The Haute Route Ski Tour is the most famous ski tour in the world and a classic mountain journey. Connecting the two alpine centres of Chamonix and Zermatt, the route offers everything you’d expect on a high mountain ski tour – with glacial terrain every day, amazing scenery, tough climbs and big ski descents. Our ski guides are ski touring specialists and know the Haute Route intimately. Like most high altitude ski tours, reasonable weather and snow conditions are required on critical sections of the route, but our 7 day itinerary has a contingency day built in, so your chances of reaching Zermatt are increased.

Please visit our Covid-19 Ski Information page for Covid FAQs, details of our participation requirements, travel advice and what to expect on your trip.

Tour Info

The Haute Route is an Advanced Level trip for experienced ski mountaineers. The tour involves several big climbs and long technical descents, with a number of sections where we use the rope, ice axes and crampons for security.

NB Skiing Conditions on the Haute Route – before booking, you need be aware that like all multiday hut tours in the European Alps, reasonable weather and snow conditions are required in order to complete the whole tour.  In particular, if the avalanche risk reaches Level 3 – considerable – then for safety reasons, changes to the itinerary will be necessary.  If we don’t manage to get the full route done, it’s usually because of a large dump of fresh snow, in which case we’ll ski plenty of fresh powder during the week – so not all is lost!

NB This is a 7 Day Itinerary – not the usual 6 – which increases your chances of reaching Zermatt.

Trip Reports >> 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016

Suitability

If you have not skied with us before, then please read our Haute Route Advice page and drop us a line before you make an online booking.

NB The Haute Route has become significantly harder in recent years, due to glacier recession and changes in snow cover on technical sections of the route.  Therefore, this is now an advanced level trip that is only suitable for fit and experienced ski mountaineers – you need several weeks ski touring experience, preferably including hut to hut tours, as well as mountaineering experience using ice axe and crampons on steep terrain before you book on the trip (ie you cannot be ‘aiming to get’ this essential experience between booking on the trip and the start date – you must already have the required experience before you book on the trip).  To take part you should be at Fitness Level 3-4 and Tech Level 3-4 (see our Fitness/Experience guidelines).

Guiding ratio

One IFMGA guide skiing with 6 clients. An Aspirant Guide may also join this trip, to give a guide:client ratio of 2:6

Included in price

• 7 days of guiding
• All guides expenses
• 2 or 3 nights accommodation in the Chamonix valley, including breakfast.
• 5 or 6 nights accommodation in mountain huts, including breakfast and evening meal.

Excluded from price (see course factsheet for cost estimates)

• Evening meals in the Chamonix valley
• Cable cars and taxis (organised by Alpine Guides)
• Lunches and drinks
• Travel to resort
• Insurance
• Equipment hire

Hotels

Our base for the week is the Chaumiere Mountain Lodge, in Chamonix. The hotel is well set up for touring, with a comfortable bar, good local food and quick access to the local skiing. Hotel rooms are provided on a twin (or occasionally triple) sharing basis, but if you wish to book a single room please let us know and we will confirm availability.  Hotel details can be found on our Accommodation page.

Huts

For overnights in the high mountains we will use mountain huts. For more info please read the Using Alpine Huts article which provides an overview of typical facilities, average costs to help you budget for lunches/drinks and general info on hut etiquette.  Also, our Touring FAQs page answers some of the most common questions we are asked about ski touring and Haute Route logistics etc.

ABTOT Protected

This trip is protected by ABTOT – Alpine Guides Ltd, Membership Number 5394.  For further information, please visit our Financial Protection page.

Sample Itinerary

Please Note: there are numerous different combinations of huts and accommodation along the route and we frequently vary our itineraries to make best use of bookings and current weather and snow conditions. For example – if there is a significant fresh snowfall, the guide will often re arrange hut bookings in order to keep the team safe and increase the chances of success.

