haute route ski tour - (Switzerland, Italy and France)
The Haute Route is the best know ski tour in the Alps for a good reason. It is a high level journey through the heart of the heavily glaciated Western Alps. This height of land formed a natural barrier which became the boundary between Switzerland, Italy and France. Today it is not so much a barrier as an alpine playground. We will travel from country to country, between languages and cultures, all on skis.
This version of the Haute Route offers the most comfortable options with extra hotel nights and fine dining. The tour is designed to maximize the mountain experience without compromising on the quality of food and accommodation. This is a first class mountain experience.
Dates: April 11-17, 2010 Full
April 17-23, 2010
Price: $2200 Canadian
Meeting Place: Zermatt, Switzerland
- IFMGA mountain guide
- Accommodation in the mountain huts
- Hotel accommodation in Arolla and Courmayeur
- Breakfast and dinner
- Ground transportation during the tour
- All ski lifts
- Luggage transfer from Zermatt to Chamonix
- Airfare
- Lunches
- Trip or rescue insurance
- Ground transportation to and from Zermatt and Chamonix
Also see guides, accomodation, requirements and gear that you will need.
Our tour starts in Zermatt with a ride up the ski lifts and a traverse under the north face of the Matterhorn. The next two days take us from the German to French speaking area of Switzerland. A magnificent 1400m (4600 ft) ski run takes us down to the tiny alpine village of Arolla (hotel and hot showers). Again ski lifts to take us out of the valley and up to high mountain huts. Over the next three days we wander our way through the glaciers and over the passes, making ski ascents of the Pigne d’Arolla 3772m (12370 ft) and Mt Blanc de Chelion 3827m(12552 ft). From Mt Avril, it is a long ski descent to green fields and the tiny Italian village of Glacier. We transfer by vehicle to Courmayeur, which rests 12000 feet below the south face of Mt Blanc (4808m, 15770 ft). In the morning we take the lift up for our long ski descent between the granite spires of the Valle Blanche. It will be with a sense of achievement that you walk down the main street in Chamonix a week after leaving Zermatt.
Starting the Haute Route in Zermatt provides us with several advantages. There will be less people while skiing and in the huts. There will be more nights with hotels on the route, so less time without showers. We are also less likely to have cancel or change sections of the tour due to weather or conditions. Doing the ski tour this way means less time walking or climbing with crampons and more time on your skis. There are many options for more challenging ski descents or climbing peaks if weather and conditions permit.
Once you arrive in Chamonix why not sign up for an optional ski accent of Mt Blanc or a day of off piste skiing. You will be acclimatized and fit from your previous week.