Trekking in Walker's Haute Route

The Walker's Haute Route is the summer, on-foot version of the classic ski route between Chamonix and Zermatt, and it is the most consistently spectacular fortnight of walking in the Alps. Fourteen days, eleven passes, and a finish with the Matterhorn filling the view — it is harder than the Tour du Mont Blanc, and considerably quieter.

What makes it land is the sequence of arrivals: each col reveals the next valley, and the trip builds under eighteen of the twenty highest peaks in the Alps toward that final, unmistakable pyramid above Zermatt. You sleep in a mix of mountain huts and valley hotels, so the days are strenuous but the nights are comfortable.

Some variants cross glaciers and need a guide and glacier gear; the standard walking line does not, but it is still a serious high-mountain route. Go from July to September, come fit for long ascents day after day, and check which variant your itinerary actually takes.

Some variants cross glaciers and need a guide; the standard walking line does not.