Switzerland - Haute Route

Switzerland – The Haute Route

Time spent: 2 weeks (2023) (2026 booked)

Population: 9 million

Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF) – note: Euros aren’t accepted in Switzerland.

Itinerary: Geneva, Chamonix, Trient, Arpette Valley, Verbier, Col de Roux, Lac Bleu, Val de Moiry, Augstbord Pass, Randa, Zermatt, Geneva

The Haute Route itinerary above was set by the excellent Much Better Adventures travel company and included all accommodation (mountain huts, cabins and B&Bs), food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and an excellent guide for the 10-day hike. It is classed as one of their hardest hikes (220km, 4/4 difficulty rating) as it involves daily 15-20km hikes over 1000m elevation gains on rugged terrain and on rarely hiked paths, so this is for people who like to spend their free time doing ‘type-2-fun’. Just to bear in mind: you’ll need to carry everything with you for the entire trip so be hyper-efficient with packing. The majority of the people on my tour packed 6-8kg of gear and I packed 14kg which was insane (and something I had to deal with later in the trip) so be mindful of what you take with you. All the accommodation we stayed in had showering facilities but you’ll need to take your hygiene stuff with you.

A flight to (and a night in) Geneva started the trip and I spent the afternoon walking around the big Lac Leman at the heart of the city. The next morning, I caught a train to Chamonix (£25, hourly, 3 hours) but you can also get a bus to the same destination which is somehow quicker and cheaper. The view isn’t as good though. Chamonix is a small mountain town with excellent skiing in the winter, mountain biking in the summer and when I was there; one of those massive 100 mile runs that insane people do for ‘type-2 fun’ (again). We were picked up by our guide at the Chamonix Sud bus station and bundled on to a public bus heading to Argentière, 25 minutes north (get the 02 yellow line to Argentiere - Gare SNCF and then walk 200m east along Rte du Village, then onto Chem de la Moraine to the start of the walk).

Day 1 (14km) starts with a ‘gentle’ 650m incline through forested hiking paths and exquisite sunshine overlooking the Chamonix valley with views of Mont Blanc in the distance. The first summit (L'Aiguillette des Posettes) was a challenge because of the lack of cloud or tree coverage during the day but the views of the sun-drenched valley, white-peaked mountains and lush-green-alpine forests was spectacular. At the highest point of the col there was a mountain café built for tea and / or beers which helped with the 990m descent into the opposite side of the valley. We arrived in the small village of Trient and stayed in bunk beds at an alpine refuge.

Day 2 (15km) was the most challenging physical activity I’ve ever completed. The hike ascends 1200m and then down 1200m in one day, there is vert little in the way of trodden paths and you spend a lot of it climbing up giant boulders on the way to the top of the Fenêtre d'Arpette col. We were warned about this day beforehand but this was where I realised for the first time: I was carrying too much weight in my backpack. It was an immense challenge getting to the top by about 2pm but the views of the valleys and glaciers (as you’d expect) were insane. Still, the morning part of the hike along the river along tree-covered paths, and the afternoon descent from the top of the col to the mountain resort in Champex-lac were lovely. An evening dip in the cold Lac de Champex and a very well-earned night’s sleep in a hotel followed. 

Day 3 (15km) started with a 30km transfer to Verbier (which isn’t on the standard Haute route but because this was a 10-day hike rather than the usual 13-day trek this leg was cut out by the taxi) to get the gondola up to La Chaux (€13 one-way). Once at the top of the gondola run, we stopped for breakfast and then headed out on our hike with views over the valleys below where ski lifts and gondolas criss-crossed the landscape. The hike (1290m ascent, 600m descent) took us past Petit Mont Fort Lake, up and over the Col de Prafleuri and through the rocks of the ‘grand desert’ before we arrived at our first mountain hut of the trek. A challenging hike but compared to day 2 it was a doddle. 

