2024-07-23T05:50:55.000Z • Chamonix to Zermatt

Chamonix to Zermatt in 7 days

3 friends fastpacking Walkers Haute Route in July 2024. We used lightweight backpacks, trail running shoes and poles. We did the entire route on foot. Zero busses and cable cars. An EPIC adventure across 11 mountains - all in sunny, warm weather ☀️🏔️

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Day 1: A tough start: Chamonix via col de Balme and Fenetre d'Arpette to Relais d'Arpette

✈️ from Copenhagen to Geneva. Then Alpybus transfer to Chamonix 🇫🇷

Chamonix on the evening before our fastpacking trip. We started 7 am the next morning as we knew it would be a long one…

First mountain was Col de Balme, then we ran down to Trient for a lunch stop in the shadow. Then the infamous Fenetre d’Arpette followed… Here Stefan is looking down the path we came from. A hard but rewarding climb on the boulders.

We crossed the first snow section on the decent ❄️

The final strech towards Relais d’Arpette where we arrived just when dinner was served. 40 km and a lot of climbing and decending on all sorts of challenging paths 😅

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Day 2: Down the valley and then up lovely Cabane Mont Fort

We hiked down to Champex-Lac, with breakfast still in the stomach. Then we ran down the valley to Sembrancher and had lunch in Le Chable before the long, hard and blistering beautiful ascent towards Verbier and to Cabane Mont Fort. A lonely, well built montain hut with a terrace view to die for.

Legs felt ok after getting warm. I feel the thighs on the decents - which switches to that lovely calf burn on the climbs 🏔️😅

Champec-Lax, where Seppo and I took a swim on the TMB 2023 trip. This time it was a chilly morning and we pushed on ☺️🏔️

A part of the climb toward (and past) Verbier.

Lovely trail section on the final km towards Cabane Mont Fort.

The morning we left Cabane Mont Fort. A very well-run hut with impeccable service.

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Day 3: The Grand Dessert!

A long day that started with the Col de la Chaux. Steep snow section at the top followed by loose stones on the decent.

We traversed across Grand Dessert, past Cabane de Fleruri and down to Lac des Dix.

Coming down from Col de la Chaux (2940 m)

Many mountain lakes this day!

We were lucky to see a herd of 9-10 Ibex. Sturdy and elegant animals 🌟🏔️

A small mountain lake for a dip 💦😄 Water temperature a perfect 273,15 degree Kelvin

The climb to the top of Col de la Roux revealed Lac des Dix with the tallest dam in Europe.

We could run a good pace along the lake.

The hike up to our cabin…

Cabane des Dix!No phone reception, no WiFi, no working shower, no drinkable tap water, a full dorm…. 🤯 But great athmosphere and food 👌☺️ Again, met other hikers/mountaineers each with their own story.

Brewdog punk IPA FTW 🍻👍

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Day 4: From Cabane des Dix all the way to uniquely located Cabane de Moiry

Yet another beautiful morning! We started at 8:00 each day. Here we have hiked 30 min to the foot of the first mountain.

The last, steep part to the top of Col de Riedmatten, which was…

… a gateway to a new world! For the first time, we got to see the Matterhorn far, far away.

After the decent to Arollo, we quickly bought some bread, ham and cheese, and then hiked up through the forrest to the amazing Lac Bleu for a needed lunch break 🌟🏔️👌

The following acent from La Sage to Col du Tsaté was brutal, because of the heat. We ran out of water and then… in a small village yet another water fountain 💦🙏 On the top, needed refuelling took place 😋

The Walkers Haute Route is full of great views, clear air and free of big crowds 🤩

We met a lovely group from Iceland. We both hiked from Cabane de Dix to Moiry that day, however one of the groups took a bus part of the route 🤭😄

Sunset from Cabane de Moiry, a hut with an unreal location right next to the glacier. We heard several glacier cracks that sounds like thunder.

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Day 5: Two mountains and we reached Hotel Schwarzhorn in Gruben

Hiking along the Lac de Moiry for the first part of the morning.

Several cow-crossings. The casual, relaxing sound of the bells is always a joy

Another day with sun! It was a warm climbs towards Col de Sorebois (2895 m)

Balcony of dreams 🏔️☀️

The mountains are varied. Sometimes stony and life-less. Sometimes full of flowers, butterflies and grasshoppers.

Hi Cow!

Even the view from the restaurant in Hotel Schwarzhorn in Gruben was awesome 🏔️☺️ Again, good food 🙏. Here, the language changed from French to Schweiterdeutch 🤗

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Day 6: The climb and decent to reach Mattertal... And then up, up, up to Europa Hut

Right from the hotel in Gruben it went up, up, up along nice grassy mointain sides, then the trees dissapeared, then a stony landscape turned up - and finally the top of Augstbordpass.

We were in the skies. Walking on stones and snow with clouds around us.

A long decent to Sankt Niklas. We ran than section quite fast, but also found a nice spot to take in the views of Mattertal ☀️😅

We had filters and refilled the 2x500 ml soft flask so many times. Cold, clean water 💦🙏

The hike up from Herbriggen to Europa Hut was warm and tough

A nice hut with good food and service 🌟

… and view and beer 🍻

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Day 7: The Final Hike to Zermatt and the foot of Matterhorn!

Shortly after leaving Europa Hut, we cross the world longest bridge of its kind: 500 m 🇨🇭👌

The Euporaweg towards Zermatt is a varied and only moderate hard hike with constant ascent and decent along the mountain side with Matterhorn getting ever closer 🌟🏔️

Why did we bring the rainjackets?! 🧐

The Official Toblerone Mountain

A long journey of 220 km and +14.000 vertical meters is coming to an end ❤️

Republic in Zermatt have AMAZING burgers 🍔

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Thank you for an unforgettable adventure, Seppo and Stefan 💪 Thank you for reading this far. I hope some of you will get inspired 🌟🏔️ Rune