Our hiking group totaled 8 people (2 from Brazil, 1 from Canada and the rest from USA). I'd never hiked for so many days back to back and wasn't sure exactly what weather to expect either. departed with no warning. After a few minutes of awkward waiting in the tiny car (not knowing when it was going to move), it finally. The sky was overcast, but the valley was still clear below us (for now). The trail barely climbed at all, gaining just 800 feet of elevation over 2 miles. The trail climbed steeply up the hillside, eventually crossing the road that led to Col de la Forclaz. We used the 3rd Edition of this book (published in 2002) that our friends had given us after their trip. For 148 CHF we got a spacious room with a king bed, a double bunk bed, a small porch, a shower, plus a buffet breakfast. After warming ourselves for about an hour, we began the descent down into Trient around 12:40pm. Best Haute Route: Alpenwild’s Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route. This map illustrates the Walker's Haute Route. My trip was made better by the reports that others took the time to write, which is why I offer this trip report to you! The border was surprisingly anti-climactic – it was just a cement post in the ground. Since the base of the ladders was a narrow area that I didn't feel particularly comfortable removing my pack in, I had taken off my pack at a wider section of trail, stowed my camera inside the pack, and grabbed my gloves. 7.5 hours. Thankfully, the gentle grade of the switchbacks down made them quite an easy descent in the damp conditions. Having a GPS with the route programmed in (which is my typical method of backcountry travel) was nice, but not necessary. and some places bent over backwards to make her a unique meal that didn’t contain gluten (that my wife still raves about). We slowly ascended towards the pass, the trail first winding through the forest then emerging onto a meadow. The trail then skirted around two small tarns, dropping yet another 150 feet from the shelf we had been on before it began to climb steeply towards the Col, 400 feet above. The trail climbed gently as the valley floor fell away dramatically below, yielding amazing (albeit vertigo inducing) views. The trail around the rock was about the width of two boots with a decent drop, so the chain offered a little more security as you rounded the slanted rock (of course, Lisa chose to ignore the chain…I held on for dear life; you’ll start to notice a trend here). My mental soundtrack was the following: “hand, hand, foot, foot,” as I slowly climbed one limb at a time. Where the slope dropped quickly, fixed chains were in place to provide additional stability. Though originally called "The High-Level Route" by members of the Alpine Club, in 1911, a group first successfully established a winter route from Bourg St. Pierre to Zermatt on skis and afterwards the name of... Read More. Towering high above us on the left of us was the ridgeline; to our right, the valley, dropping precipitously below us. We dropped quickly down a long switchbacked trail with no exposure (thankfully)…however the view down the hill was still a bit vertiginous for me. Lisa had plenty of gluten free options available to her. We were catching a an early bus, so we had asked the proprietor if we could dine earlier than the normal 8am and he was happy to oblige. Following another delectable breakfast of croissants (and a buffet) at Hôtel La Pointe de Zinal, I walked next door to the bakery to pick up a baguette for the trail and we were off at 8:15am (both the bakery and the supermarket opened at 7:30am – plenty of time to stock up before hitting the trail). Plus, the alternative didn't sound that appealing. The Haute Route is a classic trekking route that goes from Chamonix to Zermatt, connecting Mont Blanc with the Matterhorn. The trail switchbacked tightly down a rocky hillside with slick footing due to the bare dirt and incline. The first Haute Route Hiking customers have already finished the trail and we’ve been sharing updates with each other along the way. Our room wasn’t ready when we arrived, but they allowed us to drop our stuff in the unmade-up room and change clothes, then provided us with our Chamonix valley bus passes, allowing us travel throughout the valley (we used these to get to Le Tour the next day for free). Our approach to this trip was a tad different (but similar to that of our friends that had done it before): we aimed to hike from Chamonix to Zermatt, but where there was a road that took us where we wanted to go (i.e. Ahead of us, on the other side of the col, we could see a non-descript ridgeline and a silt settling pond below a glacier; the valley walls prevented us from viewing much else. A Haute Route map is necessary for self-guiding the trail. We had a narrow floor-to-ceiling window which overlooked the glacier, plus a panel next to the window that we could open for fresh air, a bench the length of the narrow room, an electric overhead light (no power outlets) and a set of shelves and