The Haute Route
Ski
10 April 2022
The Haute Route, or ‘high road’, is one of the most iconic, celebrated and famous ski tours in the world. The route starts near Mont Blanc in Chamonix, the centre of alpinism in France, and traverses east to the Matterhorn in Zermatt, the centre of mountain exploration in Switzerland. This classic mountain journey connecting two alpine centres offers extensive travel on glacial terrain, tough climbs and big ski descents every day.
Pioneered in summer on foot, as far back as 1869 by the English Alpine Club, the Haute Route has since gained a recognisable following, and now skiers travel from all over the world to experience the route through the Alps’ high cols, remote valleys and vast glaciers in winter, all connected by a system of remote huts. The term Haute Route has since expanded and now transcends various sports and mountain ranges worldwide.
There are several variations of this route, and I will be touring the original and traditional Verbier route which is the most popular and direct. Other options involve differing degrees of technicality and offer alternatives based on current conditions, but all involve climbing for long periods and spending almost all of their time between 2500m and 3500m.
I’m back in Cham, eight weeks since my last trip here, and feeling excited to get some more touring under my belt. Now it’s springtime, the days are longer and more settled with fewer storms, the snowpack has consolidated and crevasse bridges are mostly stable and visible, and temperatures are warm, creating the desired conditions for multi-day touring.
I’ve decided to take on touring the Haute Route as my first week-long ski tour for a few reasons. I am familiar with the start of the route as had just been here in February, I am also familiar with the middle of the route from skiing in Verbier for years. The route is also well-travelled, so I figured there’d be less risk of getting lost or mistakes en route as guides will have done the trip many times. The popularity of the route means there’s generally always a skin track to follow and the prevalence of other skiers on the route increases safety margins somewhat. So all in all, it was a pretty safe bet and a good starting point for me to put all my skiing experience to date together into multiple days back-to-back. I arrived in town on the Saturday, got my kit ready, met the guide, Neil, and the rest of the team: Jamie, Toby, Elliott and Katie. We enjoyed a beer, did our introductions and got to know each other whilst it sank in that we’d be spending the next six days exclusively in each others company.
The season has largely been dry and sunny with little snow, and come March spring felt like it was here and winter was all but over. I was a little worried that there wouldn’t be enough snow for parts of the route and we’d be walking some parts. However, winter made a return in serious style, with a lot of snow falling in late March, and another big snowfall in early April. In the 24 hours leading up to this trip, there had been one metre of snow above 3000m.
This was much needed to save the end of the season for the local skiers and winter industry, however, this is not so good for touring. April also saw high winds and a lot of sand blow in from the Saraha, a strange phenomenon that can happen a few times per winter. The sand creates a warm layer on top of the snow, so whilst melting it, with added fresh snow falling on top, it creates increasingly unstable conditions.
Katie, Toby, Elliott, myself and Jamie on the VB arête
On the eve of heading off on the Haute Route, it became clear that there was in fact too much snow for us to ski the full route as originally planned. The avalanche risk was 4/5 for the valley and some resorts in the valley had even been closed completely. Added to this there had been a gas leak in the Argentiere hut a few days back, and all guests were woken up in the night and evacuated by helicopter. The hut guardian hadn’t been feeling very well and later fell unconscious, and then the cat died. Emergency services were called and their carbon monoxide detectors were bleeping immediately. All the hut guests were evacuated immediately and taken to hospital and put on oxygen for 12 hours regardless of how they felt. That was a close one for all of them. This hut was where we planned to spend our first night, so a combination of the risky snow conditions and hut closure meant we needed to rethink.
So, we decided to wait and not set off on the route tomorrow as originally planned. As the snowfall was so recent, we needed to let the snow settle so conditions would become more predictable. The next access to the Haute Route would be Verbier, so the plan was made to ski tour in the Chamonix valley for day one and two, keeping it safe, on mellow slopes and staying in a hotel, and then pick the route up on day three when we’ll ski from Verbier to the Prafleuri hut and then onwards to Zermatt. Having left conditions to settle for a few days, we’d be in more stable environment and could push on with the route, albeit cautiously.
