The Haute Route was first done as a ski trip in 1911. A good guide should also be able to show you the best line on any given section of haute route and should be able to get folks from Chamonix to Zermatt that might not make it on their own. Most of the Haute Route lies in Switzerland and consequently you can get by with just the Swiss Maps. The catch is that they will also demand proof of insurance or payment at the time of rescue and this will be enforced. It differs from the Classic Route by moving to Les Chables, Switzeland on day 2 and then taking a tram to Verbier, and eventually staying at the Mont Fort Hut inside the Verbier ski area. You will want to do some AT skiing … Livraison gratuite dès 99 $ d'achat! It's the only store with the full G3 product line, including all accessories and replacement parts. It is easy to forget that Chamonix is in France, therefore they use Euros, whereas all the huts are in Switzerland and they use Swiss Francs. Haute Route - advice please! 5. Most banks will shut your card down after a couple hundred dollars each day. If you want to complete the entire tour on skis, then consider the Grand Lui variation of the Haute Route, and plan on taking 8-9 days from Chamonix to Zermatt. Ski Haute Route Equipment List. Log In Sign Up. Plan on about 100 CHF per day for huts, wine, etc. For boots, a dedicated ski mountaineering boot will always offer more skinning comfort than a freeride boot. This results in accidentally locking in and then needing to stop, take my ski off, and turn the rear piece with both hands as I need to disengage the brake. The simple option is to jump on a train and head back to Chamonix that day. Overall, you need to have your equipment … The Haute Route is a classic trekking route that goes from Chamonix to Zermatt, connecting Mont Blanc with the Matterhorn. You should have some touring skills and experience; it’s not the time to be learning kick turns! One notable exception is a place called the Hotel Bahnhof in Zermatt. It does, however, require participants to be decent skiers. Brakes are worth the weight as a lost ski would be a disaster on the Haute Route. Depending on your plans while in Europe there are many places to consider for departure cities. Take a guide, take an ice axe and take the exhilarating challenge of skiing the legendary Haute Route. Découvrez notre sélection d'équipements de ski de haute route. It also helps to warn your bank that you will be traveling to Europe and ask them to raise your daily withdraw limit so that you can make a large enough withdraw to cover you in one or two transactions. The trip of course also involves some beautiful off-piste descents into the valleys. Alpine Ski Mountaineering: Volume 1, Western Alps by Bill O’Connor is a must if you think that skiing the Haute Route will lead to other European ski tours. One reputable taxi-luggage shipper is Taxi Follonier. In this European Alps ski tour, we traverse the spectacular alpine ski touring terrain from the Mont Blanc massif in Chamonix to the Matterhorn in Zermatt through the heart of the Valais Alps of Switzerland. It is two of us and we have significant ski touring/ ski mountaineering experience. The 1:50,000 maps are actually published in a skiers version and have relatively accurate ski route lines printed directly on the map. This spectaular route winds its way through the heart of the Alps: it heads eastwards from the base of Mont Blanc, Western Europe's highest peak, and finishes in the unmistakeable shadow of the Matterhorn. This is undoubtedly one of the worlds most spectacular ski tours, and with the support of the French and Swiss Alpine Club, huts can be comfortably achieved by most advanced skiers. You can use a credit or debit card for most things in France and Switzerland. Wharfebank Mills With a guide you generally get to skip the route planning, the guide handles all the logistical details, and it gives your group some structure for decision making. FAQ - Can I Mount A Different Binding On To My Old Ski. Great, right? Part trek, part ski tour, part cultural adventure, the Haute Route offers a brilliant combination of mountain scenery, excellent skiing, camaraderie, exercise, and nights spent in simple, elegant huts. I try to make it all the way in 2 flights and have had good luck with all my gear making it to Europe on time. , the huts, the food, the sunshine, the wine, the culture, the coffee, and above all the magnificent skiing in this beautiful range, all come together and leave us feeling pretty damn happy to be outside on our skis. 80-95mm underfoot is an appropriate width (anything wider will be heavier and offer poorer edge grip on firm spring snow) - so we'd recommend either a dedicated lightweight touring/backcountry ski, or a lighter weight all mountain resort ski. If you want to ski the Haute Route with a guide, then we recommend you get in touch with our friends at Alpine Guides. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and we have skied this mid-April in 30 cm of new snow with no track on the route forward. This website uses cookies for various purposes, including enhancing your website experience. When we are doing this on the cheap we simply show up in Zermatt with whatever we have in our pack, borrow a pair of loaner shoes from the ski room at the Hotel Bahnhoff, or visit the local Migros grocery store and buy a cheap pair of sandals to wear while in Zermatt. 