Haute Route FAQ's

When can I ski the Haute Route?

The huts are manned from mid March to the end of April. Before mid March you'll need to carry your own food and be prepared for some chilly nights.

How long does it take?

The Verbier variation described takes 7 days. If you start on Sunday morning in Chamonix, you'll finish in Zermatt on Saturday afternoon. Very fit parties will be able to knock a day or two off this by putting in some effort. I strongly recommend allowing 10 days to maximise the chances of reaching Zermatt, and in addition plan on a mid week start to avoid the crowds.

How fit do I need to be?

There are uphill climbs as long as 4 or 5 hours, at altitudes between 2500 and 3800m. You'll be carrying about 15kg on your back, and when you finish climbing, you need to have the energy to enjoy the ski down. The fitter you are, the happier your Haute Route will be! Aerobic training (running or cycling) 3 times a week is good preparation.

What skiing standard is needed?

The snow can be everything from fluffy powder to breakable wind crust to heavy crud to smooth spring corn. You need to be able to ski all these effectively with a 15kg rucksack. Previous hut to hut touring experience is a must so you've had the chance to iron out any kit gremlins and get used to the rhythm of a typical ski mountaineering day. If you haven't skied off-piste or toured before, get some training from a mountain guide. The IFMGA qualification is a legal requirement for instructing or guiding in ski mountaineering in the European Alps.

What kit do I need?

Your kit needs to be reliable and as light as possible. Everyone has his or her favourites, but here are mine:
Skis - Dynastar Altitrail Powder with Dynafit TLT Vertical bindings
Boots - Garmont Axons
Harscheisen (ski crampons) and 10 point climbing crampons
Skins - shaped to your ski.
A light ice axe - Grivel Air Tech Racing is the weapon of choice
A full set of mountain clothing from base layer to shell, plus hats and gloves. Lowe Alpine do some great clothing solutions
Sunglasses and goggles, sun cream and lip salve.
A sun hat - baseball hats look cool, broad brimmed floppy hats are more effective - it's your choice!
On the safety front, every skier needs avalanche transceivers, shovels and probes. A harness and crevasse rescue kit is also vital, and 90 m of rope will be needed to cross the Col de Chardonnet.
Maps and compasses are vital, and an altimeter watch like a Suunto Altimax can be supplemented with a GPS if you're that way inclined and don't mind the extra weight.
Everyone should carry blister treatment (Compeed), a small group first aid kit is vital, and someone in my party will always carry a group shelter. One person will have a repair kit with a selection of spares.
A litre of water is a bare minimum for a big ski day. I used to say that "Hydration systems are ideal for ski touring, so you can drink often without breaking the uphill rhythm." but I've changed my view following several bad experiences. See my blog rant. The ideal solution is a 1 litre Nalgene botte with an insulating foam sleeve
For the evening's, a spare thermal top is good, and a silk sheet liner is one of the few luxuries I always carry. A small headtorch like a Petzl Zipka is good for finding things in the hut.
A rucksack to carry it all! 40 litres is about right - any less and you'll struggle to fit all your clothes in on a warm day - any more and you're probably carrying too much! Packed up, it shouldn't weigh more than 15 kg. The Lowe Contour Mountain 45 is perfect for multi-day ski mountaineering.

Where can I learn more about the Haute Route and ski mountaineering?

Detailed descriptions of the Haute Route are available in The Haute Route by Peter Cliff, and Ski Mountaineering in the Western Alps Vol. 1 by Bill O'Connor. For guiding on the Haute Route, plus courses in off-piste technique or ski mountaineering, you can contact me directly.