This was an eventful trip where all sorts happened, we covered a lot of ground and saw a lot of sights, so this is a long write-up with lots of photos. Get comfy and read on!
Me skiing the Argentiere Glacier. Photo: Katie Bamber
Day 1: Grands Montets & Argentière glacier
It was our first breakfast together and we were pretty excited, outside the hotel shone a bright blue sky and we were eager to get out and explore the fresh snow from the recent storm, which had completely cleared up overnight. We were on the bus heading to the lift at 8.10, and enjoyed the first few tracks down through the Magic Forest on super soft, cold light snow in the safety of trees. We then had a couple of resort piste runs to get our ski legs back and moved on to skin for 20 minutes or so before cutting off the track to get fresh lines on knee-deep pow in perfect snow.
I spent the day getting accustomed to skiing with a heavy bag on my back and the weight pushing me forward and down the hill. As well as the avalanche gear normally carried daily, I was carrying skins, an ice axe, ski crampons, boot crampons, various layers and other extra spares, plus bits and bobs needed for overnight tours - a sleeping bag liner, first aid kit and toiletries, plus more water.
We skied various off-piste lines in-between pistes, and the 24 hours settling needed for the snowpack was evident, we could see and hear big avalanches coming down the valley banks throughout the afternoon. We could also see high winds blowing on the top of the big mountain peaks, so conditions remained risky. There were multiple helicopters flying around and likely several rescues throughout the day. There was plenty of fresh debris around and we were glad not to be out touring in more exposed areas far away in these conditions. Avalanche risk remained 4/5 for the valley.
After lunch we skinned back up the same line as we had previously but continued to the top and on round the corner, beyond where other skiers had changed to head down. Elliott sent his drone up and got some footage of us coming down which turned out surprisingly well. We had the run to ourselves and could spread out, side by side. Avalanches continued coming down the rock face under the Col du Chardonnet across the valley on our right, creating waterfalls of snow pouring off the rock ledges.
Katie got her big camera out and set up for a shot of one of us coming down a stash of yet untouched powder with the Argentiere glacier icefall in the background. We debated who’d take the first line and eventually I went for it. The result is probably the best photo of me skiing I’ll ever get!
It was late now, so we continued down the valley and slid down the red ski out run, Pierre a Ric, in mega slush. Here we found one of the few bars that’s piste-side in Chamonix, so we stopped for a beer in the sun with a live band before getting the bus home. It had been a pretty epic start to the trip and despite being a warm up day, it was a super long - 8 hours in boots, but some of the best snow I’ve skied. I love spring skiing!
Day 2: La Vallée Blanche
Today we headed up the Aiguille du Midi lift for a day on the Vallée Blanche. This would be a similar itinerary to a previous tour on the VB when in Cham back in February, you can head to my journal entry for that for full details.
Day 3: Verbier - Plafleuri hut. 17 km | 1000 m+ | 2/5 hours
We crammed our kit and selves into a minibus and left Cham at 7.15 aiming for Le Châble at the foot of Verbier for 8.30 where we’d jump in a cable car up the mountain. After one final kit check, we were on the lift at 9.00. Neil added a spare 30 metre rope to my bag and a group emergency shelter to Toby’s. My bag was big and heavy!
I split from the group for a quick coffee and catch up at Mountain Air with my aunty, then headed on up to Mont Fort (3329m) from the Médran lift to catch the group up. It was a cloudier start to the day than the last two, just soft cloud though that I expected to burn off and lift as it was very warm. There were some slight nerves in the air amongst the team, we’d just had two days of touring finishing back in resort, this time we were off into the backcountry on our own and there’d be no turning back. Our journey to Zermatt and the Matterhorn starts here!
