The Haute Route (or the High Route or Mountaineers' Route) is the name given to a route (with several variations) undertaken on foot or by ski touring between
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (; ; (no longer in use)), more commonly known simply as Chamonix (), is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department in the regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It was the site of the f ...
, France, and the
Matterhorn
The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
, in
Zermatt
Zermatt (, ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Visp (district), Visp in the German language, German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is cl ...
, Switzerland.
First charted as a summer
mountaineering
Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...
route by members of the English
Alpine Club
Alpine clubs are typically large social clubs that revolve around climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many alpine clubs also take on aspects typically reserved for local sport associations, providing education and training courses, se ...
in the mid-19th century, the route takes around 12+ days walking (or 7+ days skiing) for the 180 km from the Chamonix valley, home of
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the second-most prominent mountain in Europe (after Mount E ...
, to Zermatt, home of the
Matterhorn
The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
. Originally dubbed "The High Level Route" in English by members of the hiking club, the term was translated into French when first successfully undertaken on skis in 1911. Since then the French term has prevailed. While the term ''haute route'' has become somewhat genericized for any of the many multi-day, hut-to-hut alpine tours, the "Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route" remains the original.
Besides the original Haute Route, there is nowadays also a "Walker's" Haute Route, which is an alpine hiking trail that follows a network of well-marked and signposted paths. The "Walker's" route stays below 3000 meters and takes advantage of the popular mountain huts and small inns and hotels in the villages along the way. In the spring, summer and fall, this route is safe, entirely non-technical (requires no ropes, crampons, or protection devices, unlike the actual Haute Route) and while challenging because of its daily elevation gains and distances, is achievable by any hiker in reasonably good physical condition.
The original Haute Route has large portions of glacier travel, for which suitable mountaineering gear and experience is necessary. In the winter, ski touring gear is required, and depending upon the weather and route chosen, may require crampons, ropes and avalanche protection gear.
Summer Haute Routes
There is occasionally a danger of collapsing glaciers which can render the path virtually impassable. However, a lower level variation exists that avoids crossing glaciers. The majority of hikers complete it in 12–16 days.
Huts and villages on the summer Haute Route glacier trek
*
Le Tour village, France
*
Albert Premier Hut
*
Cabane du Trient or
Orny Hut
*
Champex town, Switzerland
*
Valsorey Hut or
Chanrion Hut
*
Vignettes Hut
*
Arolla village, Switzerland
*
Bertol Hut
*
Schonbiel Hut
*
Zermatt
Zermatt (, ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Visp (district), Visp in the German language, German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is cl ...
town, Switzerland
Low level "Walker's Haute Route" variation huts and villages
*
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (; ; (no longer in use)), more commonly known simply as Chamonix (), is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department in the regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It was the site of the f ...
town, France
*
Argentière village, France
*
Trient village, Switzerland
*
Champex village, Switzerland
*
Sembrancher village, Switzerland
*
Le Chable village, Switzerland
*
Verbier
Verbier () is a village located in south-western Switzerland in the canton of Valais
Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederatio ...
village, Switzerland
*
Arolla village, Switzerland
*
Les Haudères village, Switzerland
*
Zinal
Zinal is a village in Switzerland, located in the municipality of Anniviers in the canton of Valais. It lies at an elevation of above sea level in the Swiss Alps in the ''Val de Zinal'', a valley running from the Zinal Glacier, north of Dent Blan ...
village, Switzerland
*
Gruben village, Switzerland
*
St Niklaus village, Switzerland
*
Zermatt
Zermatt (, ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Visp (district), Visp in the German language, German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is cl ...
town, Switzerland
Ski Touring Haute Route
First successfully completed in 1911, the Haute Route
ski tour is probably the most famous and coveted ski tour in the world. Using high mountain huts to allow skiers to stay high and cover substantial distances, it winds through the highest, most dramatic peaks of the Alps from
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the second-most prominent mountain in Europe (after Mount E ...
to the
Matterhorn
The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...
. It requires good weather, favourable snow conditions and strong effort to complete this line. Because of this, roughly half of the skiers who begin the tour do not complete it.
There are many variations of the HLR (High Level Route) that work their way between Chamonix and Zermatt, including those listed below. It is also possible to add ascents of a number of ski peaks to any of the routes. The winter Haute Route deviates from the summer route to avoid terrain that is dangerous or impassable when snow-covered. Many people also ski the Haute Route in the opposite direction, by variations that select better ascent and descents.
Lionel Claudepierre, a member of
PGHM of Bourg Saint Maurice, set a new record of 18h35m on Monday 15 April 2013.
Classic Route
The winter Haute Route's original line which involves long climbs and mountaineering with ice axe and crampons.
*Day 1:
Argentiere village, France, over the
Col du Chardonnet and the
Fenêtre du Saleina to the
Trient Hut.
*Day 2:
Champex-Lac via the
Val d'Arpette. Bus or taxi to
Bourg-Saint-Pierre.
*Day 3: Long climb up to the
Valsorey Hut on the shoulder of
Grand Combin.
*Day 4: Over the
Plateau du Couloir and down the
Glacier du Mont Durand to the
Chanrion Hut.
