Walker's Haute Route: All About Hiking from Chamonix to Zermatt

The Walker's Haute Route hike connects two of the most well-known mountain towns in the Alps - Chamonix, France, and Zermatt, Switzerland. Typically starting from Mont Blanc and finishing at Matterhorn, it crosses 11 mountain passes, covering about 200 kilometers - offering a multitude of variations and route options. Chamonix is also known as a starting point for the Tour du Mont Blanc. Unlike the Tour du Mont Blanc, the Walker's Haute Route doesn't go round. It does feature a part of the route of the TMB. Up until Swiss Champex and via Trient, the route follows some stages of the Tour du Mont Blanc.

The route then continues further into Switzerland, via Le Chable, Mont Fort, Prafleuri, Arolla, and La Sage. Along the way, the trek offers an unprecedented world of contrasts. Glaciers and snow-capped peaks are guaranteed, but you can also expect beautifully lush green valleys,s alpine meadows, and the most picturesque Alpine villages. Cross the Rösti curtain, the symbolic border between French and German-speaking Switzerland between Zinal and Gruben. The final stages via St. Niklaus and the Europahütte bring you to one of the most iconic peaks of the Alps, the Matterhorn, and to that other mountaineering capital: Zermatt.

To take it away, the Walker's Haute Route Chamonix to Zermatt is an enormous challenge. The treks' distance of roughly 200 kilometers of rough terrain, its elevation gain, steep ascents, and descents make it more difficult than for example the popular Tour du Mont Blanc. The weather conditions as well as the at times unstable trail conditions add to the thrill.

The paths are well marked, huts are easy to navigate to and along the trails, and if you do get off the route, you'll quickly notice it. On the Walker's Haute Route, you can expect to be hiking 6-8 hours a day for almost two weeks. You will be overcoming steep mountain passes on a daily basis and will be exposed to altitude and steep ravines. Mountain experience is a requirement when debating doing the Walker's Haute Route. At Bookatrekking.com we believe with good planning and some training it’s a realistic one - and definitely worth it.

The official season is summer - from mid-June to mid-September, but when you hike the Walker's Haute Route between mid-July and late August the chances for good weather and snow-free mountain passes are better. It’s peak season, so make sure to book as much in advance as possible. If you decide to trek Walker's Haute Route in September, you’re still in for a treat and it’s not as busy on the trail. But this could also mean that some accommodations might be closed for the season already. Also, the days are shorter, the weather is colder and there is a chance of snow.

It's an inevitable question if you haven't done either one yet and you want or have to choose between the two. Who is making you choose?! No, we can understand. It's like Kilimanjaro or Mount Kenya, Manaslu or the Annapurna Circuit, Torres del Paine or El Chaltén, we have had to make similar decisions in the past. It's never easy.

If you would be in the position to do both the Tour du Mont Blanc and the Walker's Haute Route, we would advise you to start off with the first. The TMB gives you the best that the Mont Blanc has to offer, has a few exit points to enable you to do a shorter option, and throws in a few cols to prepare you for the next, more hardcore Alpine adventure.

In comparison, the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt offers higher mountain passes and more challenging mountain passes. The Tour du Mont Blanc sees more traffic than the Walker's Haute Route, yet the latter is offering a higher variety of scenery. Crowds are only a given in Chamonix and Zermatt, not much in between. Both treks are strenuous. The full Tour du Mont Blanc gives you more altitude gain than the Walker's Haute Route but gives you fewer high mountain passes. Even though you can expect more scree, rocks, and even dirt on the Walker's Haute Route, both options will give you a good hiding.

Due to the many accommodation options and more traffic, we would recommend doing the Tour du Mont Blanc to everyone looking for a first and good Alpine experience. The Walker's Haute Route, however, we would recommend to people who have done a hut-to-hut tour in Europe before. Whether it is Austria, Switzerland, France, or Italy, experience in the Alps will improve your confidence and experience on the Walker's Haute Route significantly.

At Bookatrekking.com we like to do things properly and when it's about accommodation on the Walker's Haute Route, this means you should stay in refuges and cabanes. If you are new in the world of hut-to-hut trekking in the Alps, this means that we like to stay in mountain huts. Refuge is the French name for a hut where mountaineers can enjoy a bed, a meal and, in most cases, even a fresh draught or good glass of wine. Cabane is the Swiss name for the same thing, on the Swiss side of the Walker's Haute Route. In some cases, refuges and cabanes are owned by the Alpine Club, in France, this can be the Fédération Francais des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne (FFCAM) and in Switzerland, this is the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC). What all these mountain huts have in common is their unusual locations: On the most remote spots in the Alps you can check into these little safe-havens.