Skiing off the backside of Mont Fort, down the ridge, we were straight into some technical skiing. Some steep and very sticky snow required quick adjusting to a much heavier pack than the last few days. Despite taking it very easy, coming around a tight, swooping turn under a rock, Jamie came in with speed and, not being able to see what was around the corner, hit the bank on the other side of the corner. He fell forward onto his shoulder and popped it out.
Neil padded under Jamie’s arm and wrapped him up to prevent movement, effectively putting him in a straight jacket. Katie phoned the helicopter and we had a one hour wait for it to arrive as they were all busy. The medic was dropped off and was left with us and the heli disappeared. A few words were exchanged and Jamie was wrapped in a big nappy type arrangement. Ten minutes later and the heli was back and whipped them both off into the skyline. We were now a group of five. Not an ideal start but group spirits were surprisingly upbeat. Jamie was a very good sport and took it well.
We gathered our kit and got ready to move on. It was now 12.30 and we could still see the Mont Fort station where we’d started from. Although today wasn’t set to be a massive day, we’d made almost no progress all morning. The last few hours shook me a little, it had taken me by surprise how quickly it was all over for Jamie, before it got started, really. I needed to get some turns in and get back into the flow of skiing and my head in the game. I didn’t want a momentary lapse of judgment to mean I’d be next!
A couple of steep turns and then we were off the top slopes on Mont Fort and the valley opened up as we moved out onto the glacier. We had some nice snow and I was able to get back into the flow of turning again and had a smile back on my face. After a short traverse out into the middle of the valley, we changed to uphill mode to ascend the slopes of the Rosablanche. Being late in the day now, it was a warm hour and a half of skinning. At 14.30 we were high enough to ski down to the hut. We’d have to give the summit of Rosablanche a miss due to being short on time, but we enjoyed some fast turns down the Prafleuri glacier to the Prafleuri hut which sits at 2624m and would be where we’d spend our first night out.
The top sections of snow were cold and crisp enough to hold a nice long carving turn, but lower down the snow became sticky and not so easy to ski. We arrived at the hut at 15.00 and it was now super warm and the terrace was full of tourers enjoying a beer in the sun. Neil checked us in with the hut guardian whilst we got to work hanging skins and boots out to dry. We joined the terrace for a few beers in the sun before dinner and recapped an eventful first day. We were treated to running water in this hut, a luxury we’d soon discover we shouldn’t become accustomed to.
After the last three days of skiing and being in boots for a while, my left ankle had swollen somewhat. This had happened before and I’d got my boot remolded and blown out to help prevent this, but it clearly hadn’t quite worked. I went to bed hoping the swelling would go down enough for it not to become more of an issue.
Day 4: Plafleuri hut - Dix hut. 14 km | 1000 m+ | 3.5/6 hours
We enjoyed a fairly relaxed morning, setting off at 8.00 in the end. From the Prafleuri hut we had one hour of skinning up the Col des Roux (2804m), where we took a slightly alternative route to the other groups, heading further west to come over the col in a higher position. This would allow us to avoid some uphill poling on the other side and would give us a cleaner traverse as we’d be around 60 metres higher. The normal route was also looking very icy so best avoided.
From here the long descending traverse above the Lac de Dix began. This section of the route is south facing, so we expected it to get warm, but so far it had stayed nice and cool. I skied down from the top of Col des Roux on a 35 degree-ish slope. The snow was hard and icy, and edging on my left ski vibrated my boot, adding pressure to my tender ankle. On my second turn coming round to the right, I fell, with searing ankle pain. As I had shifted my weight onto my left ski, the pressure on my ankle was too painful and I ended up hitting some clumps of ice and fell forward. I managed to pull myself back together and got going again, but I was now in a bad way and slowed right down, dropping off the back of the group. My mind was racing with frustration as to how I’d sort this situation out and recoup enough to push on, I couldn’t continue not being able to turn one way.
