Haute Route is a real gem in the ski touring world and one of the most famous and iconic mountain routes. 100 kilometers of distance, 8500 meters of elevation gain, 6 days and unforgettable tour from hut to hut. We invite experienced ski mountaineers for this high mountain ski tour traverse from Mont Blanc area to the Matterhorn area with a less traveled but more spectacular variant, all under the guidance of UIAGM/IVBV/IFMGA international guides!

Four different high mountain refuges along the Haute Route and 1 guesthouse. We sleep in a different place every day. In the mountain huts we sleep in dormitory rooms with half board (breakfasts and dinners), in the guesthouse in twin or triple rooms with private bathrooms.

Albert Premiere Refuge

Hotel Terminus, Orsieres

Chanrion Refuge

Vignettes Refuge

Valsorey Refuge

• 6 days of ski touring with experienced UIAGM/IVBV/IFMGA international guides who know the terrain very well
• 5 nights’ accommodation in four alpine huts in multi-bed rooms
• 1 night in a 3* hotel in Orsieres in twin or triple rooms with bathrooms
• 5 buffet breakfasts
• 4 dinners in the chalets (appetizer and second course, in the guesthouse in Orsieres dinner is not included)
• cab transfer from Champex to Orsieres

What is not included in the price:

• flights,
• transfers from/to the airport (prices depend on the carrier, the cheapest option is Flixbus) and transfer from Zermatt to Chamonix (on the last day),
• cable car entry on the first day (costs about 55 euros),
• 1 dinner in Orsieres,
• lunch packages – you can buy snacks in the refuges,
• cost of a shower in the Chanrion chalet – 5 euros,
• insurance for extreme sports (freeride) including rescue helicopter action,
• cancellation insurance (highly recommended),
• additional elements not mentioned in the program below.

Haute Route as an advanced ski tour is suitable for people who:

• are in a very good physical condition – on average we cover from 1000 to 1600 meters of elevation gain with heavy backpacks each day,
• have very good off-piste skiing experience, who can smoothly and dynamically descend in any terrain (including forest with a slope of 35 degrees) and in any snow,
• completed avalanche course,
• have perfect technical skills related to ski mountaineering – making turns, handling long technical descends, handling the avalanche kit and operating with the snow axe and in crampons.

Checking each participant:

We are going to check each participant at the beginning of the winter season. The most important thing for us is to check the level of fitness and downhill skiing. In case of minor deficiencies we will plan how to make up for them, in case of major deficiencies we are forced to cancel registrations and return 100% of the deposit paid.

Day 0. – Monday, 7th of April

Arrival in Geneva, airport transfer and first night on your own – we will give participants useful information on logistics, transportation companies, etc. In the evening, we meet for a briefing at the Le Dahu guesthouse, which we also recommend as the first night’s accommodation. The guides will present the route, check equipment and hand over glacier gear.

The departure times depend on the weather conditions, we usually leave around 6:00 am and should finish the tour around 2:00 pm.

Day 1. – Tuesday, 8th of April

Grand Montetslift station (2800 m) – Pass (3000 m) Glacier d’ Argentiere (2600 m) – Albert Premiere hut (2702 m)

Meeting in the morning (around 8:30 am). We start the tour in the village of Argentiere, from where a cable car will take us up to 2800 m (everyone buys a ticket for themselves). From there we descend 100 meters, switch into walk mode and head to the pass (3000m) dividing the Lognan and Rognos glaciers, just below the famous Grands Montets. We face a beautiful descent with an elevation loss of 400 meters straight to the Glacier d’Argentiere, which after another hour of ascent in easy terrain, we reach the Albert Premiere hut. We sleep in a multi-person room.

Day 2. – Wednesday, 9th of April

Albert Premiere hut (2702 m) – Col du Passon (3028 m) – Fenetre de Saleina (3267 m) – Col des Ecandies (2796 m) – val d Arpette – Orsieres ( 1466 m).

