Haute
Route to Zermatt 2021  
Updated itinerary - 6 days guiding - spare
day for weather / contingency |
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| Course overview |
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The Haute Route
route ski tour between the two historic
mountain centres of Chamonix and Zermatt
stretches for 114 miles and there is
between 13,000m to 14,000m of ascent
and descent taking you through some
of the most famous landscapes in the
Alps. |
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Throughout
the week you are surrounded by stunning
4000m peaks, and the ski tour provides
a challenge that many people repeat
several times during their lives. It
will appeal to those wishing to escape
the hustle and business of the Alpine
valley towns and ski slopes. |
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This course
is ideal for those seeking a challenging
ski tour, with the opportunity to use
some mountaineering techniques, such
as an ascent on crampons or an abseil.
All roped techniques will be taught
during the week, so don't worry if you
are a ropework virgin! |
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Skiing ability
should be fairly good as although
there is only a little steep skiing,
the slopes can be icy or rutted in
places, with breakable crusts. There
is also often more than a little powder
on the descents! You will encounter
most types of snow conditions. |
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We have
updated our itinerary to build in some
more flexibility for weather and conditions,
to really make every effort to make
it happen for you. There's a spare /
easy first skiing day built into the
itinerary, to provide some contingency
for the weather and conditions. |
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Dates: these are listed in the column on the right, and they show the
live availability from our secure online
booking system. When you book online,
you receive immediate confirmation,
your Alpine Information Booklet, course
specific kit list and invoice. |
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| Summary
of course |
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As this tour is
continuous, it is quite physically demanding
and requires a good level of fitness. Good
stamina will make the route easier and more
enjoyable as it involves six days of skiing
at altitude with a pack, though note the pack
should be 35 litres maximum. |
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The accommodation
in the mountain huts is half-board throughout,
with plentiful three course cooked evening
meals and breakfasts each morning. This level
of comfort is important, as you will need
a good cooked meal after the efforts of each
day, and by staying half-board you avoid having
to carry stoves or pans. |
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Support and assistance
from the Icicle Chamonix hosts is included
throughout the week for logistics, equipment
fitting, and briefings. They will store any
luggage that you do not want to take on the
route, and meet you after the tour to return
it for your travel home. |
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A key feature
of this course is that you have a contingency
day built into the itinerary, that is on the
first day of guiding. The intentionally short
first day allows a very early start for the
Col du Chardonnet / Col du Passon the next
morning, far ahead of groups queuing for the
Grands Montets lift in the morning. |
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Brief Course
Itinerary
Starting
in Chamonix, France, you traverse by ski the spectacular
high mountain route to Zermatt, Switzerland. By
staying each night in comfortable mountain refuges,
set high in the mountains, this course will appeal
to those who want to spend a week in amazing mountain
scenery. Note that the Haute Route has many variations,
and that it is often essential to alter itineraries
often to cater for weather, conditions, fitness,
hut spaces and ski ability.
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Sunday -
Arrival day in Chamonix
Travel to Chamonix to arrive for the 17:00
check-in followed by and course safety and
itinerary briefings. There is time for kit
checks or rental of equipment, including the
hire of any ski touring equipment, and the
guide who is leading you normally comes to
say hello and to talk you through the route
on the map. Briefings are over by 19:00 and
the Chamonix hosts accompany the group to
pre-dinner drinks. Some clients opt to travel
out a day or two early to get their ski legs
back and to test out their skis, whilst many
others opt to do a one day avalanche awareness
safety course. Night in Chamonix. |
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Monday - Day 1 of ski tour, Grands Montets and ski
to Argentiere hut
You meet your guide in the morning, and have
a final equipment check, before skiing at
the Grands Montets ski area. You normally
test all the touring kit, and the morning
is a shake down session. In the afternoon
you take the Grands Montets top lift and ski
down onto the Argentiere glacier, and across
to the hut. The back up plan in event of strong
wind closing the cable car, is to skin up
to the hut Argentiere hut from Lognan. By
staying in the hut you ensure that you get
a very early start the next morning to cross
the Col du Chardonnet, hours ahead of skiers
starting from Grands Montets. |
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Tuesday - Day 2 of
ski tour, Col du Chardonnet / Passon &
Champex-Lac
The first of many Alpine starts, to take advantage
of the overnight refreeze, for the long skin
up to the Col du Chardonnet. Near the col
it might be necessary to make the transition
to crampons. Once at the top, the descent
involves an abseil or lower off. An alternative
route from the hut is by the Col du Passon,
in case of icy conditions. Both routes converge
on the flat expanse of the Trient glacier,
which you traverse past the Trient hut to
the short steep ascent over the Col des Ecandies,
before the exhilarating ski down the remote
Arpette valley. The night is spent in a hut
/ gite close to Champex-Lac. |
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Wednesday - Day 3 of
ski tour, Le Chable & ski to Prafleuri
hut
After an early
breakfast, you take a short transfer by road
to Le Chable. This is the base station for
the Verbier ski area, and you ride the lifts
through the town and upwards to Montfort.
Here you ski past the Montfort hut and cross
the Cols de la Chaux and Prafleuri, and possibly
ascend the summit of the Rosablanche on the
way. The night is
spent in the Prafleuri Hut. If there was bad
weather on the first day, an alternative is
to ski to the Trient hut on the first day,
then to reach the Prafleuri on the second
day. Flexibility has been built into this
itinerary, to make every attempt to help make
it happen. |
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Flexibility - We select
from two options of route for the following
days
The
itinerary for the next three days of the
Haute Route is more flexible to allow for
variations caused by the prevailing conditions.