I limped through the rest of the ski down where the gorup had stopped to switch to touring mode. We set off skinning ten minutes later heading up the valley, it was now 10.30 and the day was quickly getting hot and hazy, a misty heat sitting in the valley. I was thankful that the next section was uphill so my weight would be on my shin rather than on my ankle.
There was a white, light cloud-covered sky and this would be the warmest and sweatiest we got all week. My ankle pain was getting serious and I was increasingly concerned about how I’d rectify the situation enough to push on for another three days, as this wasn’t going to sort itself out and I was currently stuck for solutions. Pushing on up with the skinning we could see the early birds up ahead higher in the valley. I was hoping the hut would come soon but in the meantime the softer snow that had melted in the days heat was less abrasive on my foot and ankle.
It was a bit of a slog along the reservoir in slush and sticky snow, making it hard to get into a flow between two skis as they slid less predictably and at different speeds. I was still refining my skinning technique. I inhaled a bag of sweets to distract myself from the ankle pain and hoped ibuprofen would do the trick for the afternoon, but knew loading up on them wouldn’t really be enough to get me through the rest of the trip.
At the end of the lake, we started the long climb up to the Dix hut, signalled by signage painted on big rocks we passed. Whilst this day seemed on paper that it would be quite short, the uphill finish in the afternoon heat made it feel long and a bit of a drag. By early afternoon we’d mostly drank all our water and didn’t have much to eat for lunch, so we’re low on energy. Katie had sunburnt hands which were looking swollen and painful so we we’re all keen to get our sights on the hut.
The hut sits at 2928m with a large sunny terrace where we planned to hang out and enjoy the view with a drink before dinner. Last night we’d set out the plan to try and push on and not have a prolonged lunch stop on the mountain in order to save ourselves for a rösti with beers at the hut, as we aimed to arrive at 13.30-14.00. It had been years since I’d had a proper rösti and it was music to my ears. I tucked into more nuts and sweets to get me through.
We had ten or so steep kick turns up the Pas du Chat before the track mellowed out and we were gifted a slight cooling breeze. We took a slightly longer route for the last section so we could top out at a higher point as Neil had a hunch we could get phone signal there and we were hoping we’d get an update come through from Jamie. It turned out he was fine and taken good care of at Sion hospital and didn’t need any surgery. A further few tighter turns up we then crested the final brow and got our first sights on our hut for the night. I skied up to Neil and could just about see the hut, sitting proudly with a contrasting roof that gave it away. I was relieved, I found today tough with the ankle pain so was reassured to know I’d be taking my boot off soon.
We arrived to a very warm welcome. This hut was big with two big dogs, a piano, a guitar, even a Sega Megadrive, and generally a fun, relaxed atmosphere. It was now baking hot outside and once we’d de-kitted we joined the social atmosphere on the terrace. We had beers and sat in the sun and some napped, we were now accustomed to the usual spring ski touring routine! My ankle was very swollen and I still didn’t have any ideas for how to rectify the situation, but I was trying not to dwell on it. The skin wasn’t broken, it was just swollen from extended pressure from the boot over the last few long days of skiing.
I enjoyed heading into dinner to join familiar faces from the previous nights. Most touring groups are all on the same schedule, moving from hut to hut each day. We spent the days mostly with Brits, but also a group of Germans, some Norwegians, a few Canadians and a group of Icelandic's.
Whilst out on the terrace filming with his drone, Elliot tripped on a step and cut his shin open. Ideally, this could have done with a stitch, but he managed to stop the bleeding enough and seal it up with a Compeed and then tape. That was not gunna feel good in a ski boot! The trip was fast becoming a battle of attrition.
At dinner, we discussed my ankle issue and Neil and Katie recommended cutting a hole in my boot liner to relieve pressure on my ankle. With no other viable options, I sat at the table with my Swiss Army knife and began cutting out a circle of stuffing in my boot liner. I didn’t look pretty but I hoped it would do the trick, although wasn’t really convinced. Tomorrow was an early start so I’d soon find out how it would feel.