The most difficult day on the route. 8-9 hours of the tour, 1250 meters of ascend in total, 2500 meters of descend, 20 kilometers. At 6:00 am we begin the descent to the lower part of the Argentiere glacier, from where we begin the ascent (600 meters of elevation gain) to the first major technical part – Col du Passon (3028 m). The upper part of the couloir is exposed, we will go in crampons, with ice axe. Then we will have a 20-minute descent to the glacier du Tour and an easy ascent to the Fenetre de Saleina pass (3267 m), from where we will get a 500-meter descent leading in the last section right next to many crevasses. The approach to the Col des Ecandies pass (2796 m) is a final part, although quite exciting. We strap our skis to our backpacks, put on crampons, take ice-axes and belay ourselves with a handrail because we enter very exposed terrain, where there is often a lack of snow. The views are breathtaking and at the end we face a 1300-meter of a great descent. Finally, we take a cab, go to Orsieres, where we spend the next night in a hotel. Twin or triple rooms with private bathrooms. Dinner at a restaurant in town (not included in a price).

Day 3. – Thursday, 10th of April

Bourg Saint Pierre (1630 m) – Valsorey Refuge (3030 m).

Another long day. Only going uphill and without descending. The guide will lead the route through the valley of the Tseudet and Valsorey glaciers. In 5-6 hours we will have 1200 m of ascend to climb. The finish line of this day’s tour will be to reach the Valsorey Hut, the Swiss Alpine Club mountain hut. It is located south of Bourg-Saint-Pierre in the canton of Valais. The hut lies at an altitude of 3030 meters, on the southwestern slopes of the Grand Combin in the Pennine Alps, opposite Mont Vélan. The chalet has by far the most uncomfortable conditions of any huts on our route but the views make it up for the inconvenience. We sleep in a dormitory, the toilet is outside, the food is very good.

Day 4. – Friday, 11th of April

Valsorey Refuge – Plateau du Couloir (3664 m) – Col Sonadon – Chanrion Refuge (2462 m).

It’s time for a beautiful and equally challenging day, which is considered by many to be a key day on the Haute Route. Why? Because on this day we are going to experience all aspects of mountaineering. We will cross the Grand Combin massif, reach the peaks that lie on the border between Italy and Switzerland, Mont Avril and Tete Blanche. A total of 6-8 hours of hiking, 1000m of ascent and 1600m of descent. First we are going to climb with our skis to Plateau du Couloir at 3664m from there we cross Col Sonadon and make an unforgettable though difficult in some parts descent straight to the Chanrion hut. We are going to spend the next night there. Chanrion hut is by far the best on our entire route. Comfortable rooms, bathroom with shower (paid 5euro), brilliant food. You won’t really want to go any further 😉.

Day 5. – Saturday, 12th of April

Chanrion (2462m) – Brenay Glacier– Col du Brenay (3639m) – Pigne d ‘Arolla (3790m) – Vignettes Hut (3160m).

Another long equally intense day with amazing views especially from Pigne d’Arolla. The excursion will last 7-9 hours on this day. We will cross the moraine of the glacier du Brenay ascending up to the seracs (where we will strap our skis to our backpacks for 100 metres), before crossing the Col de la Serpentine 3547 m and continuing up to the Col du Brenay at 3635 m. This excursion will not require a lot of technical skills, but it will verify skitouring experience. After climbing the Pigne d’Arolla, there will be a very pleasant descent to the Vignettes hut. On this day, we will do 1330 metres of ascent and 640 meters of going down. The Vignette refuge has lots of space but also lots of people. As in other places (except Chanrion) there is no electricity or water, but there is a very good food. Multi-bedded rooms.

Day 6. – Sunday, 13th of April

Vignettes hut (3160m) – Col de l ‘Eveque (3392m) – Col Mont Brule (3213m) – Tete de Valpelline (3802m) – Zermatt (1600m).

