Haute route: Chamonix - Zermatt

I'm planning (ok, starting to plan) a trip next spring, and in addition to the stuff I have googled, I'm hoping someone here has done it and have some information to share.

I'll be travelling with some friends who are good skiers, and have no problems "executing hop parallel turns or pedal-hop turns on 35° firm snow". We also have reasonably good experience with touring, and the last Easters we have been on 5-7 day "touring tours" with 4000+ feet hikes every day, so we are in ok shape (at least after Easter).

So - do we need a guide, or can we do it on our own with maps, compass, GPS and a good guide book? Which book(s) should I read?

Is it enough with "the usual touring gear" (rando gear, 30l packs, helmets, dry socks and base layers, crampons and ice axes), or do we need climbing harnesses, ropes, ice screws, etc too? And how about lip balm? ;)

When is a good time to go? Late April? Do we have to make reservations at the huts? Can we dry our clothes at the huts? Huw much does it cost to stay at the huts?

Any comments to these schedules?
http://www.swissrockguides.com/The%2...te%20Route.htm
http://www.cosleyhouston.com/haute-route.htm

Anything else I should have asked about?

All help and information is appreciated - thanks!

you're nothing without it ! All other guys will look down on you if you don't have cherry flavoured lip balm with you !

well concerning the prices: cheap to moderate. depening on the comfort.
in the bigger huts you can dry your clothes. I've never been on the haute route myself but ususally the bigger huts in the alps all work the same.

you'll be able to find your way(according to a friend who did some part of the haute route) with GPS /maps etc. (good alpine 1:25.000 of course)
but i would not risk anything on a day with changeable weather.....
normal touring gear should be sufficient, but im not certain on that info.
Anyway a rope and a harness should always be in your pack/on your hip ;) when hiking/skiing in vast glaciated terrain, so im considering that normal gear.............
and ice screwes can are always good for a safer abseiling if in need.

nice pick.
There are at least 3 different books, one is
http://www.mapsworldwide.com/mwwlive/m24774.htm
Never done from Cham, did it from Verb (which is the reverse of the partouillie de glacier, www.pdg.ch). April-may is the best. Do not spare on harnesses, ropes, screws.... once you are there, if the weather is OK, you will be tempted to climb one of the summits surrounding you. Prolly Dent d'Herens is the easiest 4000 you can try, but the choice is AMPLE! ;)

...and please, before we hear any more yokels mangling the pronunciation, it's the OAT ROOT. Not that difficult.

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Originally Posted by bad_roo

...and please, before we hear any more yokels mangling the pronunciation, it's the OAT ROOT. Not that difficult.

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Supid french... why'd they put h's in their words if they don't know how to pronounce the letter?

The Haute Route is on my list as well!!

There are a bunch of good threads on the subject (including guide vs. unguided, huts, and gear) at:

http://www.telemarktips.com/

just do a search for "Haute".

Leave out the "route" and it narrows your search considerably.

Make sure you take lip balm.

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Originally Posted by Bzzzt

...or do we need climbing harnesses, ropes, ice screws, etc too?

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You DEFINETLY need all the gacier shtick with you if you do the Cham-Zermat HR.

Over half of the route is ON the glaciers ; chardonnet,saleina,d´otemma, zmutt etc...

Couple friends did it two years ago. In addition to the normal glacier humping they had to do couple of abseils since some of the couloirs had avalnched down to ice. They said it was intresting to do a multipitch abseil down a 30-40´slope.
Otherwise their trip went fine.
And if i recall right, they didnt have a guide with them, but all of them are quite comfortable in the mountains.


PS. One exelent book is this :

CICERONE GUIDE by Bill O´Connor.
ALPINE SKIMOUNTAINERING :VOL I : Western Alpsisbn 1 85284 373


And remember: Zink is the new Pink.

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Originally Posted by bad_roo

...and please, before we hear any more yokels mangling the pronunciation, it's the OAT ROOT. Not that difficult.

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I googled oat root and came up with this:

Purification of the Fusicoccin-Binding Protein from Oat Root Plasma Membrane by Affinity Chromatography with Biotinylated Fusicoccin.


is this something we should be packing?

We did it with a guide and don't regret it, but it could be done without IF you or someone in your group knows French or German, has traveled allot on glaciers with map, altimeter and compass as you cant depend only on the GPS to save you. The best part was not having to worry about the taxi/bus connections or finding the right way was nice for a change, almost too easy as I've always enjoyed finding my own way, but a good way to relax.

There is one tricky spot the first day that most people rap down, but if it's not too rutted up its quite skiable. We could have done the first three days without a guide, but local knowledge helped as the fog came in and it snowed three feet. Knowing the escape was priceless. The skiing is not hard overall and mostly flat but some of the skinning is steep could be considered exposed to some people, I would definitely practice skiing, kick turns and skinning, if your friends are only comfortable doing hop turns on 35 degree slopes. Hell there was a group I though had no business out there, but they made it.