Day 5: Dix hut - Vignettes hut. 11 km | 1000 m+ | 3.5/5 hours
We were up for an earlier breakfast at 5.30 which was a slight shock to the system, and managed to set off at 6.30. This would be a shorter day but we wanted to get out early to tackle the technical uphill sections in the cool and avoid the heat of the afternoon sun and subsequent increased avalanche risk. Initially, my boots felt good so I was feeling positive about the day and got pumped up for a fun day skiing. I was surprised and on initial reflection was very glad to have decided to cut my boot out, quite an uncharacteristic move from me but one that was instantly paying off.
We skied and side-slipped cautiously down onto the Glacier de Cheilon on some bulletproof ice and narrow, tricky sections of track. The sun had just about come up so no head torch was needed, there was enough light to see and slide our way down, although the snow was so hard a slip would be easy and costly. We all concentrated hard. I could see other groups ahead of us, lower in the valley with their torches on at the changeover point where the sun hadn’t quite reached, still in darkness. We reached then in a few minutes and after a quick turnaround, we began heading up with a few other groups, chatting as we began ascending. We climbed eastwards up the glacier below the Pointes de Tsena Réfien and there was now a glowing morning light now and crisp cold snow which created a special atmosphere amongst us.
This first ascent involved 900m of climb and took about three hours, passing through some steep glacial terrain, before continuing on to make the long ascent to summit the Pigne d’Arolla at 3790m, which would mark the highest point we’d reach on the trip. In the lower parts of the glacier, we heard multiple booms below us as we skinned up. This was air pockets below the ice collapsing. It was quite alarming and we looked at each other, questioning the safety of the slope. A stark reminder to take it super easy and spread out, keeping our distance.
The higher, steeper slopes got icy so we added our ski crampons for grip. We passed deep holes in the snow next to the skin track which we could see a good few feet down into the glacier’s black abyss. The morning light and fresh temperature was ideal and despite the danger, I was enjoying the skin this morning, relieved my ankle felt good and enjoying the challenge.
We crested the col’s brow and the Serpentine came into view on our left, behind that the Matterhorn and Dent du Heron stood in the distance. The sun had now risen enough to shine on us and the skies were a brilliant blue. The mountain panorama surrounding us, with the groups behind us making their way towards me, made for an incredible feeling and felt very remote.
Now for the tricky bit. We’d continue on towards the Serpentine, a prominent and steep section ahead of us, now in sight. This slope can be hard-packed or icy and the steep drops of the seracs below to the left lie very close to the track, so a fall could be fairly catastrophic. Once tackled this section leads on round to the summit of Pigne d’Arolla where we could descend from.
We’d been going two and a half hours now, so pit stopped to have a bite to eat and get our ice axes on our hips and boot crampons handy. We begin the passage of the Serpentine, which sat in the shade in front of us and we could see the German team ahead. They were still on skis, so Neil decided we could also continue with them on, as unusually today's conditions permitted us to do so. Usually, this ascent is done on foot with boot crampons, this would be the first time Neil has done this and not needed them. There were some steep and slippy sections, but we moved on through fine and pushed on, maintaining progress, over the Col du Brenay and soon reaching the Pigne summit at 10.40. It was windy up there so we chilled down quickly. We had ten minutes or so of photos and chat, and then changed to downhill mode to get going again. This morning’s climb up from the hut to the summit was my favourite section of the trip. The light, fresh snow, time of day, and trickier conditions requiring additional concentration created a rewarding morning.