Most huts offer a half-board pension, which includes breakfast and dinner. We highly recommend choosing this option. Having a warm meal waiting for you at the hut is not only a great way to end a long day of hiking, but it will also make your luggage lighter. Carrying your own food during the trek will mean extra weight on your back.

Availability in the mountain huts is limited during the season and securing your spots is not easy on the Walker's Haute Route. We at Bookatrekking.com maintain warm contacts with the hut keepers and are happy to take this burden off your shoulders. Find here all packages for the Walker's Haute Route.

The Walker's Haute Route starts in Chamonix, (France) and ends in Zermatt (Switzerland). Fortunately, getting to Chamonix is quite easy. Chamonix is located only 103 kilometers away from Geneva international airport, the second-largest airport in Switzerland. Geneva is not only a good gateway for getting to the start, but you will also want to travel via Geneva after your trek. There are several transport options for you to get to Chamonix depending on where you are departing from.

By Plane

Flying is the most convenient and fastest way to get to Chamonix. Although the Geneva international airport is indeed the closest one, you can also fly to Chambery Airport, Turin Airport, or Lyon Airport. Being Geneva's biggest airport in the area, it has more flight options available from more destinations than the other airports do. Also, from Geneva, you can take a direct shuttle from the airport to Chamonix.

By Car

If you are in France already or in any country near Chamonix, you can drive there. The extensive network of European motorways makes it easy to reach Chamonix by car.

By Train

There is a train station right in the center of the city. Traveling to Chamonix by train isn't necessarily the easiest or fastest option, but it is definitely the one with the least impact on the environment. On your way to Chamonix, you will have to change trains a few times along the way. The silver lining is that you are allowed to carry more luggage without additional charges.

By Bus

Coach or long-distance buses are another option to get to Chamonix. The good thing about these buses is that they tend to be quite cheap and are more environmentally friendly than flying. If you choose this option, however, you must know that the seats can be quite uncomfortable and the ride takes the longest of all the options.

From Zermatt

Mountains are great, but they do make it hard to create direct connections between towns. The most straightforward way from Zermatt to Chamonix is to hike the Walker's Haute Route, but you if you are looking to get there via public transport, you should first take a train from Zermatt to Visp and from Visp take a train to Geneva Airport. From there, you can follow the same options as mentioned underBy Plane above.

Whether you want to opt for a Self-Guided Trek is completely up to you. If you decide to do the Walker's Haute Route hiking with a guide you will have your hotel and meals pre-arranged, and you will not have to stress about planning every aspect of the itinerary. Most importantly, you will not get lost. Having said that, the trails on the Walker's Haute Route are well marked and signposted. The odds of getting lost are very low if the weather is clear and you stick to the route. In terms of weather, the afternoons can be pretty foggy, so bring a map, a compass (and know how to use it), and a whistle just in case.

Most hikers decide to discover the Walker's Haute Route on their own, which is also a great option. If you want to go on a self-guided trek, make sure you get all the accommodation booked in advance and you plan your steps wisely, making sure that every stage of the trek makes sense and is achievable. Making sure everything is sorted can be a hassle and a burden, especially as you are, after all, going on a vacation. At Bookatrekking.com we offer self-guided treks for Walker's Haute Route, so we’d be more than happy to help you out with organizing your trip and booking everything for you. So you can have the best of both worlds! Find out all our options here.

The prices for the Walker's Haute Route are quite varied. There are several variables to take into account when it comes to how much this trek costs: the type of accommodation, which can be in a shared dormitory or a private room in a hut, or also at a hotel in a town; how many days you will be spending on the mountain and whether you will be doing the full circuit or only a section; and self-guided or with a guided group. The price of the trek will depend on your expectations for the tour.

A situation is defined as an emergency whenever human life (yours or someone else's) is endangered and there is nothing you can do to resolve the matter. You should call for help if there has been an accident, if there is somebody trapped, if you got lost or in trouble and are unable to continue because of the time of day or weather conditions, or if you are trapped because of technical climbing challenges that exceed your capabilities.

The most important thing to do in an emergency is to stay calm and survey the situation. Do not panic or take useless risks if the people in trouble are difficult to reach. In an emergency, first and foremost, call for assistance. When calling for help, make sure to provide your location and the number of victims and type of injuries. Then, protect the victim from cold and other environmental threats and administer first aid, if you can.

Useful emergency phone numbers

• France: 112 / +33 0 4 50 53 16 89 (PGHM Chamonix)
• Switzerland: 144 (General) / 1414 (Mountain Rescue)