Walker's Haute Route (Chamonix to Zermatt)
Self-guided walking holiday

+ Trek the full Chamonix to Zermatt route in two weeks
+ High passes, rocky corries and verdant valleys
+ Complete the trek in your own style

Latest news May 2013
Please ask about our 2013 season which starts on 14 July. Thank you.

Trek the Walker's Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt, thus completing one of Europe's most challenging and thrilling treks.

The Walker's Haute Route is a trekking route, as opposed to the original, Classic Haute Route that takes to the glaciers and is often made as a ski tour. This trek calls for no rock climbing or technical skills but is nevertheless right at the hardest end of the spectrum of Alpine treks. Many sections call for self-reliance, strong fitness and good navigation. Passes at nearly 3,000m take much climbing to reach; the terrain is rugged and wild.

This being a self-guided holiday, you're free to complete the walks as you choose: we arrange everything for you, including booking accommodation and providing you with our detailed routecards for the walking, and then it's up to you to carry out the walks yourself.

We book your accommodation in an intriguing mix of hotels, auberges and mountain huts (cabanes). The huts are high, characterful, yet comfortable.

Alternative routings

The Walker's Haute Route has a few possible variations along its length, which we book as follows.

Visit Grimentz
Instead of the Cabane de Moiry, drop to Grimentz which is a pretty Valaisian village. From Grimentz you still reach Zinal the next day, or can walk across Val d'Anniviers to Hotel Weisshorn or Cabane Bella Tola...

Stay high at Hotel Weisshorn or Cabane Bella Tola
Instead of Zinal, clients who prefer to sleep high sometimes opt for the venerable old Hotel Weisshorn in its high position, or Cabane Bella Tola in the same area. Alternatively, instead of substituting these for Zinal, keep Zinal and make them an extra night.

Detour to Grachen
Grachen is a superb village on a sunny shelf above St Niklaus. It's a treat. We can advise on replacing St Niklaus with Grachen, either as an extra night (for a relaxing day) or as a straight swap thanks to our cunning logistics in this area. Please ask us about the ins and outs.

Finish through the Mattertal
Instead of the tough two-day Europaweg finale, walk the Mattertal valley in one day. This is an interesting and modest (compared with what's come before) walk through the valley to Zermatt.

Other variations fit within the day and can be chosen whatever your itinerary, according to how you feel on the day; all variants are described in our routecards.

Alternative starts and pacings

Walked the Tour du Mont Blanc?
The first 3 days of the Haute Route, to Champex, take the same trails as the TMB. If you'd like to skip these, please ask us about starting from Champex.

A quicker trek
If 14 stages is too many, we can make it 10, 11, 12 or 13 while still walking the whole route from Chamonix to Zermatt. Fewer than 10 gets tricky. For example, our quicker clients sometimes ask to walk straight from Chamonix to Trient, or walk the Chamonix to Argentiere stage on the afternoon they arrive. Further mergings of stages are possible down the line. Please ask us to adapt things to your time available.

Rest days
The Haute Route has two relatively easy valley days which reduce the need for full rest days. However, rest days can be welcome, as can days at the end in Zermatt. We recommend adding a rest day or two if you have time. Please contact us to discuss your approach.

Alternative accommodation

More comfy?
As standard our itinerary is fairly comfy, using charming hotels except where auberges and huts are essential or preferable. A simple way in which we can add luxury is to swap the 2* hotels for our lovely 3*s. If you're not keen on dorms then we can request private rooms at some huts, and swap other huts for hotels; however, there has to be one dorm night at least.

More basic?
We can add huts and swap hotels for auberges. At the extra auberges you can still have private rooms, but to economise further we can book plenty of dorms. We have come to know some buzzing, friendly options at all levels. Please just ask.