final day on the glacier will once again start early after breakfast. Glaciers ahead of us can be tricky to navigate, and it is important to try and cross most of it before midday to benefit from frozen conditions. We will descend onto the Glacier du Mont Mine. The Tete Blanche will be clearly visible on our right side, and the Dent Blanche dominates the skyline to our left. We will approach the Stockji glacier from the left of the Tete Blanche summit, with the incredible Ferpecle glacier to our right-hand side. Reaching the Col finally reveals the majestic Matterhorn in all her glory. The Matterhorn will continue to dominate the skyline for the remainder of the trip. Descending the Stockji glacier can be tricky during certain seasons. There are a series of icefalls along the descent that we will take our time navigating before we reach the terminal moraine. The Schonbiel Hut will be clearly visible in front of us, but reaching it is still a major challenge as we exit the glacier onto a rock ridge that has been left unstable due to the recession of the glacier. The trail follows the terminal moraine before reascending directly beneath the hut. Reaching the Schonbiel Hut marks a major milestone in our mountaineering experience because it marks the effective end of the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route. Dinner will be at the hut, and sunset pictures of the Matterhorn are most certainly in order!

Distance: 12.4 KM | Ascent: 102 M | Descent: 1,191 M | Max Altitude: 2,700 M

It’s a hard ask considering our week, but getting up to watch the sunrise on the Matterhorn is worth it! You’re also likely to see the headlamps of climbers on the Zmutt ridge. Who knows? Maybe it will plant a seed. After a slow start to the morning, we’ll head out from the hut and follow the trail down to the valley. We’ll pass a tiny traditional town known as Zmutt about 30 minutes before finally reaching Zermatt. We’ll have a few hours to explore the town, shop, and have a celebratory drink before catching our ride back to Chamonix. Your LHO Team Leader will send you a list of recommended stores, restaurants, bars, and cafes closer to the time. Our transfer to Chamonix will be by road or train where, after dropping off our rentals, hot showers and a wonderful farewell dinner await!

Our final day together will be dedicated to airport transfers and farewells. Breakfast is included on the day. Please make sure that you provide us with your correct departure details when filling out your team details form as we use it to book your transfers to Geneva Airport with our transfer partners. If there are any changes to your travel itinerary, please let your LHO Team Leader know as early as possible so that arrangements can be made.