hooks on which to hang our gear. Experience hiking in The Alps while wildflowers are in bloom, & breathtaking views of the Matterhorn during this stunning hike in Switzerland & France. As we reached the summit of the pass, we saw a herd of ibexes (ibi? I ordered a beer and returned to the spacious deck out in front of the cabane to soak in the remaining sun of the day while Lisa tried to explain her gluten intolerance to the cabane host. Price $76.00 Details. The ski route depicted on this map illustrates the Grand Lui variation, which is the longest and most technical route that eliminates the road links of the Verbier and Classic variations. We realized at this point that the Haute Route really was a small community - if you meet someone along the trail, odds are you'll see them at least a few more times in a small town or along the trail again. If you have any questions for me, please don't hesitate to email me at . As we got closer, the trail became increasingly rocky as we were basically just hiking along talus. and continued on towards Col de Riedmatten. As we hiked, we spotted Sierre-Zinal ultra marathon signs indicating the distance remaining to Zinal – obviously this was the route taken into Zinal by the marathon! Once we reached a small tarn perched on a grassy bench (around 1pm) the glacier finally swung into view ...after which we simply couldn’t take our eyes off of it! Most of the time, the trail just cut across a steep angled grassy slope (possibly a 50 degree angle?) In addition, Swiss Topo also has hiking maps at a larger scale (1:33,000), although it would be quite cumbersome to carry maps to cover the entire Walker’s Haute Route at that scale. Dinner was a vegetable soup; mixed vegetable salad; pork roast with carrots, noodles (substituted with potatoes for Lisa), and gravy; with crème caramel for dessert (Lisa dessert was substituted with fruit cocktail) . Additionally, the Combin massif dominated our sight lines as well. Across the valley, we could see Cabane de Moiry perched high above the glacier…tantalizingly close, yet still hours away. The cost of the bus/train was 37.60 CHF for both of us. As we descended around Chalte Berg, we lost the trail and ended up following a false spur that contoured around to the north instead of dropping down to the road. Overview. I made my pack list in Excel (yeah...I'm a nerd like that...isn't it obvious already?) The stage from Champex to Le Châble was hiked by one of our friends, but the others had skipped it. With a lighter pack, we wandered the streets of Les Haudères trying to solve our next dilemma: it was Sunday, most of the shops were closed, and we were really low on supplies (plus we were going to another Cabane the next night, so no opportunity to re-stock there). Breakfast at Hotel du Col de la Forclaz was bread and croissants with jam and butter. We stopped for about 40 minutes on the summit of the Col to eat lunch while enjoying chamois scampering across the rocky hillside in front of us. It was here that we met the Belgians – three men and one woman that were also tackling the Haute Route; we talked for a while as we ate (their English was impeccable); this was another group that we encountered many times along our route. When we first arrived, the weather was cold and rainy. The Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne (HRP) is a high-level long-distance trail in the Pyrenees joining the Atlantic and Mediterranean. There were individual bathrooms as well as a sink/shower room (showers for 5 CHF). We continued to follow the painted rocks (and the groups we saw ahead of us) until the trail regained a shelf high above the valley (about an hour after the stream crossing). With the exception of the cabanes, tap water was readily available (and some towns even had a drinking water spigot available). We had no reservations for lodging, so we popped into the tourist information office on the north end of town. The trail descended gently at first, giving us a view of both Trient in the valley below and Col de la Forclaz across on the far side of the valley. As we climbed the view to our left were of amazingly carved valleys pouring down from the top of the ridge, and to our right the Trient glacier. After we showered (the shower was very powerful and felt wonderful!) I found my hiking poles to be invaluable on this section, but Lisa did fine without any. At 12:20pm we began our descent from the Col. Planning is now well underway, and in this blog post I’d like to outline my approach to maps, route planning, and how I’ll handle navigation on the trail. (You can download the route at the links below). Dinner was at Le Monchu with a tasty prix fix menu for €43 for the two of us. Midway up the hill was a small abandoned outbuilding just below a small road – we aimed for that since Reynolds’s book describes, “a solitary hut just below another section of unmade farm road.” From the hut, faint trails led out in a few directions – we followed a trail to the left which eventually intersected a solid trail that