We suggest starting on a Monday, but we could also agree to depart on a Sunday or a Tuesday.

Note: The program is given as a suggested itinerary. The guide in charge will modify the itinerary if needed to ensure the most successful and safe passage for the team. We aim to follow the program as long as it is possible. All huts will be booked well in advance.

Day 0 – Sunday. Meeting in Chamonix.

A group meeting will be organized in the afternoon on the day before our departure. The guide in charge will share the latest information about the trip and conditions on the route. This is a chance to get acquainted with the guide and the rest of the team and get answers to last-minute questions.
We suggest those who need to make gear rentals or purchases, etc., arrive early to get it sorted.
The following morning, we will not have much time to sort out equipment, as we will drive towards Verbier before the shops open.

Book day 0 as an additional training day. The guide will do a short ski tour and some off-piste skiing with the group and will be able to do some additional training and check that everyone has the right equipment for the upcoming trip.

A. In Chamonix. The guide will meet the group in the morning.  The clients participating will cover the guide’s day rate.
B. In Verbier. The guide would drive to Verbier in the morning and meet the group. In addition to the extra-day rate for guidance, the clients would cover the guide’s lodging and food expenses.

Day 1 – Monday. Verbier – Cabane du Prafleuri

We meet by the lift station in Le Chable below the Verbier ski resort. It is possible to park cars for the duration of the tour. You find a local supermarket for stocking up on snacks and a bank & cash machine if you need to take out cash.

We take the uphill lifts through the Verbier ski system to reach the Col des Gentianes. From here, our touring starts. We cross the Col de la Chaux (2939m) and Col de Momin (3000m) and will finally climb the summit of the Rosablanche (3335m), which offers a short but exciting climb with superb views towards the following days of our route.
We ski down the Glacier de Prafleuri to our destination for the night—the Prafleuri hut located in a beautiful setting at 2662m of altitude.

6-7h – ▼1400m ski down, ▲ 560m tour up

Day 2 – Tuesday. Prafleuri hut – Dix hut

From the Prafleuri hut, we reach the Dix hut after a long and, at times, technical traverse above the Dix lake. The hard work getting to the Dix hut is rewarded with one of the best terraces in the Alps, where a dish of local Rösti and a beer is in order.

5-6h – 800▲

Note: We can make a small additional ski tour from the Dix hut. This is an excellent addition to the day and is proposed if the snow and weather are good.

Day 3 – Wednesday. Dix hut – Arolla

We have a great day ahead of us. A ski tour to the top of our highest point on the Haute Route – the Pigne d’Arolla 3781m. It’s a delightful yet demanding day with stunning scenery and exciting touring. Early in the morning, we ski from the DIx hut down onto the Glacier de Cheilon, where we start our tour up the steepening Tsena Réfien glacier. We do numerous kick-turns up the glacier until we reach the start of the Serpentine section. This is often hard and icy; we usually climb the steep slopes with crampons and skis on our backpacks. From the top of the Serpentine, we cross over the plateau and reach the summit on a steady, gradual rise. The view from the top is fantastic. We feel closer to the Matterhorn and the other mighty summits of the Swiss Valais Alps. Far in the distance, we can distinguish the Mont Blanc massif where we started. We often have good snow skiing down from the vast open slopes of the Pigne, avoiding any zone with crevasses. We pass through the Col des Vignettes and ski onto the Glacier de Pièce. Sometimes, we stop in the Vignettes hut for a nice rösti before we ski down to Arolla 1968m. We often have great snow on this long ski descent. We spent the night in a hotel—time for a shower.

5-6h – ▲ 940m ▼ 1800m

Day 4 – Thursday. Arolla – Bertol hut

We will once again head up into the higher mountains. We have a long ski tour to the Bertol hut 3311m ahead of us. While it is a long way and a hard climb, the night in a hotel, the good food, and the refreshing showers have made us restitute well and ready us for the last two days of touring and skiing. We follow the valley out of Arolla towards the imposing north face of the Mont Collon 3563m. We divert up and onto the Plan Bertol, where we can spot the hut high up on the steep ridge line. The climb steepens, and we end up doing many kick-turns before we reach the base of the Bertol hut.
There is no other hut like the Bertol hut, which originally was just a small wooden hut, only accessible for the good alpinist. Today, long ladders give us access to the hut. The hut is smaller than the other huts we have visited so far and has amazing views towards the Dent Blanche 4357m and Pigne d’Arolla 3781m, the top we skid from yesterday.

4-5h – ▲ 1345m ▼ 0m

Day 4 – Friday. Bertol hut – Zermatt

The final and “King” stage of the Haute Route. Amazing scenery and stunning views are on the program.  Climbing down the ladders of the Bertol hut with the surrounding mountains slowly appearing in the morning light is a very exciting start to the day. We have about 3h of touring up the Glacier du Mont Miné before we reach the summit of Tête Blanche 3771m. The views to the Matterhorn 4478m and the Dent d’Hérens 4173m are stunning. We also have a good view of the start of the route down the Stockji glacier. It is a very impressive scenery. We start the route down by navigating through some huge crevasses. We need good weather and visibility to pass this section of the glacier. After a long slide out of the lower part of the Zmutt glacier, we join the Zermatt ski area. Alongside normal skiers dressed in the latest fashion ski wear, we cruise into the mountain town of Zermatt.
We have a taxi waiting for us to bring us back to Verbier.

5-6h – ▲ 510m ▼ 2100m