Trek from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn on the Walkers' Haute Route
One of the world’s great mountain treks, the Walker’s Haute Route stretches from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland, linking the massive Mont Blanc to the iconic Matterhorn. Ten of the 12 highest peaks in the Alps tower alongside the route, as trekkers tackle multiple high alpine passes and enjoy a daily visual feast of mountain vistas, glaciers, quaint villages, and glorious valleys. Sleep in mountain huts and village hotels.
Hikers seeking challenge and endless breathtaking landscapes will find plenty of opportunities on the Haute Route.
The trek is typically done as a point-to-point journey, using Chamonix, France as the beginning, western trailhead and Zermatt, Switzerland as the ending, eastern trailhead. Several sections of the route offer “high route” and “low route” alternatives which can be selected based on weather, trail conditions, or participant injury/illness/fitness. There are options from many places along the route for trekkers to exit via taxi, bus, train, or gondola if required. These public transit options can also be used to skip sections of the route in case of bad weather, unsafe trail conditions, time constraints, or injury/illness/fitness.
A wide array of lodging, dining, and provisioning opportunities exist along the route, from remote mountain huts – offering simple, hearty meals and selling a limited selection of snacks – to charming small mountain guest houses, to elegant hotels, restaurants, and boutiques in vibrant communities such as Chamonix, Verbier, and Zermatt.
Outfitter / Guide Service:
Using an outfitter or guide service is not necessary when trekking the Haute Route. The route’s trails are well-maintained, well-marked, and easily accessed via the region’s excellent public transit network. Food, lodging, and provisioning opportunities abound. Huts and hotels offer web-based booking. There is no need for tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, stoves, fuel, or cookware.
That said, there is tremendous value in using a booking agent for reserving accommodations. Booking agents have established relationships with huts and hotels, and are adept at tweaking itineraries when one or more huts or hotels in this very popular region are unavailable.
Trekkers preferring easier, higher-service, and/or shorter itinerary options including daily luggage transfers can select from a multitude of outfitters who offer supported Haute Route treks. Be aware that luggage transfers are not available to some lodgings along the classic Walkers' Haute Route because they are not accessed by a road.
Getting there:
The main gateways to/from the Haute Route are Chamonix, France and Zermatt, Switzerland. Frequent commercial van shuttles (AlpyTransfers) and rail service (SBB) connect Chamonix to the airport in nearby Genève, Switzerland (GVA), offering travel times of 1.5 to 3 hours. Frequent rail service (SBB) connects Zermatt to the airports in Genéve (GVA) – travel time of 4.5 hours – and Zürich (ZRH) – travel time of 4 hours. Multiple airlines offer daily service between Genève(GVA) or Zürich (ZRH) and cities across North America and Europe.
- Suitable Activities: Backpacking, Day Hiking, Global Adventures
- Seasons: July, August, September
- Weather: View weather forecast
- Difficulty: Very Strenuous
- Length: 120.0 mi
- Elevation Gain: 42,000 ft
- 9,774 ft
- Land Manager: Land Manager Varies
- Parking Permit Required: see Land Manager
- Recommended Party Size: 12
- Maximum Party Size: 12
- Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 12
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