We could clearly see the Matterhorn from the summit, our final destination where we hoped to be tomorrow afternoon. It looked very far away, though, but so did where we’d started from this morning. Skis are an incredible way of travelling and such an efficient mode of transport in the mountains. We picked our way down gingerly with a few turns on some iffy snow and then traversed back around and under the Pigne summit and seracs to our hut for tonight. The traverse starts with a tight sideslip to navigate rocks. The traverse line was blown out in places from debris falling down from above, another sign of current instabilities and something Neil hadn’t seen at this point before. It’s usually clean and a simple traverse.
We made it safely over though, individually, and then picked our way across the ridge to the Vignettes hut which perched on the mountainside at a remarkable 3160m. Walking inside it felt like a chalet. We had a warm welcome and this hut had multiple smaller rooms rather than larger communal ones like we’d previously had. They had a good beer selection and even an espresso machine! I was easily convinced to have another rösti and beer for lunch, then took a nap. I felt the altitude here - I was short of breath when climbing into bed and lay down gasping.
Today felt much easier than previous days, for several reasons. Miraculously my ankle was now good, cutting the liner through had worked a treat and offered instant relief. Also, as we started early we were skinning in the cool of the morning so we avoided a sweaty post-lunch slog in slush. We therefore didn’t arrive at the hut boiling and soaked through so it was much more relaxing, despite a more technical and demanding day. The earlier alarm was well worth it.
We reconvened at the dinner table and began discussions about tomorrow’s plans. Tomorrow the Haute Route takes us to Zermatt, however, the descent on the Stockji glacier above Zermatt is a considerable risk. Neil recently had a friend and fellow guide fall into a crevasse on the glacier (which we later saw), so he was feeling apprehensive about the descent and wasn’t sure whether to risk it or not. The alternative option was to ski tour a local peak and then at the end of the day head down to Arolla and get picked up from there instead.
Following the evening guide meeting, there was talk that Swiss Army may have been probing the glacial bridges and had marked a safe route out due to the Patrouille des Glaciers (PdG) running later that month. I was keen to push on but only if the whole team were on board. The final group decision was that we would take on the big day and head for Zermatt. We headed off to bed anticipating the biggest day yet and a grand finale - tomorrow would be as big as yesterday and today combined.
Day 6: Vignettes hut - Zermatt. 32 km | 1500 m+ | 5.5/9.5 hours
An earlier 4.30 start for the big finale. At 6.00 we’re on our way after minimal faff. We were keen to get moving and were also well versed in these early morning ‘get up and go’s’ now. This would be a big day with a wide variety of snow and conditions - starting with a cold, pre-dawn start and finishing with a sunny pole through Zermatt’s pine woods. From powder on Col de L’Eveque to porridge on Col Valpelline, steady skinning to fast turns on open glaciers through crevasses, this would be a long and committing final day.
With our head torches on, after walking the ridgeline from the hut to find space to put skis on, we cautiously side-slipped down and across from the hut for 20 minutes or so on hard icy snow in the dawn light. Four or five groups had left the hut at a similar time so we moved down the mountain together, each taking turns and giving each other plenty of room. It was quiet and there wasn’t much talk amongst us, we were concentrating hard on the technical terrain in the low light, conscious of the size of the day’s task and how close we were to the finish line, this afternoon’s beer would taste good!
Soon came the changeover on the plateau below and we started skinning at 6.30. We could relax for the time being now and make our way uphill, eventually reaching the top of the Col de L’Eveque (3386m) an hour later. In a large group of now five or six teams, we all stood on top of the ridge, pleased with the morning’s skin and looking forward to some downhill turns on the Glacier d’Oren’s slopes below that were now sitting in the morning’s sun. We again looked for a quick changeover, making off before the other groups so we could stay ahead of the bunch.
A short traverse took us to the next plateau where, at 8.00, we’d change over again for the second climb of the day up to the Col du Mont Brule (3576m) which would take us around 45 minutes. Then we got geared up for the most technical part of the day, which we’d need to tackle by foot. We got boot crampons on, ice axes out and strapped our skis to our backpacks. There was an air of anticipation and urgency in this transition as Neil hurried us along and tried to ensure we stayed ahead of most of the other groups. This section highlighted the only downside to this route, that being its popularity when it comes to a section like this, creating a bottleneck. Once we got kitted up and checked each other over for knots being tied correctly and crampons on properly, there was a group of around 25 at the foot of the climb, with plenty of other groups on the skin track below making their way towards us.