01943 816 011, How To Measure Your Feet To Buy Footwear Online. It takes about 4 hours and if you are ready to go by 4 or 5 pm you can make it all the way back to Chamonix. LS21 3JP Most people do not realize that there are multiple versions of the Haute Route. To learn more about the types of cookies this website uses, see our Privacy Policy. On day 3 you ski to the Prafleuri Hut, and then on Day 4 you ski to the Dix Hut. Overnights on the route are spent in mountain huts and, ideally, you will have experienced a hut night before. The Haute Route is without a doubt the world’s most famous ski tour and a classic great mountain journey. Free ground shipping on orders over $150! They are also widely available in shops in Chamonix and Zermatt as well as other places. The intention is to display ads (via third party services) that are relevant and engaging for individual users. We would love to do the Haute Route around the Easter period (18-23 April). Ski the Haute Route Guide (Updated for 2021) Details ... this is not the environment to be trying to navigate yourself from one hut to the next without considerable previous experience. If doing the most common version of the Haute Route, the Verbier Haute Route, most parties take 6 days to ski from Chamonix to Zermatt. This should be reserved in advance. It was done as a summer route and called “The High Level Route” as Englishmen made the first crossing. Otley The guide also can manage avalanche forecasting and snow stability assessments that less frequent backcountry skiers may need. From almost anywhere on the Haute Route you can dive into a valley adjacent the route and use ground transportation to skip sections if the weather or skiing turns bad. My wife and I run the Northwest Mountain School, and would be happy to send you details on our ski trips to Europe, or to answer questions related to the planning of your own trip. Haute Route - advice please! Some friends and I are planning on doing haute route this coming year. It is a legendary high Alpine journey linking two historic Alpine centres, Chamonix in France and Zermatt in Switzerland. Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. A few of the huts take debit/credit cards, but not most, so when you first get to Europe you should plan to withdraw as many Swiss Francs (CHF) as you will need for the traverse. Like the Verbier version, there is a break in the skiing at the end of Day 2 on the Classic version when you take a taxi or bus to travel a short distance from one town to the next, as the original party would have done. The ability to transfer from having my heel locked down in ski mode to tour mode without taking the ski off, as this is huge on terrain that traverses a lot, and 2. La Cordée, votre détaillant local depuis 1953. Chamonix Zermatt: The "Haute Route " in 6 days. To learn more about the types of cookies this website uses, see our Privacy Policy. 2019 Haute Route Dates & Prices. For a guided ski tour you need to have experience using skins on steep and sometimes hard pack snow. Haute Route ski tour guides for your private groups. Feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions about the Haute Route. If budget is not a huge concern then there are infinite nice hotels to be found online. This will cover you for rescues in France on the day you hold your ticket. This list is intended for guests skiing in guided groups and those without a guide may need extra equipment. If you want a bit more of a cultural experience than Geneva, consider flying into Zurich (airport code ZRH) which I personally find to be a more interesting city. The Haute Route ski tour is a classic Alps ski tour that every backcountry skier should experience. Close. What lay ahead was without doubt the best ski run of the whole Haute Route. Some items have a link to a suggested product which is just one relevant example, and a recommendation of what would work well for each piece of equipment. The Gite D’etape La Tapia has simple shared rooms for 16 Euros per night as well as wi-fi, and cooking facilities. 5. This article by Alexandre Buisse was originally published on Switchback Travel in 2012, and we’ve kept it on the site due to the incredible imagery and inspirational value. Guided groups tend to have fewer group dynamics problems and have a much higher success rate at making the entire crossing as they tend to be more organized. The 'haute route' or high-level route is a six day traverse across the mountains and glaciers between Chamonix and Zermatt and is sometimes continued to Saas Fee. When I go to Europe this spring I will be touring 32 of 35 days consecutively, so it is important that I have a ski that is light enough to lift up for 160,000 feet in just over a month of skiing, but still stout and wide enough to efficiently bust through occasionally burly spring conditions. One notable exception is a place called the, The simple option is to jump on a train and head back to Chamonix that day. On the Haute Route we utilize a system of huts, and their bunks and meal offerings enable us to stay high in the mountains for most of the route and to travel with extremely lightweight packs. Over 6 days we traverse the Alps from Chamonix to Zermatt on skis. Please book in for Boot Fitting, 1366 1:25,000 Mont Velan (for the Plateau du Couloir route), spare down jacket (in case of  injured skier), spares and repairs kit (for poles, skis & bindings). ): Chamonix and Zermatt. Itinerary. The kitchen is nicer than our home kitchen and the place is clean, very well run, and has secure lockers. Enjoy never-ending ice landscapes while skinning over spectacular passes and peaks on your way to the next mountain hut. We are fully open again! Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. We've known Al and Rich for many years and they have a great team of professionally qualified IFMGA guides and always give an excellent service. If you want solitude and a higher possibility of good snow then look at late March or early April and ski mid-week to avoid the crowds during the trip. You may unsubscribe at any time.For more information, view our privacy policy. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. High-level skiing on the Haute Route Tom Robbins leaves the crowded resorts behind to take on the world's most famous ski tour challenge, a six-day ski trek from Mont Blanc to … Maps. When the Haute Route was first done it was done by members of the Alpine Club in 1861. HAUTE ROUTE GUIDED SKI TOUR - Hut to Hut - The Haute Route is the classic ski touring adventure that links the two Alpine centers of Chamonix in France and Zermatt in Switzerland. Fantastic 7 days of skiing on the trip from Mont Blanc to Matterhorn. While the Haute Route can be done at almost any time of year by staying in the unheated winter rooms of huts along the route, this misses the point which is to have someone else cook your food, carry your wine, and provide your bedding while you focus on the task at hand, great skiing in a beautiful setting with a light pack. This book has sufficient information to allow you to make do without the guide by Peter Cliff, but we chose to buy both. Like the La Tapia, there is reliable wi-fi, which has become of staple need for ski guides operating in Europe. © G3 Genuine Guide Gear Inc. 2020.All Rights Reserved. The train ride to Chamonix at the start is a bit longer, but the trip to the airport from Zermatt at the end is about the same. Download >> Download Chamonix guides haute route ski Read Online >> Read Online Chamonix guides haute route ski skiing the haute route without a guide ski tour chamonix hiking the haute route without a guide haute route chamonix zermatt ski chamonix climbing guides how hard is skiing the haute routehaute route guided ski haute route 2019. Forfaits guidés: ski de montagne dans les chic-chocs, escalade, escalade de glace, rando-canyonisme et parcours acrobatique en forêt. There is some level of freedom in showing up with a credit card, your ski gear, and the clothes on your back. The regular haute route travels through Verbier and is slightly less technical than the classic itinerary. Zermatt wrote the book on hospitality and there is lodging for all budgets, as long as they are all large budgets. Please select the checkbox below to indicate your consent. The two routes come together either at the Vignettes Hut or on top of the Pigne d'Arolla depending on which version of each route you select. You can always use Euros at the hut, but the exchange rate will usually not be in your favor. La Haute Route ne laisse personne indifférent tant la beauté des paysages traversés est grande. I do, by the way, use a brake on my bindings for the Haute Route. Archived. LIVRAISON GRATUITE à partir de 50 $ dachats. With a non-guided group you have the flexibility to change the plan at any point in the trip. The simple solution is to by a single days worth of insurance when you purchase your lift ticket at Grand Montets in Argentiere. Have a Question or Need to book a fitting, Backcountry UK User account menu. Things you should feel comfortable doing include: skiing with a backpack, skiing a wide variety of snow ranging from powder to breakable crust to corn, and climbing and descending 3500-4500' on skis for a week. Take the most direct flight you can afford from the US or Canada and make sure your layovers are not too rushed (min of 2 hours), lest you increase the chance of lost luggage. I have found that banks usually only charge a 1% fee on debit cards, and as a result I tend to use my debit card (as long as it is visa or mastercard) for most expenses during the trip. If coming into ZRH take the train, but note that after a certain hour no trains run to Chamonix. If I fly into GVA I then take a shuttle to Chamonix. They also have wi-fi and you can walk there in about 10 mins. A ski like the G3 Spitfire (177 cm - 3.5kg/7/7 lb. Every outdoor activity has a few very iconic trips. It links two of the most important centers for skiing and alpinism in Europe (the world?! 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Day 4 you ski to the magnificent Grand Combin and Monte Rosa Alpinist. Paysages traversés est grande reputation for being one of the Haute Route budget. Non-Guided group you have the flexibility to change the plan at any point in the Alps Program Structure 6... To display ads ( via third party services ) that are relevant and engaging for individual.! Depending on conditions and time available, we may have the option to climb several along...