Our preferred route is Plan A, and our contingency
option is Plan B. Our focus is making the
ski tour happen for you, not sticking avidly
to a pre-prescribed itinerary. We believe
that our highly flexible approach is essential
to improve your chances of success, and
it really differentiates us...
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Plan
A... |
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Plan
B... |
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Thursday - Day 4 of
tour, to Dix hut
Set of very early
today, to make the East facing traverse across
above the Lac de Dix from the Praflueri Hut,
before the heat of the sun increases the avalanche
risk too high. At the far end of the lake
you skin upwards to reach the stunningly situated
Dix hut, high above the lake. |
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Thursday - Day 4 of
tour, to Arolla
Follow
the same route to the head of Lac de Dix,
before traversing left then ascending to
the newly installed ladders to cross the
Pas de Chevre to descend to Arolla, Switzerland.
Night in a hotel in Arolla, a much welcomed
element of luxury mid-week to ensure you
are well fed and rested. |
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Friday - Day 5 of
tour, Dix to Vignettes
Ski from the Dix hut to the Vignettes, via
the Pigne d'Arolla 3790m, the highest summit
on the Haute Route. The ski down to the hut
is generally one of the best descents on the
ski tour. The summit is obviously weather
/ conditions dependent. This day is one of
the visual highlights! Night in hut. |
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Friday - Day 5 of
tour, Arolla to Bertol
Ascend from the Arolla valley up to Bertol
Hut on skins. This is a big height gain, but
the day is not especially long. Upon arriving
beneath the hut, you are faced with a series
of ladders and cables to ascend to reach the
hut that is perched on the top of the ridge,
in an amazing location. Night in hut. |
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Saturday - Day 6 ski,
Hut - Zermatt
Your
final Alpine start of the week, to set off
from the Vignettes. This is a 30km day with
3 cols to cross; Eveque, Mont Brule and Valpelline.
It takes most groups between 8 to 10 hours
to reach Zermatt, and you ski on 7 different
glaciers in the day. Quite a fitting finale
to the Haute Route! |
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Saturday - Day 6 ski,
Bertol - Zermatt
An early start
for the last section of skiing on the ascent
of Tete Blanche from the Bertol Hut, then
descend to Zermatt past the Matterhorn. This
is a big day of skiing, but most of it is
downhill, which will be a welcome relief,
before you finally pick up the pistes to descend
to Zermatt. |
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Saturday
afternoon - The ski
routes converge as you approach Zermatt
As
you ski down the glacier below the immense
North Face of the Matterhorn, you finally
reach the pistes, and ski into Zermatt. Then
it's time for a celebratory beer with your
guide, to toast the weeks achievements. Catch
the train to Tasch, then minibus transfer
to Chamonix, which takes c.2 hours. There's
time to return any hired ski equipment back
to the shope, then in the evening you can
go out in town to celebrate more and perhaps
have a good meal of hearty savoyard food to
replace some of the calories you've burnt
off, and enjoy your last evening in the Alps.
Night in Chamonix. |
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Sunday - Check out
and departure
Breakfast then
the accommodation check out is by 10:00. Depending
on your flight time, there may be some time
to purchase some last minute souvenirs for
friends and family, then take a return airport
transfer direct to Geneva airport, which takes
approximately 90 minutes from Chamonix. Depart for
home.
ITINERARY NOTES: Where possible we follow
itineraries. Mountain adventures are weather
and conditions dependant, so occasionaly we
are forced to alter the plans. If this is
the case, suitable alternatives are offered.
Please use this outline itinerary as a guide
to the types of route / activity that you
will attempt. |
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| Course
Prices |
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Standard course |
6
full days IFMGA guiding, 1:6 max ratio
8 days holiday in total, Sunday - Sunday |
£1199 |
Live availability |
Click on the
planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
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Secure online
booking system |
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| Standard Course
Inclusions: 1) IFMGA Mountain Guides
for six days, 2) Chamonix course hosts for logistics
& briefings, 3) Pre course information booklet,
4) Equipment discount voucher for UK shops, 5) Two
nights B&B accommodation in Chamonix (inc. bedding
& towels), 6) Five nights half board accommodation
in mountain huts including three course cooked evening
meals, 7) Preferential
rates on ski and equipment hire, 8) Free 36 page
technical Course Instruction Booklet, 9) Road transport
in Chamonix valley. |
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| Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Cable cars for
you and guide (c.60€pp), 3) Ski hire, 4) Personal
laundry, telephone calls, lunches, & any purchases
in mountain huts / hotels / restaurants, 5) Return
transport from Zermatt to Chamonix (c.50€pp based
on six), and road transport outside Chamonix valley
(Champex-Verbier c.15€pp based on six), 6) Saturday
pre-dinner drinks & last night celebratory meal
& drinks, 7) Activities insurance, & excess
baggage charges. |
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| Group
sizes: 3 - 6 people per
IFMGA mountain guide. For group sizes of over 6
people, there are multiple guides, and the teams
travel independently of each other. |
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| Upgrade
options |
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Avalanche Skills
Training
£75 (throughout
the season) |
To learn
avalanche prediction, reutschblocks and use
of avalanche tranceivers. Course is available
on any dates, either scheduled or private, details. |
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