Classic Walking Tours
Classic Haute Route
The Classic Haute Route is a technical trek at high altitude and requires guidance by a High Mountain Guide. Starting in the village of Argentiere, in the Chamonix valley, France and finishing at Zermatt in Switzerland the route is 75 miles long and traverses more than a dozen glaciers with a total ascent and descent of 10,000m.
During the 10 day trek, you will be taught the mountaineering skills required, including use of an ice axe, crevasse rescue and general rope techniques. The idea of the Classic Haute Route is to cross the backbone of the Alpes by foot. The Classic Haute Route (10 day trek) is one of the purest version of the trek and uses no form of public transport during the trek. It is one of the most spectacular treks in the world with amazing scenery throughout. Guide ratio is 1 to 6.
Cross the Backbone of the Alpes by foot
Learn mountaineering techniques
Trek through spectacular Alpine scenery
Day 1- Arrive to the Chamonix Valley
Arrive to the Chamonix Valley, Accommodation in Argentiere. You will have a chance to meet your guide for a briefing in the evening.
Day 2 - Argentiere - Albert Premier Hut (2702m)
This morning you’ll have a chance to get any last minute bits and pieces from Argentiere before we start up to le Tour where we’ll get a cable car and then chair lift up to Col du Balm. From here it’s a 2 hour walk to the Albert Premier Refuge (2702m.) where you will spend the night. You will practice some glacier travel and rope work skills on the le Tour Glacier in the afternoon.
Day 3 Albert Premier Hut to Champex
We’ll leave the Refuge early today and head up over the border into Switzerland. We will rope up as we traverse across the Col du Tour Superior (3288m). From here it is a gentle stroll down to the village of Champex - Lac (1466m) where we will spend the night.
Day 4 Champex to the Cabane du Mont Fort
From Champex we walk to the village of Le Chable. From Le Chable we take the cable car up the mountain to Verbier enjoying spectacular views en-route. From Verbier it is an hour walk to the Cabane du Mont Fort where we’ll spend our 5th night.
Day 5 Cabane du Mont Fort to the Prafleuri hut
We start today with a big climb and traverse to cross Col Termin (2913m) and Col de Louvie (2921m). We then traverse the Grand Desert glacier and climb again to cross our 3rd col for the day the Col du Prafleuri (2965m). Then it is a steep decent to the Val de Dix and to the Prafleuri hut.
Day 6 Prafleuri hut to the Cabane du Dix
From the Prafleuri hut we have a steep climb over the Col des Roux. From the col there is a spectacular view down to the Lac du Dix below. There is a long traverse above the lake and the a steep climb to the Pas du Chat, then traverse and climb to the Dix hut (2928m) Pierre’s famous rosit’s await.
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Day 7 Cabane du Dix to the Vignettes Hut
Today we will reach the highest poin of our trip, the Pigne d’Arolla (3796m). We’ll rope up on the Glacier de Cheilon as we cross heavily crevassed terrain up to the Col de la Serpentine. From here we cross a section of short steep ice slope to access the upper slopes of the Pigne d’Arolla. From the summit the view is breathtaking, stretching from Mont Blanc to the Grand Paradiso, with spectacular views of Matterhorn, the Dente Blanche and many more. A short decent takes us to the spectacularily located Vignettes Hut for the night.
Day 8 Vignettes Hut to the Schoenbeilhutte
Today is another big day so an early start. We will be crossing the Col de l’Eveque (3382m), then Col Collon (3074m), we then travel over the Haut Glacier d’Arolla and up to Col du Mont Brule (3213m). From here we cross the Glacier de Tsa de Tsan to col de Valpelline(3557m) it is now that we begin to get spectacular views of the Matterhorn. Finally we decend the Stokli to the the Schonbeilhutte (2694m) for a well earned rest.
Day 9 Schoenbielhutte to Zermatt
Our last day is involves a short 3 hour walk to the village of Zermatt with amazing view of the Matterhorn all the way. You will have the afternoon to explore Zermatt.
Day 10 Departure Day
Price:
Dates: Group Bookings Only Please Enquire