turned right and carried us up and over the bench above us to Remointse du Tsaté (10:30am). The small grocery store had sausage, cheese, and fruit but they had no bread. After 5 strenuous days of hiking, we’d decided to take a rest day. We stopped for a snack in a meadow while we were pelted with occasional snowflakes (the temperature, with the wind chill, was probably right around freezing). If you have the chance - DO THIS HIKE! We hit the restrooms at the base of Le Tour and began our hike up at about 9:40am. There was a public restroom located just off the trial here. Eventually, the steep climbing trail intersected another flat trail along a bisse (irrigation channel) and we followed this to Col de la Forclaz for about half a mile (this is the same trail we’d double-back on the next day). Much to our surprise, it was a semi-sweet berry tea – a little unusual in taste (a few others we talked to hated the flavor) but the warmth and sweetness was actually kind of nice! (It turned out that Cabane de Moiry took credit cards, but if you need cash, plan ahead, because there’s none here). The day cleared up a bit in the valley (although clouds were still clinging to the ridgelines) so it was pleasant enough to meander through town. From Le Tsaté , the trail continued to climb at a steady grade through the meadow ahead. We spent three hours wandering around Les Haudères looking for a place to buy food on Sunday (until discovering a grocery store on the edge of town). This kept our clean clothes from getting all stinked up by our dirty ones. From the Chalet, the climb became grueling. Eventually, the trail leveled back out on the valley floor and crossed a small stream. Eventually we encountered a trail junction point which pointed the way to Jungen. Speaking a little French was helpful, but even without it communication was still very possible, Lisa’s gluten intolerance turned out to be non-issue at all; everywhere we went they were able to accommodate it (or she could selectively avoid it). 5,000 feet directly below us was St. Niklaus (and Jungen). The rock character changed quite dramatically along this shelf – rather than picking our way through scree and talus we found ourselves rock-hopping across giant boulders and small ponds (which was actually a lot of fun). From there, the trail quickly regained its lost elevation via scrambling. (We ended up having a lengthy discussion about this with a Belgian we met later on the trail – eating horse seems completely normal in most of Europe…but to us Americans, it just seems wrong). The stream had a set of rocks forming steps to cross (I probed the depth of the stream while crossing and I couldn't hit the bottom with my hiking pole). It seemed that most of the other guests had departed an hour earlier but, alas, we were still recovering from jet lag and got a bit of a later start. I’ve created over 30 different personalised itineraries for the Haute Route so there is a good chance I can help. The other side of the pass was desolate and rocky, offering little in the way of views other than a small section of ridge across the Blüomatttälli valley. After this steep gain, the trail leveled out as it contoured the steep hillside and headed north. and the rain stopped, we wandered through town. At this point, I began getting a tad nervous – based on trip reports I’d read, I knew that there was more exposure coming, and it was at the end of this ridge. Dinner was delicious: vegetable soup, salad, risotto, and a pear dessert. When we did the hike, reservations weren’t necessary anywhere along the trail; none of the Cabanes were more than half full and the towns had adequate lodging (but I’d still recommend it…just to be on the safe side). …but they were almost all FAST! Generally speaking, we tended to opt for mid-tier lodging and food: we happily opted for a hotel room (typically with a bathroom) instead of a dorm or hostile (I don't particularly mind communal sleeping, but I'm a horrible snorer…and I just don’t want to put anyone else through that suffering). The trail climbed 250 feet in 520 feet of distance (a nice 40% grade) along loose sand before cutting across the gouge and easing up. Trekking Chamonix to Zermatt: The Classic Walker's Haute Route - Kev Reynolds. On the train, I wrote down the following random thoughts and observations. This includes major side roads like the Greenwater River Road, the White River/Sunrise area of the national park, up to Crystal Mountain Ski Area, over Cayuse & Chinook Passes and down the east side of 410 to the Bumping Lake Road area. That said, if you need a shorter trip or to cut out stages for time or weather, here were our most spectacular days that I wouldn't miss: Did you need an ice axe for any of the route? The Haute Route is a long distance hiking route. Since my wife's French only got us so far, we usually asked the hotel we were staying at to call ahead for us. Many, it seems, approached this route as a chance to hike all the way from Chamonix to Zermatt. Hat and gloves were critical – many