Itinerary - Haute Route

Day 0: Meet at 5pm in Zermatt at our Hotel for a pre-trip meeting and dinner.

Day 1: Take the ski lift to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. From here we will ski part way down the groomers, before turning left and traversing underneath the spectacular North Face of the Matterhorn. From the valley bottom, we will climb up (450m vertical) to the Shönbiel Hut for après and our first night. [Total ascent = 450m]

Day 2: From the Shönbiel Hut, we will climb up (1100m vertical) to the Tête Blanche, then ski down the other side to the Glacier du Mont Miné. From here it is a short climb (70m vertical) up to the Bertol Hut, including an exposed climb up some ladders bolted to the rock! [Total ascent = 1170m]

Day 3: From the Bertol Hut, we will ski down to the Haute Glacier d'Arolla, before a long climb (880m vertical) up to the Col de L'Evêque. From here we will ski down to the Col de Charmotane, followed by a short climb (180m vertical) up to the Vignettes Hut (yes they also have après 😉 [Total ascent = 1060m]

Day 4: From the Vignettes Hut, we will climb (630m vertical) the Pigne d'Arolla, followed by a long ski down the Glacier du Brenay to the Chanrion Hut. [Total ascent = 630m]

Day 5: From the Chanrion Hut, a short ski down from the hut leads to a long climb to the summit of Mont Avril (1000m vertical). A beautiful ski down through the Fenêtre de Durand takes us down to the snowline and a short walk down to the road in the quaint town of Glassier. A taxi will pick us up here and drive us to our hotel in the town of Courmayeur on the Italian side of Mt Blanc. Hot showers and Italian cuisine await! [Total ascent = 1000m]

Days 6: After Espresso in Italy, we will ride the lift up to Pointe Helbronner on the border of France. This provides us access to the Glacier-du Géant and the granitic towers that Chamonix is so well known for. We will spend the day ski touring around here and the Aiguille du Midi, followed by a climb up to the Cosmique Hut (minimum 500m vertical). [Total ascent = 500m +]

Day 7: Starting from the Cosmique Hut, we will have first tracks on the Vallée Blanche before the first lift. If we haven't had enough climbing yet, we have the option for another climb to the Col du Tacul (950m vertical). From here we ski down to the Mer de Glace past the infamous Petit Dru and catch the train into Chamonix. Croissants, beer and Tartiflette await our arrival! [Total ascent = 0 to 950m]

Please note: The itinerary is subject to change based on weather and conditions. There may also be an opportunity for more climbs and descents based on group desires.