Haute Route 11th-17th April

'The Haute Route' The High level route for skiers.

Dates:Sunday 11th-Sat 17th April. inclusive. 7 days. £595 Plus clients expenses approx £350 (lifts, hut costs, food, transfers)
The Haute route is a journey which traverses through the Alpine Mountains and glaciers between Chamonix and Zermat.

It was first completed on foot by an English group at the end of the 19th century and is now a popular trek and ski tour.Zermat is about 70 km from Chamonix but the actual route is much longer.There are 2 main variations and we will be doing the ‘skiers’ variation via Verbier which allows for the most skiing. It requires a competent level of off piste ability and fitness

Outline Itinerary of Skiing the Haute Route

Day 1 After meeting up and a check of ski equipment the team will have a general shake down day. Skiing off piste, getting familar with skins and bindings, tranciever usage, and skiing as a group. A full kit check will take place in the evening.

Day 2 First Lift from Argentiere to Grands Montete. Descent of the Glacier des Rognons followed by a big climb to the Col du Chardonnet. A short steep descent and long traverse to the to the Fenetre du Saleina takes us to the Plateau du Trient and the very welcome sight of the Cabane du Trient.

Day 3 A long descent through the Val D’Arpette to Champex is followed by jumping on a bus to reach Verbier. A lift up and short tour will take us to the Cabane de Mont Fort.

Day 4 An early start allows us to skin up past the pistes in the quiet and cross the ‘Grande Desert’ before the heat of the day. If all are feeling fit we will ascend the Rosablanche which has great views before descending to the Plafleuri.

Day 5 Over the Col Des Roux before the long traverse by the Lac des Dix climbing through the Pas De Chat to the Cabane des Dix.

Day 6 If conditions and weather are fine we will ski over the Pigne D’Arolla down to the Cabane des Vignette

Day7 The longest day. Over 3 cols followed by a magnificent descent under the Matterhorn to Zermat. Return to Chamonix by mini bus or train.The is an outline itinerary and may vary according to weather, conditions etc

Logistics of ski Tour for Haute Route

It is recommended that all skiers have the shake down day prior to the tour starting. This day will allow the skier to get their ski legs back and to make sure all ski kit is in good working order. If hire kit is being used this is especially important. Once the ski tour has started it will not be possible to make any changes to ski kit. Skiers n eed to be ready on Monday to go for it, there will be no time to turn around. If a turn around is required it may jeopardise the whole expedition for the whole team.
It is recommended that clients stay at the start and end of the tour in the Hotel Chauminere, in Chamonix. The Hotel will store any equipment, not needed on the trip, until the team return in a week’s time. It is not possible to have any spare equipment transferred to Zermat. All the team will be transferred from Zermat by mini bus at the end of the tour back to Chamonix.

Accommodation while on Haute route

All hut nights will be forward booked by Twid so clients need not worry about reserving any huts. All huts will be booked for ‘Demi Pension’ which means diner bed and breakfast. Diner is normally a nutricous filling meal with plenty of carbohydrates. Drinks are extra and a generally most folk take extra ‘brew’ kit and just buy hot water to rehydrate. All water in Alpine huts has to be melted hence the fee. Wine and beer is also available to purchase. A sleeping bag is not required as all huts have either duvets or blankets. A sleeping silk bag is now a requirement in most huts and saves those itchy blankets. Ear plugs are recommended for light/most sleepers!
On arriving in Zermat it is intended that the team transfer back to Chamonix the same day.You should book your Hotel (Chaumiere)at start and end of trip but do not worry about huts.

Food
All huts will provide evening meal and breakfast. An option for vegetarians is always on offer, it may not be as appealing as the meat option unfortunately. During the day clients must carry their pack lunches for the 6 days. Some provisions can be supplemented from the huts but will be expensive. It is useful that any vegetarians make a note to tell Twid at start of trip. It is generally ok as long as on arrival at the hut that the Guide makes the Guardian aware of any dietary needs. You need to bring brew kit +lunches+cash for extra’s

Cost
Guiding fee and all of Guides expenses. £595 per person(£400 deposit)

What is included in the price for the Haute Route?
All Guides fees (Guides accommodation and food, travel and up lift). You pay the Guiding fee and the Guide pays all their own expenses. All you then have to pay for are your own expenses