*Day 5: A long climb up the
Otemma Glacier to the
Vignettes Hut.
*Day 6: A long day to Zermatt over the
Col de l'Evêque,
Col du Mont Brulé and
Col de Valpelline, then a long descent under the shoulder of the Matterhorn and
Dent d'Herens.
*Day 7: Optional extension to
Saas-Fee over the
Adler Pass.
Verbier variation
Cabane du Trient
Cabane du Mont Fort
Cabane de Prafleuri
Cabane des Dix
Cabane des Vignettes
The purest skiing line, and the most frequently done.
*Day 1: Argentière, France, over the Col du Chardonnet and the Fenêtre du Saleina to the Trient Hut.
*Day 2: Champex-Lac via the Val d'Arpette. Bus or taxi to
Verbier
Verbier () is a village located in south-western Switzerland in the canton of Valais
Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederatio ...
and the
Mont Fort Hut.
*Day 3: Over the
Rosablanche to the
Prafleuri Hut.
*Day 4: Around
Dixence reservoir and up to the
Dix Hut.
*Day 5: Over the
Pigne d'Arolla to the Vignettes Hut.
*Day 6: A long day to Zermatt over the Col de l'Evêque, Col du Mont Brulé and Col de Valpelline, then a long descent under the shoulder of the Matterhorn and Dent d'Herens.
*Day 7: Optional extension to Saas-Fee over the Adler Pass.
Grande Lui variation
A longer, harder, more technical route that eliminates the road break of the
Verbier
Verbier () is a village located in south-western Switzerland in the canton of Valais
Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederatio ...
and Classic variations.
*Day 1: Argentiere village, France, over the Col du Chardonnet and the Fenêtre du Saleina to the Trient Hut or down to the
Bivouac Dorés.
*Day 2: Over the
Grande Lui through the
Col du Saleina or around it via the
Swiss Three Cols and a long descent to the village of
La Fouly.
*Day 3: Up the
Val Ferret and over to
Grand St. Bernard Hospice.
*Day 4: Down to
Great St Bernard Pass and over the shoulder of
Mont Vélan to the
Vélan Hut.
*Day 5: Up the
Grand Combin and over the Plateau du Couloir, down the Glacier du Mont Durand to the Chanrion Hut.
*Day 6: A long non-technical climb up the Otemma Glacier or a stiffer climb over
Les Portons to the Vignettes Hut.
*Day 7: A long day to Zermatt over the Col de l'Evêque, Col du Mont Brulé and Col de Valpelline, then a long descent under the shoulder of the Matterhorn and Dent d'Herens.
*Day 8: Optional extension to Saas-Fee over the Adler Pass.
"Backward" Haute Route
*Day 1: From Zermatt under the Matterhorn up to the
Schonbiel Hut.
*Day 2: Over the Col de Valpelline and up to the
Bertol Hut.
*Day 3: Down then up over
Col Collon to the Vignettes Hut.
*Day 4: Over the
Pigne d'Arolla and down Les Portons to Chanrion Hut.
*Day 5: Across the
Otemma Gorge, up & over into the
Aosta
Aosta ( , , ; ; , or ; or ) is the principal city of the Aosta Valley, a bilingual Regions of Italy, region in the Italy, Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel and the G ...
Valley. Hitchhike to
La Palud.
*Day 6: Ride the lift to the
Vallée Blanche. Descend to
Montenvers and ski or take the cog train out to Chamonix.
Peaks and passes on the route
See the route descriptions.
Optional ski peak ascents along the listed Haute Route variations include the
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the second-most prominent mountain in Europe (after Mount E ...
,
Rosablanche,
Pigne d'Arolla,
Mont Blanc de Cheilon,
Mont Vélan,
Breithorn
The Breithorn ( German for literally "broad horn"; 13,661 ft. or 4,160 m) is a mountain range of the Pennine Alps with its highest peak of the same name (but also called ''Breithorn (Western Summit)''), located on the border between Switze ...
. Some of these peak ascents will require an additional day or more, and range from easy to very technical and difficult.
Incidents
In April 2018, a group of ten hikers found itself in extremely bad weather on the segment between the
Dix Hut and the
Vignettes Hut. Three survived.
On March 9, 2024, a group of six sent a distress signal while en route to
Tête Blanche. Helicopter rescue launches were not possible due to strong winds. Climbing rescuers turned back after encountering bad weather and likely avalanches. The next day, a physician and a police officer could be dropped by helicopter to a site from which they reached the location of the group, finding five dead. The sixth body was recovered in August that year.
See also
*
Haute Route (cycling)
*
Swiss Alps
The Alps, Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main Physica ...
Notes
References
*
* Updates are available on th
publisher's website
*
Further reading
* Also published in German as ''Haute Route: Von Chamonix nach Zermatt/Saas Fee'', .
External links
Information on The Haute Route: Videos, guided and self-guided tripsHaute Route Chamonix – Zermatt – General presentation and detailed routes– French
{{Authority control
Alps
Ski mountaineering
Hiking trails in Switzerland
Mountaineering in Switzerland
Hiking trails in France
Mountaineering in France