Haute Route - Switzerland

What's Included

• Accommodation
  2 nights mountain refuges

• 6 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners (does not include drinks) – continental breakfasts are served and usually consist of breads, jams, coffee, tea and juices. Lunch is picnic style. Dinner will consist of 2 or 3 courses which include regional specialties

• 2 nights accommodation in mountain refuges, 2 nights in gîte hostels on a dormitory share basis and 2 nights in hotel dormitory accommodation. Upgrade possible to 3 nights dorms and 3 nights double room - supplement applies

• Luggage transfer by minibus (except day 1 to 3) – 15kg limit - must be a soft bag (not a hard suitcase). Extra costs apply to transfer excess luggage to Zermatt.

• Experienced mountain guide

• Travel to and from the trail head

• Drinks

• Travel insurance - mandatory

• Storage of luggage

• Transfers

• Bus or train from trail into Zermatt - allow EUR10 per person

• Transfers by taxi or public transport if you need to skip a stage

• Items of a personal nature

What's Not Included

Accommodation

2 nights mountain refuges
Accommodation is on a full board basis starting from lunch on day 1 and finishing at lunch on day 7. The mountain huts that you stay in are dormitory style mixed sex rooms with shared bathrooms but no showers. The gîtes are simple rural retreats, similar to a hostel with mixed sex rooms, shared bathrooms with showers. The hotels will also be in dorm rooms with shared facilities.

Grading

This trip is graded challenging (5) and includes daily walks of 5 to 8 hours and an average daily ascent of 1100m. The highest altitude of the trip is under 3000m. There are some challenging stages during the walk with steep uphill, descents, and many sections of the trail which require care. The accent is on keeping a steady pace with time to stop and take photos (subject to weather conditions). You will need an excellent level of fitness to participate fully in this adventure. It is considered suitable for experienced walkers only with a good walking pace.
If for any reason during the trip the guide considers, in his or her sole discretion, that your fitness or mental or physical health is likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others, he or she may direct you not to continue and you must follow the guide’s instructions. In this case you will not be entitled to any refund.
Early in the season (June) you may encounter snow on the passes which may be quite deep and make the trip more challenging. At any time during summer, weather conditions may be variable and you should be prepared for all conditions including snow, ice, strong sun and extreme winds.
As with all our challenging programs, we expect participants to be regular outdoors people, enjoying aerobic sport around four or five times a week over some period of time. Preferably this has been a long term interest but if not, you have set a program of fitness preparation with at least three months lead in time to your trip. The fitter you are for your trip, the more of a holiday it will be. Activities as close to the actual activity on your trip are the best training; in this instance walking with and without a pack. This builds leg strength, aerobic capacity and confidence in your ability to travel comfortably with a pack for extended periods. At the same time, you are also comfortable with the layers you like to wear and footwear. Important note: good quality walking boots with ankle support are a pre-requisite for your participation. Runners or shoes without ankle support are not suitable for the conditions encountered on this walk.