Subject to weather and snow conditions, we aim to take the Skiers Verbier Route which gives the most reliable passage to Zermatt:

Saturday

You should arrange outward travel on Saturday, arriving by 6-7pm latest in time for the briefing at your accommodation. Your guide will run through kit checks and safety routines, as well as hand out any rental equipment, before going on to discuss the current weather and mountain conditions and how these affect our plans. Overnight in the valley.

Sunday

Ascent to Argentiere Hut

Before setting off on the Haute Route, we do some warm up runs at the Grands Montets, before donning skins and heading out of the patrolled ski area. This leads to a great 500m descent with stunning views down on to the Argentiere Glacier, which we cross and then skin up to the Argentiere Hut.  En route we refresh on some key skills, which may include kick turns, transceiver training or crampon and ropework.

NB this is a warmup day and hut approach, not a beginners training day – ie the idea is to acclimatise and refresh the skills you already have (ie you must already be able to use crampons and do kick turns before you arrive in Chamonix!)  Your guide will assess your current ski standard, fitness and technical ability before committing to the tour – if you are not at the required standard, you may need to leave the tour early.

Typically ~400m ascent

Monday

Argentiere Hut to the Trient Hut, Albert Premier Hut or Relais D’Arpette

From the Argentiere Hut a choice of routes now presents itself – either the Col du Chardonnet or Col du Passon. Both are the same distance, but in recent years the Col du Passon has become more popular, since the Col du Chardonnet has dried out and become a lower/abseil rather than a ski descent.

We follow which ever route is in best condition, as both lead to either the Le Tour Glacier and the Albert Premier Hut, or the  Swiss border and the Trient Hut, or finally the Relais D’Arpette above Champex. This first day is a long one, with 1250m of climb and two or three sections of roped climbing on foot – however the views and high mountain ambiance are amazing. Hut choice depends on the group, current conditions the best combination of hut bookings for the week.

1250m ascent, 800-1900m descent ~6-8hrs

Tuesday

Val D’Arpette – Verbier – Prafleuri Hut or Mont Fort Hut

*The day begins with a few hundred metres of descent down the right bank of the Trient Glacier, followed by a short roped climb on snowed up rock to reach the Col des Ecandies at the top of the Val D’Arpette.

(*NB If staying at the Relais D’Arpette, we’ll cross the Col des Ecandies and ski the Val D’Arpette at the end of day 2, rather than the start of day 3)

This deep, north facing valley gives a wonderful long ski run right down to Champex, where we meet a pre arranged minibus to take us the few kilometers down the valley to the Verbier lift system.

After lunch on the slopes in Verbier, if heading to the Prafleuri Hut we set off in the afternoon to traverse 3 cols with short descents in between, which leads to the glacier below the Rosablanche and a good north facing decent down to the Prafleuri Hut – this is a long day and we usually arrive at the hut around 5pm.

If staying at the Mont Fort Hut at the end of the day, we can get up a little later and enjoy a quiet descent of the Val D’Arpette before having an afternoon’s off piste skiing around Verbier, as the Mont Fort Hut lies within the Verbier lift system.

700m ascent, 1300m-2400m descent ~6-9hrs.

Wednesday

Prafleuri (or Mont Fort) to Dix Hut

From the Prafleuri Hut, an hours skinning leads to the Col des Roux, where the long descending traverse above the Lac de Dix begins. This section of the route is south facing, so in warm weather, must be completed early in the day.

In good conditions with a fast team, various alternatives may be taken here, in order to find some fresh snow. If starting from the Mont Fort Hut, it takes a couple of hours longer to reach the traverse above the Lac de Dix, coming around the North side of the Rosablanche before making a good descent off the Col de Sovereu. Although longer (1400m of ascent to Dix Hut), this route is quieter and offers good skiing.

Either way, at the end of the lake the long climb up to the Dix Hut begins – usually in the afternoon sun. On paper this is quite a short day from the Prafleuri Hut, but the uphill finish in the afternoon heat makes it feel much harder. Luckily the Dix Hut is in a superb position, with a great sunny terrace where you can enjoy the view and a well earned beer before dinner.