Day 4 (17km) involved a very early and immediate ascent up to Col des Roux which provided the majority of the ascent for the day (600m), which was a pleasant contrast to the other days considering we were at the top in cool, morning air rather than steaming hot afternoon sun. The view from the top of this hike was the best of the rocky-col views as you could see Lac des Dix for the first time down in the valley. The walk then descended (1360m total) and followed the western shore of the lake southwards until we reached the climb to Col de Reidmatten, another uphill task, this time with a southern view of the lake. The day ended with a final descent into the tiny village of Arolla and a stay in a lovely hotel. Here, I packed up 6kg of belongings I no longer needed with me and with help from the hotel manager, posted a box of my stuff to my final night’s accommodation back in Zermatt. This meant the next day’s hike was considerably lighter! 

Day 5 (12km) saw an early start and an easy walk through gorgeous alpine hiking routes with (only) 450m incline to confront. We walked for a few hours before arriving and then spending 2 hours at Lac Bleu; a staggeringly pretty, picture-postcard, glacially fed, incredibly cold, mirror-like, bright-emerald-blue lake surrounded by trees and mountains galore. I took a dip and screamed numerous times at the temperature. The hike continued down another 750m through farmland to the village of La Sage where we stayed the night at a hotel.

Day 6 (18km) was supposed to be a gruelling day hiking up 1800m and down 1000m but it began with a significant downpour so after a few hours of hiking through the rain, we arrived at the Barrage des Toules dam and collectively decided to get a bus (route 455 to Zinal, 45mins) to our next hotel in Zinal, cutting the day short. Here, we went to a local spa (€22 entry) for a few hours to soak away the foot ache before preparing for our next hiking day. 

Day 7 (17km) centred around a lovely hike through farmland and meadows overlooking the Meid Valley and despite the length and height gain (1220m ascent), it was relatively easy under-foot. The hike meanders through alpine forested areas before ended at the tiny village of Gruben, crossing the French-speaking and German-speaking parts of Switzerland in the process. We stayed the night at the delightful Hotel Schwarzhorn with its pretty floral displays overlooking the valley in the distance.

Day 8 (14km) involved a stunning walk up and over the Matterhorn Valley, walking through the pine forests and over the Augstbord pass with beautiful views up and down the valley. The walk ended early at the stunning Jungeralp restaurant and the tiny pond in the back garden where we drank a few beers with feet in the cold water. We then descended the last part of the walk via the heart-racing Seilbahnstation cable car (€5 each) which carried us all the way down the valley (1942m elevation drop) and dropped us off in St Niklaus before we walked to the nearby village of Grächen to the Chez Beni rooms for our night’s stay.  

Day 9 (15km) and a difficult start to the day, including a challenging ascent needing ropes and chains to pull ourselves up the tight and steep rock face. The hike follows the Europaweg trail for the majority of the day where we saw miniature waterfalls and large mountain goats along the track as well as stunning views of the surrounding mountains, including the Weisshorn. We ended the day in the famous Europahütte mountain refuge where we had 2-minute-long hot showers (timed by a clock) and well-deserved beers whilst enjoying the sunset over the Weisshorn and our last day sleeping in the mountains. 

Day 10 (16km) saw the day start with a walk across the 500m long Charles Kuonen suspension bridge (the longest in the alps) which was slightly terrifying as it lurched and swung in the wind. The final day and descent of the trip still included a 1100m ascent (as did every other day) which slowly wound down the hillside to our final destination in Zermatt via the villages of Randa and Täsch and the end of the incredibly 10-day hike. Zermatt (pop 4,000) felt like a metropolis after nearly 2 weeks in the mountains, but the group stayed together for an evening meal of Swiss fondue before saying our goodbyes. I went to my accommodation to find that the posted 6kg of luggage from a few days before had arrived safe and well.

The trip, landscapes, food, accommodation, weather, guide and company were phenomenal. You could arrange this trip yourself and maybe save some money here and there but to have it all arranged for you means you can just sit back, hike and enjoy the views. This particular trip removed the first day hike from Chamonix and a few of the descents where we caught gondolas or taxis to get us to the next step, meaning we didn’t do the full Haute Route hike, but this one clocked in at 153km and although it was very challenging; it was achievable. The entire trip was staggeringly beautiful and I’d say the best landscapes in Europe. If you're interested in other hiking adventures, check out the Top 3 Hikes page. Use our advice or not, remember: it’s what you know, not who you know.