Ski the Alps Haute Route | Verbier Variation
Ski the Alps Haute Route
“Every skier should experience touring from Chamonix to Zermatt once on their life” ~Mark Allen
overview
The Haute Route is one of the most classic glacial ski mountaineering experiences in the Alps. 138Km in total sounds lofty however with light ski packs and fully catered alpine huts we can focus on the touring and skiing and forget the struggles of winter camping. With a multitude of variations and unpredictable weather, this program can range from mild to wild depending on the season and mountain weather. On our 8-day Haute Route program, every day has a new objective to navigate our way via ski mountaineering to a new hut. The Haute Route via Verbier is the most popular version of the Haute Route. It has excellent skiing mixed with some technical terrain. Connecting the two alpine centers of Chamonix and Zermatt, it offers everything you would expect on a high mountain ski tour! The scenery is amazing allowing you to pass through the very heart of the Alps with constantly changing views of Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Grand Combin and Monte Rosa- A perfect mix of fun and challenge. I have been running European ski trips for over 15 years and am excited to Together, we will have one of the greatest ski experiences possible.
Mountain Bureau LLC is the premier Alps mountain guiding service. What makes us unique?
The Haute Route via Verbier is the most popular version of the Haute Route. It has excellent skiing mixed with some technical terrain. Connecting the two world famous alpine centers of Chamonix and Zermatt, this route offers everything you would expect on a high mountain ski tour! The scenery is amazing allowing you to pass through the very heart of the Alps with constantly changing views of Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Grand Combin and Monte Rosa- A perfect mix of fun and challenge.
Pricing
Cost: $3,200 per person
Deposit: 25% Due at Booking, Balance Due 30 Days Prior to Trip
Length: 7 days, 6 Nights
Ratio: 4:1 participant to guide - Max. 8 participants
2025 Dates
March 16-22, 2025
March 30 -April 5, 2025
PREREQUISITE EXPERIENCE OR SKILLS
Intro to Backcountry Skiing Course with 7-10 backcountry tours or approximately 2 years of touring experience with at least 7-10 days/season.
AIARE Rescue or some formal training with avalanche equipment (transceivers, probes, shovels) is required.
Participants should be able to ski in-bound “Blue Square” runs in all conditions (in control) and in-bounds “Black Diamond” runs in groomed or powder conditions (in control).
Participants should be comfortable spending all day outdoors engaged in moderate to intensive cardiovascular activity including 3,500-4,000 vertical feet of ascent in a day while carrying a light (approx. 20lbs.) backpack.
Proficient in handling snow safety equipment, including ski crampons and boot crampons, and executing kick turns with ease.
Additionally, familiarity with equipment and the ability to perform basic tasks without supervision is necessary.
For those with inquiries, assistance can be sought through our Advanced Touring and Movement Course.
Enjoying a hard days work with a hut Apres’- Photo Mark Allen
accommodations
All lodging during the trip is arranged by the Mountain Bureau and included. Hotels are based on double occupancy or apartments. If you would like a single room, we can arrange this, though you will be responsible for the difference in price. We will arrange a hotel for our time in Chamonix and in Zermatt. The rest of the trip we a set itinerary in a sequence of high alpine mountain huts. These hut are extremely accommodating when compared to infostructure in the US. Bedding, catered hot meals, drinks, and equipment drying rooms are all welcomed benefits after a long day touring.
Itinerary
Our 8-day schedule includes a one-day weather margin should we encounter a system that requires our flexibility.
Day 0- Meet in lobby at 5pm for pre-trip meeting and dinner
Day 1-, The group will ride the Midi Tram to the Giant Glacier above Chamonix. This is a short refresher on snow safety, techniques, pace, and the team will do a short tour on the glacier. This is a fun way to get everyone on the same page and back to a fun night in Chamonix.
Day 2 Early start ridding a tram to kick off the trip with a great first run to start the trip and a good way to get accustomed to the altitude. Ski some fun down hill and to the spectacular Argentiere Hut (+750ft/-2200ft)
Day 3 A significant climb over Tour to col du Chardonnet and over the border into Switzerland to the Trient hut+1(41) 27 722 91 58 Hut. (+3300ft /-2100ft)
Day 4 A long glacier ski down valley to the town of Champex and directly to the bakery. Taxi to Verbier to ride the lifts then ski down piste to the point where we leave the ski area and ski the Grand Désert Glacier. We ascending this glacier near its head and ski down Glacier de Prafleuri to the hut. (+2800ft/-10,780ft)
Day 5 From the Prafleuri hut, we make a steep climb over the col before starting the long traverse above Lac Dix. At the head of the lake we climb steeply up to passt then traverse and climb to the Dix hut at 2928 meters. (+2700ft/-1800ft)
Day 6 We cross the Glacier de Cheilon and the Glacier de Tsena Refien to Col de la Serpentine. A short but quite steep climb, often done on foot with crampons, leads to the gentle slopes near the Col du Brenay where the routes lead easily up to the summit of Pigne d'Arolla and the great descent to the Vignettes hut. (+3200ft/-2400ft)
Day 7 The climax of the trip, this challenging day takes us over three high cols, and rewards us with the long, pleasant slopes below the Matterhorn and down into Zermatt. We begin our day early in the cold dawn, but finish in the warm late afternoon skiing spring snow in the trees above Zermatt. (+2700ft/-8900ft)
Excludes
✗ Drinks and lunches along the route
✗ Airport transport to Chamonix
✗ Meals in Chamonix or Zermatt
✗ Alcoholic Beverages
✗ Trip Cancellation Insurance
✗ Rescue and International Medical Assisted Travel
Includes
✓ IFMGA guide
✓ 2 x nights lodging in Chamonix and 1 night lodging in Zermatt
✓ 5 nights hut lodging in the mountains
✓ Breakfast and dinner at each hut.
✓ Luggage transfer from Chamonix to Zermatt
✓ Any scheduled taxis and lifts
✓ 1- weather contingency day
✓ All town and mountain accommodations will be arraigned.
The swiss Rosti. Typical hot mountain food served for lunch in the high alpine huts -Photo Mark Allen
TRIP INSURANCE
Mountain Bureau requires that you protect your trip from unforeseen changes and cancellations with Trip Insurance policies like from International Medical Group (IMG) and Medical Evacuation form Global Rescue. These two products were built to nest and cover all the challenges you might face. We encourage clients to use the Signature Plus Travel Insurance, which includes a Cancel for Any Reason benefit. This allows a traveler to cancel their trip up to 48 hours prior to their scheduled departure date and remain eligible for 100% reimbursement of pre-paid non-refundable trip costs for a covered reason, and 75% for a non-covered reason (any reason). The Signature Plus policy requires you to insure all of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, and must be purchased within 20 days of the initial trip deposit. You can read more at https://www.mountainbureau.com/trip-insruance.
All programs are subject to The Mountain Bureau Terms & Conditions