In
the summer months the famous Haute Route,
from Chamonix to Zermatt, can be made on foot
as most of the deep winter snows have melted.
The traverse requires no mountaineering experience,
as all the skills required are taught to you
by the leader during the week, and they are
always on hand to assist you on the more technical
sections. The summer Haute Route is the high
mountain trekking route between Chamonix and
Zermatt, but you should be experienced and
hill fit to undertake this route.
Most
nights are spent in mountain refuges on a
half board basis, this course will really
appeal to a hillwalker who likes to get away
from it all, and you can pick up a lot of
navigation and GPS tips from the guide. At
each end of the trek, a night is spent in
Chamonix.
This
is quite a physically demanding route that
requires a good level of fitness as the trek
is continuous, with nine days of trekking
at altitude with a pack. Although you do not
need to be super fit, good stamina will make
it easier for you. The fitter you are the
more breath you will have to enjoy the stunning
scenery along the route.
You
will travel with the same leader throughout
the week, allowing them to know your strengths
and adapt the itinerary to best suit your
skills and previous experience: such as, if
the group members are strong, there may be
the opportunity to ascend some extra trekking
peaks along the way as part of the route.
When
staying in huts you are on a half board basis.
This level of comfort is important, as you
really need a good cooked meal after the efforts
of each day of trekking, and with half-board
you avoid having to carry heavy stoves, pans
and food for evening meals. The hut guardian
provides blankets and pillows, a cooked three
course meal, and a simple healthy breakfast.
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.
Brief
Course Itinerary The
itinerary below is designed to give you a flavour
of exactly where you will trek to each day, but
one of the great things about the Haute Route, is
that there are many variations on certain sections,
so you can select more challenging routes or even
some summits. These options generally don't affect
where you stay each night, but do mean that you
can tailor the route a little on most days to suit
how you are feeling, the weather and conditions.
On some years we have to flex the itinerary slightly
to take alternative routes if there is a lot of
snow on some sections. Your guide will have good
local knowledge and experience, and will discuss
the options with you.
Sunday
Travel
to Chamonix to arrive for the 17:00 check-in
followed by a course safety and itinerary
briefing. These are really useful, as you
discuss the exact current conditions, and
get tips on how to save weight in your pack.
You are shown the route on a map, and talk
through the plans for the week. There is time
for kit checks or rental. Briefings are over
by 19:00 and then you are free to go out for
dinner and drinks with your group. Night in
Chamonix on B&B basis.
Mon,
day 1 of 12 trekking,
12.2km, +953m, -925m,
c.6 hrs.
Argentiere
- Trient. After breakfast, road / rail transfer
(included) to Argentiere or Montroc, from
which you usually ascend the ridge of the
Aiguilette des Posettes, with great views
of the Le Tour glacier, to reach the Col du
Balme. Here you get a stunning view back along
the Chamonix valley, before crossing over
the border into Switzerland, and descending
by a choice of tracks down to the village
of Trient. Here you stay in a local lodge.
Night in Trient.
Tue,
day 2 of 12 trekking,
14.2km, +1386m, -1199m,
c.7 hrs.
Trient
- Champex. There is
a choice of routes from Trient, either following
the Classic Bovine trail up above the treeline,
overlooking Martigny and the Rhone valley
with vineyards covering the lower slopes,
or over the steeper and more rocky Fenetre
d'Arpette. The choice of route is very weather
and fitness dependent. Both routes converge
in the village of Champex, nestled against
a beautiful mountain lake. You stay the night
in a local lodge. Night in Champex.
Wed,
day 3 of 12 trekking,
15.4km, +440m, -752m,
c.6 hrs.
Champex
- Le Chable. You stay
the night in a local lodge. Today is easier
physically, as you trek down from Champex
into the Val de Bagnes and on to Le Chable
for the night. This
rest is welcome as you are about to embark
on a tougher three day section over to Arolla.
Today you can enjoy great views of the mountains,
as well as the great architecture in some
of the villages that are typically quaint
of the Swiss Vallais region.
Thu,
day 4 of 12 trekking,
9.1km, +1636m, -0m,
c.5 hrs.
Le Chable - Cabane du Montfort. Today has
a lot of uphill, but there's no descents to
worry about, so it's a day off for the knees!
Approx 5 hours trekking, as you ascend the
mountains above the Val de Bagnes. The night
is spent on a half board basis in the Cabane
du Montfort. An alternative option is to catch
the cable cars and to trek to Prafleuri, to
get a day ahead of itinerary, if an extra
day is required in case of snowy passes.