We got going and started the boot-pack, which took around 30 minutes. The rhythm and walking routine was tricky when all closely connected together and as the terrain changed from snow steps to ice to big then loose rocks. We continued making progress with small steps and remembering to stand up straight, using our ice axes as walking sticks for purchase. Do not fall was the crucial message here, as you would take a lot of people down with you who were below.
We summited the Col successfully and enjoyed a more leisurely break at the top whilst changing to downhill mode yet again and eating, drinking and chatting. We had been racing other groups a little this morning to get over this section before the other teams. It’s a bottleneck in the route and can be dangerous - if one falls then a whole team below can be wiped out by a team of tumbling bodies roped together. We were pleased we’d arrived second in line and the first group was a decent margin ahead not to worry us. The day’s technical tasks were now done, the initial skinning and climbing, now we just had one more lengthy skin and a final long descent.
During the now more relaxed changeover, eating my sandwich in-between taking each skin off, I noticed one of my skis had delaminated under the binding. This was a pretty serious problem and if my binding came away from my broken ski it would mean I couldn’t continue the tour. I was so close to the finish now I would be devastated if I needed to be rescued at this stage.
I needed to take it very easy and hope the ski held out. I continued to get ready to move off and was worried the ski would break mid-turn and cause me to crash. We had a short cruise down the other side of the col which took us into Italy for all of 10 minutes, and I was grateful the snow was softening up. I’d made it down this descent fine and we now were moving uphill again for the final climb of the trip - the Col de Valpeline which took us up to 3562m. For this skin up I had a ski strap on tight over the binding screws, hoping it would prolong the life of the ski that bit more and prevent a catastrophic kit failure. The Col de Valpelline didn't look that far away, but it took a good two hours to reach. Traffic on the slope was increasing with big groups of skiers that we hadn't seen before making their way in and out of Zermatt, training for the PdG.
Reaching the steeper top sections there were exposed sections ice shining blue in the sun. Skinning was slightly sketchy with my added strap but it was reassuring so I kept it on. I was placing my right foot with accuracy to ensure I didn't flex the ski unnecessarily, but this was draining and took concentration. We passed multiple big exposed rocks on our way up the skin track. Neil has never seen these before, they’re normally covered in snow. This shows how short of snowfall the Alps are this winter, there’s normally two or three meters more.
Cresting the final col of the trip, the Matterhorn reared up ahead, opening the way to the final huge 1900m descent down the Stockji and Zmutti glaciers under the north face of the Matterhorn down to Zermatt. We were on the summit at exactly 12 midday and this was the closest to the Matterhorn and Dent du Hiron we’d get. We’d seen them from a distance over the last few days and now we were finally here.
Descending the glaciers was exhausting for me. I was concentrating so hard not to ski on my right foot and make as soft a turn left as possible. We could see and follow the poles laid out by the army for the PdG route, indicating what we hoped was a safe passage. We all ski’d cautiously and didn't hang about. We passed under seracs with debris below from previous falls, presenting hard snow and chunks of ice as obstacles in front of us. We continued skiing down the fall line and then headed right to traverse along the bank of the glacier to avoid exposed rock that would force us to walk.
Approaching 13.00 it got very hot and the snow was sticky and slushy with puddles now forming. My face was pretty dry and worn now and body feeling the last few days skiing. It took increasing effort to turn and maintain speed the lower we got and the more porridge-like the snow became. Debris and falling rocks were tumbling down beside us, then the slopes levelled out and we navigated rocks and trees and all sorts. Lots of poling in the heat was sweaty work, we all just wanted to be in town with a beer now.