900m ascent, 600m descent ~5-7hrs

Thursday

Pigne D’Arolla to Vignettes Hut or Nacamuli Hut

At 3790m, the Pigne D’Arolla marks the highest point reached on the trip and is a wonderful viewpoint across the whole of the Western Alps.

The ascent from the Dix Hut involves 900m of climb and takes about 3 hours, passing through some steep glacier terrain, including the passage of the Serpentine, which often has to be climbed on foot.

From the summit, it’s a 600m descent down to the Vignettes Hut, which lies perched in a spectacular position on a rocky ridge crest. Here again, in the right conditions it’s sometimes possible to take a different line in order to find fresh snow.

If staying at the Vignettes Hut, this is quite a short day. However, in good weather it’s also possible to continue a further 2.5 hours to the Nacamuli Hut in Italy, which is less well known and makes the last day a couple of hours shorter

950m ascent, 700m descent ~4hrs (1250m ascent, 1350m descent ~6.5hrs to Nacamuli).

Friday

Final Day to Zermatt

The final day of the Haute Route is always one of the most memorable days out in any ski mountaineers career – crossing three cols and six glaciers, with a final huge descent down to Zermatt under the North Face of the Matterhorn.

An early start is required to make the first climb up the Col de L’Eveque, before a nice descent and second climb up to the Col du Mont Brule. The final section of this is steep and frequently climbed on foot.

From the Col Brule, the Col Valpelline doesn’t look that far away, but it always takes a good two hours to reach. Cresting the final col, the Matterhorn rears up ahead, opening the way to the final 1900m descent down the Stockji and Zmutt Glaciers to Zermatt.

750m ascent, 2400m descent ~8-10hrs from the Vignettes (or 650m ascent, 7-8hrs from the Nacamuli)

Saturday

Spare Day – to allow for weather delays.

We’ve been guiding the Haute Route for many years now and are well aware that having an extra day in the itinerary significantly increases your chances of completing the route. It makes the trip a little more expensive, but you get 7 days skiing and it’s definitely worth it if you are serious about reaching Zermatt. If we reach Zermatt on Friday, then Saturday will be a spare day to ski off piste/tour either in Zermatt or Chamonix. PM Overnight in Chamonix valley.

Sunday

Return travel should be arranged on Sunday morning, after your final nights accommodation.

Your course starts and finishes in the Chamonix valley, at our base in Argentiere – the Hotel De La Couronne. The most common way to reach Chamonix is fly to Geneva, then take a shared minibus taxi transfer to the Chamonix valley (must be booked in advance).

Flights and transfers

• Fly to Geneva with numerous budget airlines, for an overview of the best options check out the excellent Sky Scanner website.
• Airport transfer from Geneva to Chamonix: Mountain Drop-offs offer the best all round service, with regular reliable transfers through the season. They offer a shared minibus taxi service which meets you in the airport and drops you off at the door of your hotel. Book your transfer here and use promo code ALPGUID to receive a discount on your journey.
• Alternatively hire a car at Geneva airport (1.2 hrs drive to Cham).

For flights and other travel options, including train, coach and driving, visit our Travel Planning page.

Haute Route Experience Requirements

The Haute Route is an Advanced Level Alpine hut to hut tour, that is only suitable for fit and experienced ski mountaineers.  You need several weeks ski touring experience, preferably including hut to hut tours, as well as mountaineering experience using ice axe and crampons on steep terrain before you book on the trip.  More specifically, there are 4 pre-requirements for a safe and enjoyable Haute Route journey on skis:

1. Technical Ski Ability > your off-piste ski ability should be at Ski Tech Level 3/4. NB If you are a Telemarker, then it needs to be at Level 4.

