Haute Route - Chamonix to Zermatt

Overview

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Introduction

The Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route is one of the world’s great mountaineering journeys. This glaciated trek traverses the crest of the Western Alps and passes through stunning high mountain scenery, whilst overnighting in mountain huts. Guided at a maximum ratio of 1:4, you will take in some easy summits along the way.

This week is suitable for fit and active hill walkers, as well as those with previous winter and or Alpine experience. You will be taught safe glacier travel techniques and ice axe/crampon use.

Starting point: Chamonix, France

What Next?

• On completion of this course, you might consider the Italian Haute Route, Oberland Traverse or Saas 4,000ers course to consolidate your skills.
• To develop your mountaineering further, a rock climbing or scrambling course in the UK would then be a logical step.

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Possible mountain routes

The Jagged Globe Haute Route spends eight days in the mountains, which allows us to take in some straightforward summits. These peaks have been climbed on previous Jagged Globe Haute Route courses:

Pigne d'Arolla (3,796m)
An ascent of the Pigne d'Arolla is a good introductory climb. The route via the ESE flank is on snow all the way and the summit gives wonderful views of our valley base of Arolla. This route from the Vignettes Hut takes approximately 2 hours. Alternatively, you may make a traverse of the mountain from the Dix Hut via the West Flank (F), descending the ESE flank back down to the valley.

Tête Blanche (3,710m)
The Tête Blanche is a quick and easy peak to get "in the bag". One of a series of summits along the By-Valsorey-Velan frontier ridge which gives excellent views all around, especially of the Matterhorn.

Breithorn (4,164m) - the easiest 4,000m peak in the Alps
The Breithorn offers some excellent climbing at a reasonable standard; ease of access via the Klein Matterhorn lift and a straightforward descent ensures its popularity. The South-South-West Flank is the ordinary route (F), which can be easily climbed as part of a satisfying traverse of the mountain. The route is on snow, with a stunning summit ridge. It can be climbed as an alternative if it is not possible to complete the final part of the Haute Route (Day 8 - 9) due to weather/conditions.

Typical Programme

Day 1:	Saturday. Course participants meet at the course base at 7 p.m. Briefing on the week's activities in the evening plus gear check.
Day 2:	Sunday. We will take the cable car to Le Tour and have a leisurely walk up to the Albert Premier Hut (2,702m). The afternoon is spent doing essential skills training: use of ice axe, crampons and roping-up for glacier travel.
Day 3:	Monday. The group will make an early start to cross the Col du Tour (3,282m) into Switzerland. From here, you’ll descend and walk across the relatively flat Trient Glacier to reach the Cabane du Trient (3,170m) on the north side of the glacier. From the Trient it is a long but very scenic descent to the valley, utilising a chairlift. You are then transferred to and stay overnight at Hôtel de Mauvoisin (7 - 8 hrs).
Day 4:	Tuesday. From the dam at Mauvoisin you will walk up to the Cabane de Chanrion (2,462m).
Day 5:	Wednesday. You’ll make an alpine start and traverse round onto the Glacier d'Otemma, which leads us past the Petit Mont Collon to the Cabane du Vignettes (3,160m).
Day 6:	Thursday. From the Vignettes Hut, you will make the 2-hour ascent of the Pigne d'Arolla (3,796m), before descending into Arolla for a shower and overnight at the Hôtel du Glacier. 8 – 9 hours.
Day 7:	Friday. After breakfast at the hotel, we ascend from Arolla to the Cabane du Bertol (3,311m), one of the most spectacularly situated huts in the Alps. There are superb views, in particular of Dent Blanche, with its inspiring South Ridge (a classic route graded 'AD').
Day 8:	Saturday. We make an early start to cross the Glacier du Mont Mine, possibly taking in the Tête Blanche (3,724m), before crossing the Col d'Herens (3,462m). From here there are superb views of the North Faces of the Matterhorn and Dent D'Herens, before descending the Stockji Glacier to reach the Schonbielhutte (2,694m).
Day 9:	Sunday. In the morning we desend into Zermatt in time for lunch. Course ends. If you would like an additional hotel night in Zermatt, this can be arranged on request.