Fri,
day 5 of 12 trekking,
14.3km, +885m, -740m,
c.7 hrs.
Montfort
- Prafleuri. Today
the trek heads into a very wild and remote
section, but the views are stunning as you
cross three major mountain passes (cols) today
on route to the Prafleuri. First is the Col
Termin, then it's up to the Col du Louvie
with the pretty mountain hut nestled against
the lake shores below, and then the Col Prafleuri.
Approx 7 to 8 hours trekking. Half board in
Cabane Prafleuri. If you are a day ahead of
schedule, you head to Arolla for the night
Sat,
day 6 of 12 trekking,
16.3km, +735m, -1353m,
c.7 hrs.
Prafleuri
- Arolla. After crossing the Col des Roux,
you trek past the Dix lake to the hut of the
same name at its head. Here there is the chance
of your first view of the Matterhorn. From
the Dix you cross the valley and take one
of the passes that leads across to Arolla.
This is a small but pretty Alpine town. Approx
7 to 8 hours trekking. Half board in Arolla
Hotel for the night. If you arrived a day
ahead of schedule, you would have headed to
La Sage for this night.
Sun,
day 7 of 12 trekking,
10.1km, +215m, -550m,
c.5 hrs.
Arolla
- La Sage.
Today is deliberately an easier trek, after
the last two days of tougher hiking over the
high remote passes between Montfort and Arolla.
Today the trek follows the valley and river
down from Arolla to Les Haudieres, and from
there steeply upwards to reach the village
of La Sage, where you spend the night in a
local lodge. Approx 6
hours trekking. Half board in La Sage. For
groups that are ahead a day of the itinerary,
you could head to Moiry for the night.
Mon,
day 8 of 12 trekking,
18.3km, +1995m, -1850m,
c.8 hrs.
La
Sage -
Zinal. The day starts with the ascent and
crossing of Col du Torrent, before the great
views on the descent to the Moiry lake and
dam. You either cross the Col de Sorbois on
the far side followed by the long descent
to Zinal, or hike down to Grimentz for a shorter
day, from which you would catch the post bus
along the valley to Zinal for the night where
you stay half board in a local lodge for the
night. Approx 8 to 9 hours trekking.
Tue,
day 9 of 12 trekking,
18.9km, +1315m, -1170m,
c.8 hrs.
Zinal
- Grubben. Today the aim is to cross the Meidpass
or Forcletta pass to leave the Val d'Anniviers,
and to enter the Gruben valley. Here you will
notice that the Swiss language used changes
from French to German. As you descend into
the Gruben valley, there are great views of
the Turtmann glacier and as you get towards
the valley, you will see how immaculate the
valley is. Approx 7 to 8 hours trekking. Stay
half board in a local lodge for the night.
Wed,
day 10 of 12 trekking,
16.4km, +1071m, -1767m,
c.7 hrs.
Gruben
- St Niklaus.
Today your aim is to reach the Zermatt valley,
as you ascend to cross the steep Augstbordpass,
then descend through the alpages to reach
the small village of Jungu at around lunchtime,
before taking the cable car down to the valley
at St Niklaus. This
is the village in which the annual Zermatt
marathon starts, before ascending to Zermatt
and onwards to the finish at Gornergratt.
You stay half board in a local lodge for the
night.
Thu,
day 11 of 12 trekking,
12.1km, +855m, -445m,
c.7 hrs.
St
Niklaus
- Europahutte.
The trek follows the famous Europaweg, an
exposed walk above the Mattertal valley far
below, with chains and even a tunnel to negotiate.
You start the trek in Grachen above St Niklaus.
You get your first views of the Matterhorn,
as well as the stunning peak of the Weisshorn.
The night is spent in the Europahutte. Please
note that this route is occasionally affected
by stonefall, so some variations may be required.
Fri,
day 12 of 12 trekking,
9.4km, +405m, -1544m,
c.7 hrs.
Europahutte
- Zermatt.
It is the final day of the trek today to reach
Zermatt, continuing along the Europaweg, and
through two rock tunnels! You trek through
Ottavan above Tasch and then later start the
descent into Zermatt. There is time to explore
town and have a well earned beer, before you
get a return transfer to Chamonix, for the
night. During the evening, the group normally
goes out for a celebratory meal in town to
toast the fortnights achievements.
Saturday Breakfast
and then accommodation check out by 10:00.
