9th - 23rd July
A tough but very rewarding walk from the Chamonix valley to Zermatt, approximately 108 miles and 36,000` of ascent in weather varying from hot, bright sunny to mist all day and even snow, crossing numerous passes on the way. Temperatures never went very cold except during some nights and on some of the higher passes during the day.
Having escaped the English 'Summer' we were all set to enjoy the delights of walking the Haute Route. The outline of the route is detailed below, followed by links to photos and comments from each day.
| Ascent in feet | Descent in feet | Distance in miles | High Point | Altitude in feet | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Argentiere to La Tour | 738 | 249 | 2.5 | Petit Balcon du Nord | 5,003 |
| Day 2 | La Tour to Trient | 3,838 | 3,691 | 8 | Col de Balme | 7,230 |
| Day 3 | Trient to Champex | 4,642 | 3,933 | 8.7 | Fenetre d'Arpette | 8,743 |
| Day 4 | Champex to Le Chable | 669 | 2,785 | 8 | Champex | 4,810 |
| Day 5 | Le Chable to Cabane du Mont Fort | 5,462 | - | 7.5 | Cabane do Mont Fort | 8,061 |
| Day 6 | Cabane du Mont Fort to Cabane du Prafleuri | 2,903 | 2,428 | 10 | Col du Prafleuri | 9,727 |
| Day 7 | Cabane du Prafleuri to Cabane des Dix | 2,615 | 1,443 | 6.8 | Tete Noir | 9,780 |
| Day 8 | Cabane des Dix to Les Haudères | 830 | 5,659 | 8.7 | Pas des Chevrès | 9,366 |
| Day 9 | Les Haudères | 498 | 498 | 6.2 | Rest Day | - |
| Day 10 | Les Haudères to Gite du Moiry | 5,141 | 2,227 | 8 | Col du Tsaté | 9,409 |
| Day 11 | Gite du Moiry to Zinal | 1,939 | 3,822 | 5 | Corne du Sorebois | 9,498 |
| Day 12 | Zinal to Gruben | 3,933 | 3,451 | 8.7 | Forcletta | 9,429 |
| Day 13 | Gruben to St Niklaus | 4,609 | 6,840 | 11.8 | Schwarzhorn | 1,0502 |
| Day 14 | St Niklaus | 738 | 4,642 | 6.2 | Rotenboden | 9,235 |
| Day 15 | Homeward bound - St Niklaus to Geneva | Travel to Geneva by train | St Niklaus | 3,697 | ||
| TOTALS | 38,555 | 41,668 | 106.1 | |||