There are some great classic skis in the area(off the Haute Route) some that were fucking amazing, chutes and couloirs that will make your head spin. Thinking about skiing them again makes me know I am going back. There is a variation of the first day that I am going to try and do next time, instead of going to the col de Chardonnet, you go a bit further up the valley and climb to the top of the peak and ski down the back side and rejoin the route. Cant remember the name of it, but is very clear if you look into it, not a place to take the faint of hart though, but truly a classic line.

Have fun

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Originally Posted by bad_roo

...and please, before we hear any more yokels mangling the pronunciation, it's the OAT ROOT. Not that difficult.

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Roo, calling Matt Collins in High Life a yokel? ;)


"That's right, the Haute route........bypassing all this sick terrain.......but we just wanted to build a kicker anyway." :D

Did the Grande Lui Variation in April of 2002. Highly reccommend this route. It is longest and most difficult of the variations, but the route is almost entirely on snow - the other variations require bus/taxi rides to verbier or bourg st. pierre. Also, the descent down to La Fouly is the best skiing on the route, and you get to stay at the St. Bernard Monastary.

do we need a guide, or can we do it on our own with maps, compass, GPS and a good guide book? Which book(s) should I read?

No need for a guide - during touring season, there will be lots of people on the route, every night at the hut the topic of disscussion will invariably turn to the next day. Pretty easy to get beta. The Peter Cliff guidebook is excellent. You won't need a GPS, but you need a compass and altimeter. The route descriptions will use elevation references throughout. The French and Swiss Maps are of outstanding quality.

Is it enough with "the usual touring gear" (rando gear, 30l packs, helmets, dry socks and base layers, crampons and ice axes), or do we need climbing harnesses, ropes, ice screws, etc too? And how about lip balm? ;)

Full on glacier gear (harness, glacier rope, ice screws etc needed....as well as the ability to use them) No need for a helmet. Crampons essential. If you are comfortable climbing 45 degree slopes with steps already kicked in, an ice axe is not needed.

When is a good time to go? Late April? Do we have to make reservations at the huts? Can we dry our clothes at the huts? Huw much does it cost to stay at the huts?

Huts on the route are guarded starting April 1st. I would reccommend going in early April - Better snow conditions. Cost is around $50 american, includes a place to sleep, dinner and breakfast. Plan on spending a bit more for lunch snacks and vin chaude. Reservations are a must. The hut guardians will not turn you away without a reservation, but you may not get anything to eat. The guides office in cham can help with reservations.


Go do it and have fun.......this was one of the most memorable things I have ever done on skis.

swiss alpine club. german or french only. click on Hütten (huts). there you can search for huts and make reservations.

http://www.sac-cas.ch

see also:
http://www.tourdusaintbernard.com

look under "Adresses utiles".
you will find a listing of many Hebergements (refuges, hospice, pensions, etc.) in the "Le pais du St. Bernard" (the land of St B.)

I would second the motion on things already said:

FOG/low clouds - will kill you if it rolls in w/o experience or guide. I have skied Super St B on great pow days and could not see 20ft infront of me. No perspective, no depth of field. Couple people I came with had nausea/vertigo and had to sit out at times. I cannot imagine having to make progress to the next refuge under such conditions.

SAFETY gear - take all that you are reco'd to take by guide books and others on this board. If you need something in an emergency, you will be thankful.

RESERVations - needed weekends, make them. weekdays, typically you will find space. Check schedules of refuge's/mtn huts. I know some are only open certain days of the week. Some open 7 days. CAS-Club Alpin Suisse has refuges (aka: SAC in German - ripzalot passed their web addy to u) that I know of that are open only Weds.thru Sun. Another is open only Sat. & Sun.

Cell phone/Portable (in France) /Natel (in CH) - Make sure you have a couple working tri-bands cell phones w/ euro adapter to charge. If not tri-band, you may have to purchase service cards for FR and CH.


PM me in March/April. If you are looking for another trekker I could hook up with you for a couple days in the Pais du St. B.

litt

Another thing about refuges/huts:
BEDding - always verify the arrangements. Most require that you bring sleeping bag (un sac a couchage), or sheets (les draps). Also, you need to pack a pillow case (un oreiller). Most huts have ample supply of blankets and pillows, but ask. Many persons backpacking using the refuges/huts system carry the minimal of a large sheet and pillow case.

litt

just read my post. My bad; :mad:
pillow = un oreiller
pillow case = une housse d'oreiller, ou, une taie d'oreiller.

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Originally Posted by Lostinthetrees

just read my post. My bad; :mad:
pillow = un oreiller
pillow case = une housse d'oreiller, ou, une taie d'oreiller.

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Ne mordez pas votre oreiller