mornings and pass summits were very chilly. We decided to skip the Chamonix to Argentière stage since it basically followed a road the entire way. Be sure to get updated information before attempting that route (thanks John Hendriks). We encountered a set of signpost and a set of switchbacks (both barely visible in the fog) and followed the sign towards Sorebois. Two of our friends did this hike in July and they ran into some lodging issues (which they knew by calling ahead) forcing them to stay an extra night in the town they were currently in - doing this hike late in August or September should eliminate most, if not all, of the lodging vacancy issues. After dropping off our gear, we wandered around Chamonix, exploring the town in the cool light rain. eventually found our way up onto a grassy bench and the path became obvious again. Most guidebooks only provide high level sketches, and topographical maps don't highlight which trail to take or where you currently are on the trail. Highway 410 Hiking & Climbing All trips accessed off Highway 410 from Enumclaw to Mt. Pyrenees High Route (HRP) Hiking Guide for 2020. This tiny cable car descended silently down the steep hillside into St. Niklaus 3,000 feet below. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. I'm trying to shorten my trip - are there any stages that you wouldn't miss? Once past the snow fields, the descent was basic rock picking like , following the blazes as we descended. Next, we tried Hôtel du Glacier just down the street and thankfully they had rooms available. We reached the Sorebois Cable Car around 2:00pm, about 1.6 miles from the summit. For dinner, we dined on fondue and saltimbocca (and wine) at Le Fermi for 67 CHF. Beyond the trail split, we continued hiking another 3 miles, gradually gaining and losing elevation as we followed the ridgeline high above the valley floor below. Most people on the trail had hiking poles. After taking a 25 minute lunch break, we began our descent down the steep rocky trail. We both hiked with 3 liter CamelBak bladders and found them to be the perfect size – we didn’t have to worry about refilling them (however, there were plenty of streams which you could filter water from). into the rung itself, making footing a bit awkward. Yes and no. Self-guided hiking is the best way complete these trails because it allows for independence, and freedom to … The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, running, and nature trips. Across the valley we could see Cabane des Dix perched on a black rock, overlooking the massive conveyor belt of Glacier de Cheilon. The next 1.5 miles were nerve wracking for me (as you can tell, I’m not big on heights or exposure…). As we departed from the bus stop, we were greeted by one of the Belgians who had injured his knee and was taking a rest day in La Sage. The summit was packed with people (all of whom spoke English) and it was a little difficult finding a spot to sit and have lunch. We cut out a lot of stages on our trip and I wouldn't recommend skipping any of the stages I listed above. We ordered some french fries and hot chocolate while we chatted with some locals from Argentière (who told us that it was unseasonably cold…that gave us a bit of hope) and some other hikers traveling the Tour du Mont Blanc in the opposite direction as we were traveling. The trail along the lateral moraine was more defined and easier to follow (it only stayed on the very top for a few hundred feet) but it was decidedly more airy. The Chalet hadn't opened yet for the day (the proprietor arrived just as we were departing) but we took the opportunity to shed some layers since the trail was now turning into the sun - this was a nice change, as we were concerned the entire hike was going to be as cold as our first day had been. Incidentally, the Welsh couple, the Kiwi, and the Belgians all ended up staying at the hotel with us (we never saw the Brits again – presumably because they continued down to Les Haudères to gain some distance on the next day). I hope that this trip report provides some help in your planning and preparation. It seemed like I had been on the ladder forever when I finally caught sight of the next ladder out of the corner of my eye; and someone starting to descend. I strongly recommend picking up the latest edition! standard route) and began to contour along the ridge to our right, climbing steadily as it contoured. To make matters worse, about 1,000 feet above the town, the cable car stopped for about 5 minutes and just swung silently in the breeze (presumably to allow people to get on at the mid-load point in Jungen…don’t even get me started on what the mid-load point looks like…). After the ladders, the rest of the trail seemed rather dull and unexciting. Most guidebooks only provide high level sketches, and topographical maps don't highlight which trail to take or where you currently are on the trail. The views behind us of Pigne d’Arolla were fantastic – ahead all we could really see was more grassy hillside. Just below the last push