2. Physical Fitness > you should be at Ski Fitness Level 3/4.

3. Alpine Ski Touring Experience > you should have several weeks previous ski touring experience on Alpine touring kit. This needs to be in the Alps, or on equivalent terrain eg. in North America, New Zealand, Scandinavia etc (ie ski touring in the Uk is not enough!) – preferably including some hut to hut touring, but a strong day touring resume is ok.  NB By a day tour, we mean a minimum of 2-3 hours uphill skinning in the day – ie  a shorter skin off the top of a lift in order to get a nice descent is something we’d consider as a regular off piste day.

4. Mountaineering Experience > you need to have some mountaineering experience using ice axe and crampons – ie you need to have experience moving on steep snow and/or rocky terrain terrain using an ice axe and crampons before you book on the trip (NB you cannot be ‘aiming to get’ this essential experience between booking on the trip and the start date – you must already have the required experience before you book on the trip).

The touring skills you should have before setting out include:

• Familiarity with touring kit –  know how to use touring boots/bindings/skins/harscheisen and other touring kit.
• Skinning skills – have efficient skinning technique and be able to skin safely, including on icy traverses.
• Uphill Kick Turns – be able to do safe and efficient uphill kick turns on exposed, steep (up to 35deg) and sometimes icy slopes.
• Skiing with a rucsac – ski well whilst wearing a heavy rucsac (~8kg) containing safety and overnight gear.
• Confidence on steep ground – ability to boot track up steep snow and climb rocky terrain, whilst wearing crampons and being tied onto a rope.
• Steep descents – happy being lowered down steep snow on a rope (either side slipping on skis, or on foot wearing crampons).
• Avalanche Awareness – must have worn an avalanche transceiver before and be aware of basic avalanche safety protocols.

Splitboards on the Haute Route

The Haute Route is possible on a splitboard, but being a long A to B tour, the route traverses a lot of terrain that it’s far quicker and easier to cover on skis.  Using a splitboard, different techniques and lines are required on a number of sections of the route, which means we are unfortunately unable to accept bookings for splitboards on our Haute Route trips.   If you’d like to do the Haute Route on a splitboard (either as an individual, or as a group of friends containing both skiers and splitboarders) then you need to get in touch with a guiding company that specifically offers Haute Route splitboarding tours.  If you need any help with this, then drop us a line and we’ll give you some recommendations.  A number of our other touring trips are suitable for splitboards however, so if you’d like some advice and recommendations on these, then please get in touch.

Training

If you need to top up your fitness for this trip, please see our ski touring training advice page.

For further information, please check out our Haute Route Advice Article. This a great source of info about fitness and experience requirements, the route, average weather and snow conditions through the season and what to expect each day before signing up.

Required Ski and Fitness Levels

Tech Level 3
Confirmed Off Piste Skier. You can put down a reasonable set of tracks in powder, but difficult snow types – eg heavy wet snow, crusts, poor visibility or 40dg slopes – can all cause problems (though you can cope with them safely, if not elegantly!) *Equivalent to Ski Club of GB Off Piste Level: Purple – Advanced*
Likely to say: ‘I’d like to handle difficult snow/steep slopes more confidently in better style’
Our Advice: Off piste coaching still useful. Intermediate off piste weeks are at your level too. If you want to get into ski touring, try a touring course or intro level ski tour. If you’re an established ski mountaineer, then intermediate level tours are generally suitable.

Tech Level 4
Advanced Off Piste Skier. You can put turns in through heavier snow and on icy 40dg slopes, but difficult breakable crusts and skiing a fresh track off piste in zero visibility are still somewhat challenging! *Equivalent to Ski Club of GB Off Piste Level: Gold – Expert*
Likely to say: I’ve been skiing ten/twenty years – I’d like to do your ‘……’ tour.
Our Advice: You will enjoy our advanced level trips, but don’t overlook the touring skills and physical fitness needed as well. Mileage is the best way to improve your ability level.