Further Information

Find out more about our Guides and Ratios, Alpine Grading and Equipment... read more

Additional Information

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the course or your suitability for it, please phone +44 (0)114 276 3322 or contact us.

Dates & Prices

Date	Meeting in		Availability
Sat 21 Jun – Sun 29 Jun 2025	Chamonix		full Enquire »
Head of Course Caroline Ogden	£1,995
Sat 19 Jul – Sun 27 Jul 2025	Chamonix		Trip Guaranteed Book now »
1 place left Head of Course Paul Wright	£1,995
Sat 20 Jun – Sun 28 Jun 2026	Chamonix		Available Book now »
	£1,995
Sat 4 Jul – Sun 12 Jul 2026	Chamonix		Available Book now »
	£1,995
Sat 18 Jul – Sun 26 Jul 2026	Chamonix		Available Book now »
	£1,995

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Group size: 3 – 8 people.

Single room supplement: £120

For comparison, this course starts from £249 (GBP) per day (price Without Flights).

What the price includes

• 1 nights' hotel accommodation in Chamonix on a twin-sharing (occasionally triple/quad), half-board basis
• 1 nights' hotel accommodation in Arolla on a twin-sharing, half-board basis
• 6 nights' mountain hut accommodation in a shared dormitory bunk, half-board basis
• 8 days' guiding with a qualified IFMGA Mountain Guide. Ratio 1:4 maximum
• Road transfer from Champex to Mauvoisin (Day 4)
• Luggage transfer to Zermatt ready for you arrival on Sunday morning
• Group mountaineering equipment such as ropes and other technical equipment
• Ice axes, crampons, harnesses & helmets, when booked in advance

What the price does not include

• Travel to Chamonix (a shared transfer from Geneva Airport can be booked through Jagged Globe)
• Travel home at the end of the trip (Day 9)
• Lunch
• Cable cars, mountain railways and mechanical uplift (estimated cost £70 - £80)
• Any costs associated with travelling to another valley or round to Zermatt if completing the Haute Route is not possible due to bad weather
• Personal equipment and clothing (including boots, which can be hired locally)
• Mountaineering and travel Insurance

Please note that the costs for mechanical up-lift are not included in the overall course cost because these can vary, depending on the weather and routes selected. This means that we are not restricted by a budget. Also, if we spend less on up-lift than expected, you make the saving rather than us.

Photos & Videos

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• The Haute Route Summer 2019
• The Haute Route - Finishes on Top of the Breithorn.
• Reflections - The Haute Route (Chamonix to Zermatt)

Reviews

Have you been on this trip? If you'd like to contribute a trip report then we'll post it up on the site.

Team Member Reviews

• ‘All credit to Tomaz for his guiding ability over the Haute Route and not mention his sense of humour !’ PM, Haute Route 2013
• ‘Andy [Perkins] is obviously a first class Alpinist and gave confidence to the whole group, but especially novices like me.’ JW
• ‘An excellent week, well managed by the Guide. Our safety was always paramount.’ PW

Leader Reports

• Haute Route 12th - 21st July '14
  “High Passes and Low Wit. The Haute Route 12th-21st July I'm not in habit of writing a trip report for every trip I do during the summer. But as this trip stands out as exceptional, both for its beautiful weather and for it's...”
  report added 01/Aug/14
• AM - The Haute Route, July 2013
  “The course was structured in a careful way so that longer days were followed by shorter days walking. The steady walking pace and time for rest afterwards meant that you never felt too physically tired and acclimatised to altitude...”
  report added 31/Jul/13

Travel & Venue

Fly to Geneva. A 1-hour airport transfer to Chamonix can be booked through Jagged Globe via your on-line account. At the end of the trip it's an easy train journey of approximately 4 hours back to either Geneva or Zurich Airport. Plan you journey at www.sbb.ch.

Valley accommodation in Chamonix is in La Chaumière Mountain Lodge. The accommodation is provided on a twin-share (or occasionally, triple/quad), half-board basis. A single room supplement is payable should you want to have a room to yourself.
Valley accommodation in Arolla is in the Hôtel du Glacier.