A really great ending of the trip. A great day which will be remembered as the highlight of the whole Haute Route. We set off from the Vignettes hut. Initially we return along the route we took the previous day, but after just 15 minutes we continue towards the d’Arolla glacier. On the right is the solitary peak of Petit Mont Collon and on the left is L’Eveque – below its slopes we reach a pass which we descend (usually with the sun rising) to the d’Arolla glacier. We strap on our skis, see the Bouquetins hut in the distance and set off for the Col du Mont Brule. The approach to the pass is exposed – we put on crampons again and take an ice axe. The Col du Mont Brulé is followed by one of the most isolated sections of the Haute Route. We traverse the Haut Tsa de Tsan glacier. A long and gentle ascent takes us to our final pass, the Col de Valpelline at 3690m. When we reach the pass, the Matterhorn appears just in front of our eyes. Accompanied by Switzerland’s most popular peak, we descend to Zermatt. It is a long and very pleasant descent.

On this day we complete 28 kilomters, 1300 metres of ascent and 2800 metres of descent. After that we have a coffee in Zermatt and return to Chamonix. Transfer from Zermatt to Argentiere or Chamonix (depending on participants’ accommodation; payable on your own).

End of our camp and time to say goodbye. Overnight stay on your own. Transfer to the airport on your own.

IMPORTANT: If avalanche/weather conditions do not allow to complete the entire Haute Route, accommodation will be booked in town from where your guides will take you to the best alpine ski tours in Chamonix (including Vallee Blanche) in this option if the price of the tour is cheaper – we will reimburse you part of the cost.

IMPORTANT: In the event of cancellation of the trip, the tour operator is not obliged to refund the cost of the air tickets. Please do not buy air tickets without contacting the tour operator in advance (for the final confirmation of the trip).

Transfer from the Geneva Airport to Chamonix is on your own – the cheapest option to get from Geneva airport to Chamonix is the FLIX BUS. It costs about €20 + €6 for extra luggage (when booking online you have to tick special luggage), the bus ride takes about 2h. Departure from Geneva airport: 7:35, 10:20, 14:00, 17:05, 17:45, 19:05, 20:05.

Return from Zermatt (the town where the camp ends) is possible in 2 ways: we can organize a private bus and share the costs or take the public train from Zermatt to Geneva (link).

• alpine ski equipment (skis, skins, poles, ski boots), suggested width of the skis is more than 85 mm,
• avalanche equipment (detector, probe, shovel),
• crampons – we suggest lightweight crampons. Preferably hybrid (steel front teeth, the rest – aluminium),
• ice axe – we suggest that this should not be a minimalist Camp Corsa type of axe, as its aluminium blade performs poorly in difficult conditions. Examples of good, lightweight ice axes are: Black Diamond Raven / Swift, Simond Naja Light Panne, Petzl Adze/Glacier,
• ski crampons,
• clothing: warm down jacket, hardshell, thin/thick gloves, underwear, buff, thermal sweatshirt or something suitable for a second layer, casual clothes for the evenings in the huts, hat – thin + thick,
• sleeping bag liner ‘liner bag’ or super lightweight thin sleeping bag,
• earplugs,
• tissues for personal hygiene,
• one litre thermos, water bottle,
• goggles with replaceable lens for sun and fog,
• sunglasses preferably with side caps (category 4),
• lipstick + expedition cream (with at least 30 SPF),
• mini toiletries bag (toothpaste, toothbrush, optional mini towel),
• energy bars – 6-7 pieces,
• isotonic drinks (tablets/powder) will be useful on warm days,
• helmet – a lightweight climbing helmet, preferably lightweight but ski-certified helmet. Remember that you will be often also climbing in a helmet so we do not advise poorly ventilated ski helmets,
• a backpack with a capacity of approx. 40 litres (must be able to accommodate equipment, food, water/thermos, extra clothing, avalanche equipment), the backpack with equipment should not be heavier than 10 kg, because we have to be light and fast :),
• personal items, first aid kit, necessary medication, patches/plasters for possible abrasions, NRC foil, etc.