What is not included?
Ski hire andboot hire
Insurance must be mountaineering Alpine cover which includes all your travel days also.Active Card or BMC recommended www.active-card.co.uk, www.thebmc.co.uk
Food
Accommodation Hut nights and valley Hotel nights (70sfr per night db and b)
Lift passes(Verbier and Chamonix)
Zermat-Chamonix transfer (around 50sfr)

As a ball park figure £300 should be a basic amount of expenses that will cover the client once leaving Chamonix to getting back. This does not cover extra drinks and food in huts. It is best that cash is carried as most huts do not accept credit cards. Most of the cash should be in Swiss Francs. Please carry a credit card for emergency plus your passport, insurance details and E1II. An Austrian or BMC Club card is useful for reduced fees in huts. Group rates

Kit List for Ski Touring
Certain specalised safety equipment can be hired from the Guide. Shovel, Transceiver, probe, harness. It must be pre ordered by email to secure its loan. It is expected that all clients will kit themselves out with the necessary equipment prior to leaving the UK.

Hire skies can be got hold of from many Chamonix shops. We recommend Snell Sports in the main street of Chamonix. It is not possible to hire skies on the same day as the start of the tour as the team will require an early start to get to the Trient hut. A late start is not possible due to heat of the day changing the snow making a late start a dangerous option.

Kit List# means you can borrow from Twid.
Please send an email to ask for its use. I can cover a few sets so if you have the gear please bring it with you.

Kit	# can be borrowed from Twid
Skis	Always go for an off piste ski with a Fritschi binding. Best not use touring skis unless you are a Jedi on the planks. Most Guides use a wide off piste ski like the 10.80 Salomon ski for easy of skinning. Remember wider skis allow you to use a shorter ski. If you have a ski that is unsuitable the Guide will recommend that you hire something else. I ski on a 175 length ski and I am about 11 stone honest! Fritishi bindings are standard for most ski tourers and easy to get spares for. It is cheaper to buy these in Salanche at Voyeur Campeur but remember that it may take a day to sort them out. The Free ride binding is a beefed up binding that you could use more on piste also but not with down hill boots.
Boots	Touring boots only. I find Scarpa boots fit wide feet and Garmont narrow feet. Most hire shops have very good boots to hire.
Poles	Best have solid poles not telescopic ones as they are very week. We will carry on spare pole on the trip as a group. Best have big baskets on the ends of the poles.
Skins	Skins must cover the full width and length of ski, modern skis need there own skins cut to fit each ski.
Harshisen	Knives. Totally essential everybody must have these.
Leashes	Leashes for your skis in case you loose a break or for deep snow.
#Transceiver	Mammut Focus recommended
Harness	Adjustable and light ideal.
#Mountain kit	4 screw gates, 1 snap link Krab, 2 prussic and a 1.2m sling. A rope man is useful also.#Axe. I use a 40/45cm DMM touring axe short is best try and get it in your sack.
#Crampons.	Specific touring crampons are best but any would do. Ones with a bail on front fit well o touring boots.
#Probe
#Shovel	(plastic light -metal longer lasting)
Head torch	led type best(lightest)
Map	Map 1:25,000 Chamonix map and 1:50,000 Arolla touring map
Hats	Woolly hat and Sun hatSun cream and lipi
Suncream	Sun cream and lipi factor 25+
sunglasses	cat 4A
Goggles
Clothes	Trousers to ski in.Fleece is ok but thinner climbing pants will work
Clothes	Thermal, Thin fleece top and Thick fleece top or Duvet jacket small ideally.
Shell	Gortex top and Gortex Bottom. Just soft shell will not do!
Gloves	Thin ski gloves and thick ski gloves. Ideally leather palms
Water	1 litre water bottle. Camel backs are a bit of a risk but ok if need be.
Ruck sac	40/45 litre ruck sac light as possible
Bivi bag	A small bivi bag. I use a Lyon equipment poly bag. It is wallet size (1/5 the weight of an orange one) we will have group shelters also for emergency
tea bags	Brew kit tea bags(herbal good) no stove required. You just buy hot water in huts.
E111	now European health card. Now gives some cover in Switzerland also
Insurance	copy normally a card suffices.
Plasters	Plasters. I always tape up my shins with white zinc oxide tape. Get a real of climbers tape from the wall.
Pain killers	Pain killers of choice
Cash	Cash 100 Euros 500 Swiss Francs should do unless you like a few beers!
credit card
Mobile	You can get reception at most huts