Winter 2010/11 Ski Programs
The Haute-Route Chamonix/Zermatt
Chamonix - Zermatt, also referred to as the "Haute Route", is the oldest, most famous and desired ski tour in the world. No where else can one experience the impressive sights of the Alps, ski through the heart of glaciers and skin up over some spectacular passes and summits.
Chamonix - Zermatt the oldest, most famous and desired ski tour in the world. No where else can one experience the impressive sights of the Alps, ski through the heart of glaciers and skin up over some spectacular passes and
summits. The route followed is the most common via
Verbier. The actual trip lasts 6 days. We will use one day before the start of the trip to do an equipment check and help acclimate.
Over the years, I have fine tuned the itinerary to allow for the best possible combination of views and good skiing, without compromising lodging. All of these components let you come away memories of a
lifetime. I have included an extra day at the start of the trip this year in Chamonix to help you get over jet lag and find your ski legs. This will also give us an extra day in the event that we run into inclement
weather. I cannot stress the fact of arriving in very good physical shape in addition to having spent a number of days out on the climbing skins, racking up vertical feet. DO NOT under-estimate this trip - it is tough and the days can be long…
Day 1
CHAMONIX - VALLEE BLANCHE
We will use this first day of the trip for an important equipment check, any last minute gear problems and most importantly for a good day of moderate skiing to allow you to get over jet lag, adjust to the altitude and of course "stretch" your legs…
The day starts with a ride on the Aiguille du Midi cable car to reach the impressive rock spire summit (12,600 ft.). The skiing commences after a short walk down a steep ridge. What follows is nearly 9,000 ft of some superb skiing back to the town of
Chamonix. Though the skiing may be moderate, the views are incredible as we cruise down through the scenic heart of the Mont Blanc range. We will have plenty of time to discuss the following days itinerary, check equipment and
brushen-up ski technique as well as take some great photos !
Day 2
CHAMONIX - ARGENTIERE HUT
Trip starting point - the Grands Montets cable car. Tram to the summit of the
Aig. des Grands Montets (10,574 ft). Then we ski down to the Argentiere glacier and put on our climbing skins for the first time of the trip. From here, we will head up the glacier and go past the Argentiere hut. We will spend the afternoon practicing using our avalanche
beacons, crevasse rescue and of course talk about glacier travel. Evening at the Argentiere Hut (7,451 ft) which offers spectacular views of some of the most impressive mountains in the Alps - le
Triolet, les Courtes, les Droites and la Verte.
vertical climb = 725 ft. vertical descent = 2,245 ft.
DAY 3
ARGENTIERE HUT - CHAMPEX
After an early rise, we start the day by a short ski back down to the glacier and then to the base of the pass. Here is where the climbing starts on the Chardonnet pass (10,903 ft), a long but beautiful climb.
After a short but steep descent down the backside of the pass with help of a safety line, we continue on to the Saleina pass (10,718 ft), a short steep climb. Once on top, we head off down the Trient plateau past the Trient cabin (10,400 ft) What follows is a steep but short section of the glacier and then up over the short Escandies pass. From here the view of the Arpette valley is amazing and the skiing down to the village of Champex even better !
- some people stay at the Trient hut, but I prefer to ski down to the cozy village of
Champex, benefiting from the soft afternoon snow in order to enjoy a great ski down the Arpette valley. Here is where we will spend the evening in a cozy hotel and sample some great Swiss food and bonus, have a shower!
vertical climb = 3,345 ft. vertical descent = 3,375 ft.
DAY 4
CHAMPEX- PRAFLEURI HUT
After a early breakfast, we will hop into a taxi for a short ride to the well known Swiss ski area of
Verbier. Old wooden chalets and a typical Swiss atmosphere are to be found here. From
Verbier, we will take the Attelas cable car and traverse to reach the Monfort cabin (8,061 ft). From here we head over the Chaux pass (9,646 ft), then the Momin pass (9,852 ft) and finally the Rosa Blanche at (10,945 ft). After this spectacular ascent an even more spectacular descent follows : down the Prafleuri glacier to the pretty Prafleuri hut (8,502 ft). This hut has been re-built and now offers provides tired skiers with a comfortable stop over.
vertical climb = 3,650 ft. vertical descent = 4,350 ft.
DAY 5
PRAFLEURI HUT - AROLLA
Things get underway by climbing the Roux pass (9,085 ft) down to Barma (8,062 ft), where the view of the Dix lake is a stunning contrast to the white, snow covered mountains. After a short traverse by the lake, we then climb up to Pas de Chevre with the help of some ladders. From here it is all downhill to our comfy hotel in Arolla for some more good Swiss food and and another shower.
vertical climb = 2,170 ft. vertical descent = 3,210 ft.
DAY 6
AROLLA - BERTOL HUT
This morning gets underway with a long, flat glide up the Arolla glacier below the towering Mont
Collon. Part way up, we head off to reach the Bertol glacier by way of several plateaus. As the slope gets steeper we reach the pass and Bertol hut, perched on top of the ridge like a watch tower looking over the alpine valleys. This hut offers some of the best views of the trip and is worth every bit of the climb it takes us to reach it!
vertical climb =4,870 ft. vertical descent = 0
DAY 7
BERTOL HUT - ZERMATT
This may be the most beautiful day of the trip. We start off by gliding down the Mont Mine glacier towards the col de
Herens. Once we reach the top of this pass, we can leave the packs and run up the Tete Blanche (12,218 ft). From here the views of the Dent Blanche and the Matterhorn are literally outstanding. Once again a great descent awaits us, down past the Schonbiel hut (8,838 ft) off beneath the
Matterhorn, skiing in it's shadow down to the pretty resort town and final destination of Zermatt (5,302 ft). Time to celebrate!
vertical climb = 1,750 ft. vertical descent = 8,315 ft.
Now that you are ready for Mont Blanc.... try skiing off the highest peak in the Alps!
Some additional information on ski mountaineering...
What is ski mountaineering exactly ? Sometimes called ski touring or ski de "randonnée" the official term. This sport is sort of a mix between classic cross country skiing and telemark skiing, the grand father of modern day skiing as we know it.
One should not confuse the terms, backcountry skiing and ski touring though. The touring done here in the Alps is very different from the majority of the skiing found in north America. The combination of high altitude, difficult skiing, glaciated terrain and long days set the ski touring in Europe apart. It is for these reasons that I do not recommend that you bring telemark gear. I am certain that you will find the "randonnée" or AT gear to be of a big advantage.
The main reason being is that you usually have a fairly heavy pack on your back, which makes it even tougher dropping your knee to make turns not to mention the deep or difficult to ski snow. .
Special "climbing skins" are used to go uphill which are glued to the base of the skis that slide in one direction and but not in the other. This enables you to push on the flats (like in cross country skiing) and climb quite steep slopes without sliding backwards. Using normal downhill skis is fine. But they must be mounted with a special binding that allows your heel to rise when gliding along flats or going uphill. Similar you say to
tele-mark skiing, well yes, but this is where ski mountaineering is different, once you have finished the uphill portion, you lock down the heel of the binding and are able to downhill ski just like with regular skis.
As one can probably imagine, vast distances are rapidly covered and it is a very efficient way to visit or "tour" the mountains. Much more so than snowshoes which do not hold very well on steep or icy slopes (and don't glide downhill !).
Well who can do this kind of skiing? Just about anyone that can already ski. It is not difficult to learn the added techniques and skills needed such as side stepping and making kick turns. It is important though that you are able to make decent parallel turns in most types of snow. Being in good shape also makes it a lot more fun
* Actual course details
and climbs may vary depending on conditions and
or participants level.
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