We picked our way through various obstacles for what seemed about hour, and finally, after a short walk, made it through to a smart restaurant, Stafelalp. We stopped for beer and a charcuterie board to recharge. We weren’t quite at the finish line but I was hugely relieved I’d made it off the glacier with my ski intact.
After the pit stop, feeling revitalised, we got our skis back on to follow a piste run into town. We did have another quick stop at a bar on the side of the piste - pulling in for a final génépi, then ski’d on down to town to jump in an electric vehicle that took us to our pickup. We were off at 15:30, heading back to Cham where a much-needed shower was first on the agenda.
It had been a very long day, 10+ hours of skiing, with lots of varying sections - we skinned up steeps, side slipped down technical tracks, bootpacked with crampons, traversed in slush, poled along miles of flat. We skied ice and patchy snow, but also a few inches of fresh powder. The day had every element of ski mountaineering and we worked well as a team and thankfully all made it to the end in one piece. It had been an animated and inspiring journey.
Celebratory beers under the Matterhorn
Additional thoughts
This was our version of the Haute Route and everyone’s trip will differ somewhat depending on the group dynamics, daily conditions and whatever else is thrown your way.
It’s an intense experience between the group, you spend almost a full 24 hours each day with the team together. As we’re all travelling very light it’s likely someone won’t have a particular piece of kit needed for every eventuality, so teamwork, sharing and helping each other out to problem-solve together very much helps. I felt very lucky and thankful we had such a positive team dynamic and were all the same age and on a similar ability level, plus we had a female in the group for balance, which not many other groups did.
We had various unforeseen situations - a dislocated shoulder, many blisters on feet and hands, split shins, broken skis, sunburn, and so on. Personal organisation helps a lot, as we all as being prepared for all sorts. There’s lots going on either side of the skiing and various things to think about and get prepped for, from managing hygiene to hydration and fuelling.
It’s a hugely rewarding trip moving from one hut to the next, carrying everything with you, and I enjoyed finding out what each hut offered and its characteristics. Only one of the huts had running water, so you need to be OK with that. Food is also pretty basic, you get plenty of quantity, though, which is important. Each evening we had soup and a meat stew or bolognese with rice or pasta, then a tart or cake for dessert. You have oats for breakfast with a piece of bread, and can leave with a sandwich for lunch if you’ve ordered one the night before. Bottled water comes at a premium, as it’s helicoptered in, like everything else. A 1.5 liter bottle is €9, a beer is €6.5, so it quickly adds up.
Since completing this trip I have built confidence and gained experience in various unpredicted circumstances, and feel ready for some bigger and more remote trips. I now hope to look for ski tours further afield and on less familiar terrain. Bring it on!
Neil MacKay’s photos
Other media
I was on this trip with Katie Bamber, a ski journalist, who writes for Fall Line, a UK ski magazine. Her photo of me and some words on this trip were published in issue 184 in October 2022.
Fall Line ski magazine issue 184
Further info
See more at: chamonix.net, zermatt.ch.
Useful links: FATMAP route guide, Alps Insight route guide, Sidetracked’s No Sleep til Zermatt trip report, Faction’s Haute Route in a Single Push article, Andrew Mazibrada’s The Classic Haute Route.
Short films: Zermatt to Verbier, The Skier's Haute Route, The Traverse (trailer), Chamonix-Zermatt, an alternative Haute Route.
Related reading:
- Ski Touring: A Practical Manual, Bruce Goodlad
- Ski Rando Europe: Best of Ski Touring, Ski Rando Magazine
- Free Skiing - How to Adapt to the Mountain, Jimmy Odén
- The Haute Route - Chamonix-Zermatt, Peter Cliff
- Powder, The Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet, Patrick Thorne
- 30 Years in a White Haze, Dan Egan & Eric Wilbur
- The Art of Shralpinism: Lessons from the Mountains, Jeremy Jones
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15 Sep 2024