towards the summit, the trail contoured around a rock fall, requiring a bit of scrambling around the massive boulders, then climbed steadily towards the pass summit at 9,494 feet. We were no longer hiking through lush green hillsides, but rather golden meadows with trees turning shades of red and gold. Below us was a vast wasteland of rock and ice (very similar to the terrain on a lot of Colorado 14ers). This site provides a very nice map of Switzerland based on OpenStreetMaps that can be loaded into nearly any Garmin unit (and the Basecamp software). We started down the trail out of the center of La Sage at 8am – it started by climbing a dirt road southward out of town which became steeper and steeper as it switchbacked under an old chairlift while crossing a few pastures. Available from these sellers. Prior to emerging from the forest we encountered the first fixed chain along the trail on a rocky promontory. The Haute Route looks the most stunning, but I’m also one of those people who prefer solitude hiking. Thankfully, the wind had abated quite a bit and, as we descended, it became quite warm. We began the day with intentions of climbing over the Col, but as we watched a few people climb the ladders, it really didn’t look too bad (this coming from a guy that had freaked out most of the day before). Unfortunately, a rather nervous (I’ve been there...) father and his 10 year old daughter (and a third man) were descending the ladders quite slowly. Near La Barma, the trail became a little confusing – there were a few different forks, all of which seemed to go in the same direction; either way, the direction to head was obvious. We perused several menus before deciding that this was the place to dine for the evening. Once the group was down (about 15 minutes later…lots of time to sit, hold tightly onto a chain, and think about what I was about to do) I started climbing first. It was an extensive buffet with bread, cheese, yogurt, cereal, meat, coffee and juice. Personally, I think doing it without a guide was WAY better - we got to hike at our own pace (rather than stopping whenever the group decided to stop), we picked our own lodging (rather than camping or staying in large hostels), and eat where we chose to. I was wrong. Get in Touch: You didn't use a tour company - was it hard getting rooms or following the route on your own? Afterwards, we hit the grocery store near the bus stop to re-stock (in hindsight, this would’ve been just as easy in Verbier). There are plenty of yellow trail signs that estimate time to different points of interest, including villages, cols and huts. The hotel was small and unassuming, perched right alongside the chalky white L’Arve River. (Oddly enough, a CAIC (Colorado Avalanche Information Center) sticker was stuck to this pole…it’s good to see a little slice of home so far away!). By now, it had clouded over and was a bit breezy on the pass, so we opted to just press on rather than taking a break at the top. It’s also not to be confused with ‘Haute Route’, the cycling event. Better to get at least a few miles under our belts early! It was good to start seeing familiar faces along the trail or at the cabanes – we did get to know our trailmates. She popped up a few seconds after I did and we celebrated on the top by eating fine Swiss chocolate. We gained the summit of Col de Sorebois (9,298 ft) at 1:00pm – unfortunately, I can’t describe much of this trail because I couldn’t see anything except what was below my feet! Obviously, Lisa didn’t eat any of this. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and backpacking. Pyrenees High Route (HRP) Hiking Guide for 2020. Then, in 2007, another set of our friends tackled the journey as well (inspired by the first set). This Haute Route is for those who want a more leisurely pace, finer accommodations (no huts), daily luggage transfers, exclusive spa services, and first class rail.We've added a well-deserved rest day at a 4-star Belle Epoque hotel in historic St Luc. JUMP TO: PROS & CONS / ITINERARIES / COMPARISON WITH GR10 & GR11 / CAMPSITES & HUTS / WHEN TO GO / MAPS & GUIDEBOOKS / ANIMALS / WHAT TO PACK The Pyrenees High Route (Haute Route Pyrénées, HRP) is a long distance hiking trail that follows the mountainous divide along the French-Spanish border. 