The walker's Haute Route travels from Chamonix (France) to Zermatt (Switzerland) up and over 11
passes, traversing from valley to valley just below a number of large glaciers and beautiful panoramas.
It tracks along the traditional Haute Route (typically done in the winter of many of the same glaciers
and peaks we saw), both of which avoid traveling down in the Rhone river valley miles to the north.
These are photos from the first 5 stages of the hike. Each day, we hiked close to 10 miles and
about 3500 feet of elevation change. We hiked through cow and sheep pastures (with clanging cowbells)
and up and down steep terrain into tiny little towns nestled amongst the alps or mountain huts (cabanes)
that were off the grid (yet still could hold 60-100 people).
For this first part, we took the bus from Chamonix to Le Tour (to cut out the valley walk), hiked from La
Tour to Col de La Forclaz, then hiked from Col de La Forclaz up and over Fenetre D'Arpette down into
Champex. From Champex, we used the bus and the train to get over to Verbier, where we hiked up to Cabane
du Mont Fort. From the Cabane, we crossed three passes to reach Cabane de Prafleuri. The following day
crossed two passes to reach Arolla where we took a much needed rest day.
See Part 2 of the Haute Route Photos
The hotel Mont-Blanc in front of Mont Blanc in Chamonix
Lisa and Brian
Mont Blanc
Church in Chamonix
Mont Blanc from Le Brevent across the valley
Chamonix from above
The valley leading up to our first pass on the left (Col de Balme)
Mont Blanc from Le Brevent across the valley
Starting the hike up and out of Le Tour - Mont Blanc in the background
Brian hiking up towards Col de Balme on the first day
Col de Balme (7229 ft) This pass marks the border between France and Switzerland
Lisa on the Swiss side of Col de Balme
Brian and Lisa
The Col de Balme refuge on the pass The front door of this refuge is in Switzerland...the rest is in France.
Looking back on Col de Balme and the refuge
Trient (4268 ft) and Col de La Forclaz (5017ft) in the valley below
A view up the valley of tomorrow's hike
Crossing a small stream before entering Trient
La Forclaz
The route down from Col de Balme on the first day Trient in the valley below
Col de La Forclaz Our first night"s lodging at the top of this small pass between Trient and Martigny
The trail following a small bisse (water irrigation channel)
Glacier du Trient The photo cannot really show the scale of this glacier...our best guess was that the glacier was probably 50 feet tall at its terminus
Hiking around an exposed point with a fixed chain
Glacier du Trient
Fenetre D'arpette (8741 ft) in the distance This was probably the steepest climbing day. We climbed 3500 feet in 2 miles, working out to be a 32% grade on average
Glacier du Trient
Glacier du Trient
Nearing the top of Fenetre D'arpette
The busy summit of the pass This stage of the Haute Route is shared with the even more popular Tour of Mont Blanc, so this pass was particularly busy
Lisa and Brian above Val D'arpette to the east
Val D'arpette
Looking down the far side of the pass...yes, it really is that steep
Descending the steep pass
The trail coming down from the pass through a boulder field
Brian along the trail
Val D'arpette, looking back towards the pass
Val D'Arpette, still a few miles above Champex
Arriving in the small resort town of Champex
The train station in Sembrancher To avoid the long valley walk from Champex to Le Chable, we took a bus down to Orsiers, a train to Sembrancher, another train to Le Chable, then a bus to Verbier
Depeche Mode - now available in CD or a boutique
Verbier This ski town was nestled in a huge valley with ski slopes coming down from all sides of the valley
Hiking up through Verbier
Lisa
Hiking up through Clambin
Brian
Grand Combin (14,154 ft) in the distance from Les Ruinettes
Lisa overlooks the valley (Sembrancher in the distance)
A paraglider
Cabane du Mont Fort (8060 ft) The cabane is actually smack in the middle of a ski valley (note the lift tower in the distance)
Cabane du Mont Fort
A butterfly lands on Lisa's hand
Our room at the cabane
One of the dorm rooms in the cabane
...an unexpected poster to find in a Cabane in Switzerland
The evening's hut residents out on the porch watching the sunset
The valley below
Grand Combin in the distance around Bec Termin Tomorrow"s trail is faintly visible up the grassy slope to the left
Sunset at Cabane du Mont Fort
Inside the dining area of the cabane
Inside the dining area of the cabane
Airing out the laundry in our tiny room
Setting out towards Cabane de Prafleuri
Hiking up to Col Termin Cabane du Mont Fort just visible on the left
Just a bit "slopey"
Fantastic views of Grand Combin from the trail
Brian
Nearing Col Termin
Grand Combin
Fixed chains in an exposed section of trail
Lisa
Col Termin (8685 ft)
Looking down to Lac de Louvie 2400 feet below
This is the "balcony" part of the path
More balcony
Brian with Col de Louvie in the distance
Grand Combin in the distance
More balcony path
Ibexes ...or is it Ibie...what"s the plural of Ibex?
Passing over Col de Louvie into the Grand Desert The Grand Desert is a rocky wasteland below the receding Grand Desert glacier
Yup...pretty barren The trail was marked by flashes of red and white paint on the rocks. Cairns would be next to impossible to pick out
Looking down the valley
Lisa with the Grand Desert glacier in the distance
Brian
Trail markers
Like I said...paint splotches on rocks
Another 300 foot drop before reaching Col de Prafleuri (8733 ft)
Col de Prafleuri
Looking back on the Grand Desert
Climbing Col de Prafleuri
Looking down from the pass into the next valley This area was a rock quarry for a nearby dam
Glacier de Prafleuri
Descending Col de Prafleuri
Looking over to the following day's climb below Mont Blanc de Cheilon
One of our fellow hikers left this helpful note along the trail
Still half an hour away from the cabane
Col de Roux (9200 ft) - the following day's starting climb
Cabane de Prafleuri (9725 ft)
Another helpful sign: Cabane de Prafleuri 5 min
Cabane de Prafleuri
Lac des Dix
An ibex on the pass
The route around Lac des Dix and up over Pas de Chevres (9368 ft)
The valley in sunlight
cows
Lac des Dix was an unusual color of white from the glacier meltwater silt
The bridge to cross over the lake inlet
A steep climb (45% grade) up the valley wall
Looking back at the 300 foot climb
Mont Blanc de Cheilon and Glacier de Cheilon Cabane de Dix is perched up on the rock on the right
Looking across the rocky slope to Pas de Chevres (the ladders)
Lisa
Pas de Chevres, 3 ladders climbing up 100 feet to the pass
The top of the ladders
Approaching the base of the ladders along an exposed trail
The pass in its full glory
Waiting for the ladders to clear up
Another hiker descending
Brian reaches the top
View from Pas de Chevres - the tip of the Matterhorn is just barely visible in the distance
Brian and Lisa
Looking across the top of the ladders at Cabane de Dix
Descending down to Arolla
Brian, photographing...
...this
Descending down to Arolla
The small town of Arolla
Looking north up the valley from Arolla
Farther down the valley in Les Hauderes We saw a number of buildings built in the 14th century in this town
