The walker's haute route: Verbier - Zermatt (St Niklaus)
Saturday - arrival. We will have a minibus at the airport to collect guests at 15:00
Day 1: A warm up walk to include the Bec de Corbeau and the Bellevue returning via the cheese farm to Morgins.
Day 2: We depart for Verbier. Take the Ruinettes cable
car and our day starts with an easy stroll by the "bisse" towards
the Cabane de Mont Fort. We then take the Sentier des Chamois - an aptly
named high level route offering stunning views of the Grand Combin and
its impressive glaciers. Eventually we reach the Col de Louvie and the
Grand Desert - a barren wilderness of rock, moraine and retreating glaciers.
From the Col de Prafleuri there is a short descent to the Cabane - a welcome
sight at the end of a long day's walk.
Day 3: A short climb takes us to the Col des Roux (easier than it looks from the Cabane) which then descends to the Lacdes Dix and a lovely, easy walk along the lake side towards the Mont Blanc de Cheilon. The short detour to the Cabane des Dix is well worth the effort and after crossing the boulder strewn glacier (an easy route with cairns and waymarks) we arrive at the Pas de Chevres and its 3 vertical ladders. From the Pas de Chevres there is a long descent to Arolla and a short bus ride to Les Hauderes.
Day 4: From Les Hauderes we climb steadily through pastureland towards the Col de Torrent. The descent to the Lac de Moiry is undemanding with fine views of the lake and a spectacular array of snowy peaks. From Moiry we head upwards to the Col de Sorebois followed by a long descent to Zinal. (Optional detour to the Cabane de Moiry & the spectacular Moiry icefall - among the most impressive of its kind in the Pennine Alps - via the Col du Tsate depends on weather & stamina! If we were to take this route, we would need to use the Sorebois cable car to descend to Zinal.)
Day 5: Today, our walk takes us through the forests above Zinal and a series of steep zig-zags soon gain us height. After about an hour, the gradient eases and the next section of the walk is undemanding and rewarding. We have the option of diverting to the Hotel Weishorn before heading to the Col de Forcletta and down to the delightful hamlet of Gruben in the half forgotten back-water of the Turtmanntal valley - one of the shortest valleys in the Pennine Alps and one of the least developed.
Day
6: This will rank as one of the finest sections of the walk - our route
along the Augustbordpass has been used since the middle ages as an important
trading route between the Rhone Valley and Italy and it offers vista after
vista of unsurpassed beauty & splendour. The delightful village of
Jungen, perched high above the valley is the quintessential alp hamlet
and a fitting way to draw the walk to a close. We return from St Niklaus
by train to Aigle.
Day 7: 10:00 departure from Morgins to Geneva airport
For further information on this spectacular walk refer to: A Cicerone Guide by Kev Reynolds. Chamonix-Zermatt. The Walker's Haute Route.
Not included in the cost of the holiday:
• All cable cars
• Bus ride from Arolla to Les Hauderes
• Return train journey from St Niklaus to Aigle
• All lunches