Fitness Level 3
You do 3-4 hours cv training/sport per week. At this level you are happy doing a 5-6 hr hillwalk, 40-50ml cycle or 3-4hr mountain bike ride without being totally exhausted. If you are into challenges – then the thought of doing a road sportive, or training to do a 1/2 (or maybe even a full) marathon, wouldn’t seem too ridiculous. On foot: you should be able to do the full Langdale Horseshoe: Langdale – Pike of Stickle – Angle Tarn – Bow Fell – Crinkle Crags – Pike of Blisco – Langdale in a day without finishing up exhausted. On skis: you can skin uphill at 300-400m/hr for 3-4 hrs a day (ie 8-1200m of ascent each day)

Fitness Level 4
You do 4+ hours CV training/sport per week. A 70+ mile cycle ride, or 20+ mile hillwalk on a weekend would hold no fears. If so inclined, you might be the kind of person who has done longer road sportives/challenge rides, a ~3.30hr marathon or other similar endurance events. Keen hillwalkers who happily knock off 3-4+ munros in a day also have this kind of fitness and endurance. On skis: you can skin at 400m+/hr or could handle 4-6hrs skinning a day. (ie 1000-1400m+ of ascent each day).

Hut to Hut Touring Equipment List

Just remember, every extra kilo on your back knocks 10% off your enjoyment on the descents – so try and keep the weight down!

Technical Clothing (more info here)

• Waterproof Jacket – preferably lightweight and breathable
• Overtrousers/ski pants – preferably with side zips
• Fleece mid layer – or equivalent
• Socks – specialist ski socks or a warm loop lined pair of mountain socks
• Wicking thermal top – not cotton please…
• Thermal leggings or ski pants
• Thin inner gloves
• Warm ski gloves or mittens, if you suffer from cold hands
• Warm hat
• Spare fleece/lightweight duvet jacket

Personal Items

• Water container – at least 1 litre
• Personal medications and blister kit – regular meds, zinc oxide tape, compeed and painkillers etc
• Lightweight head torch
• Ski goggles
• Sun glasses – CE rated 3 or 4 with side protection
• Sun and lip cream – factor 30+
• Wallet, passport, Alpine Club/BMC card (hut discount) and insurance docs

Hut Overnight Items

• Small wash kit
• Spare lightweight t-shirt/socks/pants
• Silk sheet liner
• Ear plugs
• (Hut slippers for indoor use, blankets/duvets and pillows are provided by the huts)

Technical Equipment (more info here)

• Rucsac 35/45l – try and avoid ones covered in too many features, just ski and ice axe attachments required
• Ski mountaineering boots
• Skis with touring bindings – some ‘freeride’ bindings are also suitable
• Ski strap – to keep skis together on your rucksack if we need to carry them
• Ski poles – with good size 5cm+ baskets (telescopic poles are not needed)
• Climbing skins – they come with the skis if you hire your kit
• Harscheisen (ski crampons) – they come with the skis if you hire your kit
• Metal snow shovel – must be a full metal shovel (plastic blades don’t work in real avalanche debris!)
• Avalanche probe
• Avalanche transceiver – must be a modern digital model (older analogue models are now obsolete)
• Harness, with 120cm sling and locking karabiner
• Crampons – lightweight model
• Ice Axe – lightweight model
• Helmet – a lightweight ski touring or climbing model – you may need this on certain parts of the route depending on conditions

Your guide will have all other safety kit, first aid and survival equipment.

Recommendations and Advice
Visit the Knowledge Base section of our website, where we publish an annual review of the years best new skis, boots and touring equipment, plus a range of other interesting tips and recommendations. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please get in touch!

Purchasing Equipment
Backcountry UK in Otley offer an excellent ski touring boot fitting service, one of the best ranges of ski mountaineering equipment in the UK and top notch advice.

Hiring Equipment
Please visit our Equipment Hire page for recommended hire shops in your resort, and Alpine Guides hire equipment price list.

For this trip you must have specialist travel insurance providing medical, emergency search/rescue and repatriation cover for off piste skiing and ski touring, as outlined in the trip itinerary. We also strongly recommend that you purchase cancellation cover, in case you’re unable to attend your trip due to personal circumstances or injury. Please arrange your insurance as soon as your trip is confirmed to run.

Further details can be found on our insurance info page.