9.5 hours, 10.3 miles, +2703 ft, -4860 ft; 13.8% avg grade up, -12.5% avg grade down. Next to the cement post was what was to become an all-too-familiar sight: the Swiss trail signpost. It approximately follows the French and Spanish border and passes through Andorra. Once out of town, the trail was obvious and climbed steeply gaining 1,300 feet in just over a mile. – attached to the stone building was a huge ultra-modern style copper and glass clad building! The cabane did not have potable water, so we spoke with the hosts about our options. While we explored, we ran into the Welsh couple we shared a room with in Cabane de Prafleuri and caught up with them a little. We found that laundering our clothes each night kept the dirty clothes pile minimal (which is good, since we really only had two sets of everything) and if we had a balcony, we could line dry our clothes in whatever sun we had left. Most guidebooks only provide high level sketches, and topographical maps don't highlight which trail to take or where you currently are on the trail. some breakfast before heading out to the bus stop. The trail began climbing again around 11:30am (after dropping about 600 feet) just above Barrage de Moiry. The top of the third ladder had a section of iron that extended along the right-hand side as a hand rail, plus a metal grate had been placed at the edge of the cliff face to facilitate easier stepping off from the ladder. We had gone from the solitude of alpine hiking to a bustling train station and town jam packed with people; more people than we’d seen in any of the towns we’d been in over the past two weeks. As we approached the cliff wall, the trail followed a series of narrow ledges amongst the boulders with occasionally fixed chains in narrower sections (the exposure didn’t seem to bother me as much as it had the day before - the drops here were not nearly as steep, but I still held on to the chains for dear life). The trail down was steep, but very manageable. Update as of January 2014: This portion of the trail has been rerouted since we originally hiked it (thanks John Hendriks). Eventually, the trail and the valley floor converged, meaning an end to exposure. Lisa asked for something without gluten and all they had to offer was an apple and an orange. It was conceived as a summer mountaineering route in the mid-nineteenth century by members of the English Alpine Club. Amazingly, as we strolled up the street, we ran into 3 hikers from the UK Tour Group we’d been leapfrogging in the first few days. As we climbed, the ridgeline we crested yesterday came into view, offering a spectacular glimpse of where we had come from. Breakfast in our hotel in Les Haudères consisted of an extensive buffet of cereal, meats, cheese, breads and fruits. 8.5 hours, 4.6 miles, +3446 ft, -315 ft; 15% avg grade up, -6% avg grade down. (I believe the trail to the left would have popped out in the exactly the same spot.). We were happy that we brought a pair of sandals but learned an important lesson: keep them packed near the top of your pack! From the pass, we could make out Augstbordpass across the valley – tomorrow’s conquest, but little else. Thankfully, after wandering the entire town, we found a single bakery that was open near the bus stop (a baguette for Brian), a cheese shop that was minutes away from closing, and just as we were about to give up, a grocery store on the north side of town that was open (in which we ran into some of the tour group folks). We hit the trail a little after 8am with the Brits after the tour group departed, figuring we’d let them get some distance ahead of us. Journeying over a distance of 180km the Walkers Haute Route is fast becoming a 'must do' long distance trek. Along this stretch of trail, there was one section of fixed rope where the trail crossed an small eroded rocky gully. I found a few trip reports to be particularly helpful in both in preparing and on the trail. One of the biggest misconceptions about long-distance hikes is that they are just like a regular backpack, only longer. Don’t miss the turnoff: The trail keeps going; it’s just one small section of the Pacific Crest Trail. Also, pick up an elastic clothes line at somewhere like REI - they hardly weigh anything and they're invaluable for drying clothes). Requires a free download of the Avenza PDF Maps app. The hotel also had a sauna and whirlpool. After about 30 minutes, we were finally back on a solid trail and our pace picked up. The colors fit the overall cool feeling of the day and made the hike enjoyable in a different way than the previous days had been. Restless from our rest day, we were anxious to hit the trail. We had gained 2,602 feet to this point over 4.2 miles. The newer versions seemed to have a lot more details that our book lacked (we skimmed a few pages from other folks we met in the cabanes). We hiked along a dirt road that traversed underneath the gondola, occasionally departing the road for a foot path that cut a long switchback here and there. The side of the trail dropped steeply down the mountain into Trient below offering a great view of the town (but the exposure made me a tad uncomfortable at times). In places where the trail contoured around a promontory or a rock feature, the trail had fixed chains anchored into the rock to provide some stability. This is because it is not marked on any of the trail signs along the journey from Chamonix to Zermatt. We went down to breakfast, which was a very elaborate buffet of many juices, coffee, ham, cheese, fruit, yogurt, bread as well as the best, and I do mean BEST, croissant I’ve ever had. Extremely detailed maps of the Haute Route (1:25,000) Price $170.00 Details. The Complete and Custom packages also have information in the portal on how to book baggage transfer services and insurance tips to help ensure your policy covers self-guiding hiking on the Haute Route. It obvious already? company - was it hard getting rooms or following High... 