You are free to depart at any time, but airport
transfers leave the resort approximately three
hours before your flight takes off.
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.
Course
Prices
Standard
course
12
full days UIMLA guiding, 1:8 max ratio
14 days holiday in total, Saturday-Sunday
£2399
Live
availability
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
Standard
Course Inclusions: 1) UIMLA Guide for twelve
days, 2) Chamonix course hosts for logistics & briefings,
3) Two nights self-catered accommodation in Chamonix (inc.
beddings & towels), 4) Up to eleven nights half board
in mountain huts (inc. costs for guides), 5) Pre course
information booklet, 6) Equipment discount voucher for
UK shops, 7) Free 36 page technical Course Instruction
Booklet, 8) Icicle discounts privilege card for reductions
in local shops and restaurants in Chamonix.
Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Packed lunches, 3)
Personal laundry, telephone calls, lunches, evening meals
in valley, & any purchases in mountain huts / hotels
/ restaurants, 4) Cable cars and mountain uplift for you
and your guide, 5) Local Swiss Post bus tickets if required
from St Niklaus to Grachen, for you and your guide, 6)
Transfer (bus / train) Zermatt to Chamonix, for you and
your guide, 7) Activities insurance, & excess baggage
charges.
Notes:
Group
sizes minimum 4 to maximum 8 clients, with 1
leader.
Upgrade
options
Acclimatisation
Weekend £99
(throughout the season)
To
get the most out your course, acclimatisation is
essential so that you minimise the chances of AMS
later on during your course,
details.
Current
course availability
Course Dates Haute Route Trek
No Dates Available
NOTE:
This trip has scheduled
dates, but if there are four who
are booking together, it can be
operated on any date you wish
I
wasn't prepared for how contrasting
all the valleys were on this amazing
route. It was a great holiday for us Steve
& Briony , Haute Route trek
Just
a short note to thank Icicle for the
excellent Haute Route trek last week.
It is an exellent mixture of walking
at high level, from easy paths to rocky
tracks over boulder fields and steep
cols, and I must admit it was often
in wilder country than I expected (and
better for it too!). Stan was also an
excellent guide - very helpful where
required but also friendly and informative.
I'm sure the others all enjoyed it as
much. I now have the pleasant task of
sorting out photos and sending some
on to the others Ian
M , Haute Route Trek
Another
great week with Icicle! Martin
A , Haute Route Trek
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Location
data for this trip
The
trips all start in Chamonix valley in the French Alps,
at the foot of Mont Blanc. It is easily accessed via a
90 minute transfer from Geneva airport.
Time
Difference
GMT +1hr
Local
Currency
€ & CHF
Travel
from UK
1hr flight
Latest
news from Icicle
Course
notes
On
this course you are led by a International Mountain Leader
(IML). This is the highest qualification for leading trekking
groups in the Alps (where it is a legal requirement) and
worldwide. To become an IML, it takes several years to
train. During the treks their focus is on your comfort,
enjoyment, education and safety, all of which are equally
important. Being
led by an IML to take you on a trek, you are hiring far
more than someone to show you the way. You will learn
about the environment, flora, fauna, glaciology, geology,
and geography of the region. The leader will have a vast
local knowledge. In terms of safety an IML can
guide you on steep ground, on fixed equipment (ladders,
chains, etc), and over snow patches.
View
full course equipment list,
with examples of kit, click
here
So
why choose us?
We
are true specialists in the Alps. See our blog,
by clicking on the logo.
Itinerary
flexibility to allow you to take full advantage
of the weather and conditions each day, so that
you maximise the amount you can achieve each day.
Our
prices are fixed in £ pounds sterling, to
protect you from euro currency fluctuations, so
that you can budget accurately.
We
have a team of over 30 guides, and a resort support
team, who all want you to have the best time possible!
For more details on the guiding team and qualifications,
please click
here.
Any
further questions?
A
key part of choosing a company is being able to come and
talk about your plans with an experienced course advisor
face to face. In an increasingly virtual world, we know
our clients value speaking to real people, getting open
and honest advice. The vast majority of our clients are
British, and our office and outdoor store is based in
Windermere in the English Lake District.
Get
in contact to arrange a meeting, and come in for a coffee
to discuss your course in person with a trip
advisor. Many people opt for this service,
and it is an integral part of what we offer, as we are
keen to ensure that you are prepared as possible, and
that you select a course that is suitable for you. It
makes it easier and more enjoyable for you and us, if
you are on the right trip.