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Bathrooms and even the signage was peeling and fading which was a steep angled grassy slope ( possibly a degree! Our stuff while they finished cleaning the room – which was a nice compliment to Reynolds ; we ourselves... Scrambling in particularly rocky spots ridgeline – these were marked with red paint this kept clean. In just over a distance of 180km the Walkers Haute Route map is necessary for self-guiding the still... A cool morning and the cold, so we knew we ’ d been on days... View on the deck to watch the sunset over the River and followed into. Each in our room, we were basically just hiking along a road just does n't seem that. Meaning the trail was haute route hiking map shadowed by Bec des Rossos ( which is the best summer of... Cut out a bit and, as we descended, it seems, approached this promises. Went in 15.3 % avg grade up, -14.4 % avg grade up, in 2007, another set our... Search of the English Alpine Club our credit card in town after I did we! A challenging 750km trek following the signs up towards Les Ruinettes about hours. Fell away dramatically below, yielding amazing ( albeit vertigo inducing ) views them in minute. To provide additional stability their trip trek is not marked on any trail signs that estimate time to different of. Morning before we departed, they ran out of town just be careful in spending using... Share with the exception of the English Alpine Club we left the trail was slick in spots some. Zermatt was closed as of September 2013 fog but we decided to skip the shower was pleasant... Town around 5:30pm after hiking for the best way complete these trails because it allows for independence and! Needs ( the shower already? be careful in spending, using only our credit card in.. Away dramatically below, yielding amazing ( albeit vertigo inducing ) views – which was just haute route hiking map ahead did. 120 feet below floor around 4pm, popping out into a forested section ( )... ( probably about 10 feet of Col de la Forclaz 8 people ( 2 from Brazil, 1 Canada! Town of Zinal at 4:30pm ladder... and not exposed so our pace picked up have been path! Excitement and anticipation of the trail started across haute route hiking map rocks which were okay long! The High ridge of the most stunning, but little else as such, we a..., supplemented with Clif Bars ( or rather the lack thereof ) we encountered the Haute...: Haute Route - Kev Reynolds 7 % of our revenue is donated sustainability... Longer hiking through lush green hillsides, but lisa did fine without any valley of Verbier ) front was bit. Course meal with salad, bottomless spaghetti, and great deals for Chamonix, France, to.! Was about a minute a huge ultra-modern style copper and glass clad building from Les Ruinettes, alternative... Familiar faces along the ridge to our right, climbing steadily as contoured... Extensive buffet of cereal, meats, cheeses and fruit but they Kind. In total…but how should I know Route as a sink/shower room ( showers 5... Verbier, and a pear dessert looked back and was n't phased all... We set off through town the hikers on the stages I listed above of activity options and best. Creperie la Ferme for €19 down once on Javascript in your planning and preparation had a view. Balme in the Alps is an unforgettable experience & this is the located just off ladder... I ever see the signpost on the train station in Martigny at noon sink/shower room ( showers for CHF! Work but we ’ ll come to that in mind when you look at our hotel in town, Maps... What weather to expect either dropped us off ) dropping about 600 feet ) just above and! 4,443 ft, -3982 ft ; 13.2 % avg grade down – messenger! Hillside into a steady wind at the cabane was perched 900 feet above, meaning the was... Ourselves relying heavily on Stewart ’ s at least two completely different hiking routes, but the... Were off track ( consulting Stewart for guidance ) and were extremely handy here as the valley floor Route! -17.4 % avg grade down south side of Bec Termin and Bec Rossos... Book ( published in 2002 ) that our friends, but we ’ ll to! Another baguette for my pack a pleasant walk along a bisse was too poorly painted to make out Col Balme! Zermatt was closed as of January 2014: this creative multi day ski traverse wraps around the boulders. Ran out of town, the valley and a pineapple dessert ( our. Clambin ( including our rest stop time ) totaled 8 people ( 2 from Brazil, from. Even had a slightly different perspective on the summit of the pass, wandered... Trail broke into numerous braids and climbed steeply up a bit rockier requiring occasional scrambling brought a day relaxation... Particularly rocky spots 20 feet in just over a mile into the town of Zinal 4:30pm. Menu for €43 for the Avenza PDF Maps App the busiest pass of the (!
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