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inspirational mountain adventures
 
 
 
 
Haute Route to Zermatt 2012
Arriving at the amazingly positioned Bertol hut after the ascent from Arolla
Course overview Course dates & availability
The Haute Route route between the two historic mountain centres of Chamonix and Zermatt stretches for 114 miles and there is between 13,000m to 14,000m of ascent and descent taking you through some of the most famous landscapes in the Alps.
Throughout the week you are surrounded by stunning 4000m peaks, and the ski tour provides a challenge that many people repeat several times during their lives. It will appeal to those wishing to escape the hustle and business of the Alpine valley towns and ski slopes.
This course is ideal for those seeking a challenging ski tour, with the opportunity to use some mountaineering techniques, such as an ascent on crampons or an abseil. All roped techniques will be taught during the week, so don't worry if you are a ropework virgin!

Skiing ability should be fairly good as although there is only a little steep skiing, the slopes can be icy or rutted in places, with breakable crusts. There is also often more than a little powder on the descents! You will encounter most types of snow conditions.

As this tour is continuous, it is quite physically demanding and requires a good level of fitness. Good stamina will make the route easier and more enjoyable as it involves five days of skiing at altitude with a pack, though note the pack should be 35 litres maximum.
The accommodation in the mountain huts is half-board throughout, with plentiful three course cooked evening meals and breakfasts each morning. This level of comfort is important, as you will need a good cooked meal after the efforts of each day, and by staying half-board you avoid having to carry stoves or pans.
Support and assistance from the Icicle Chamonix hosts is included throughout the week for logistics, valley travel, equipment fitting, and briefings. They will store any luggage that you do not want to take on the route, and transport you to the cable cars at the start.
A key feature of this course is that we include the FREE loan of all technical equipment in the course price as required; ice axe, 12 point crampons, harness, avalanche tranceiver, probe and shovel. This gives a saving of over £100 if you had to hire it all for the week!
Dates: these are listed in the column on the right, and they show the live availability from our secure online booking system. When you book online, you receive immediate confirmation, your Alpine Information Booklet, course specific kit list and invoice.
Course Dates
Haute Route Tour
  • [5+] 11 - 17 Mar 2012
  • [5+] 18 - 24 Mar 2012
  • [ 2 ] 22 - 28 Mar 2012
  • [ 4 ] 25 - 31 Mar 2012
  • [ 3 ] 29 Mar - 4 Apr 2012
  • [5+] 1 - 7 Apr 2012
  • [ 3 ] 5 - 11 Apr 2012
  • [5+] 8 - 14 Apr 2012
  • [5+] 15 - 21 Apr 2012
  • [5+] 22 - 28 Apr 2012
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Price: £899 Book online now
Alternative courses
Gran Paradiso Ski Tour
Intro Touring & Backcountry
Silvretta Ski Tour
Client feedback
A well matched group of people, with an inspirational Guide. We learnt loads and had a great time on our way to Zermatt. Your logistical support was great, as was the attention to detail
Suzanne Teal , Haute Route Tour
Thanks to everyone involved in making this happen for us; the guides, Chamonix team, and the UK office for putting up with my endless queries before the course. You were all great, and I can't thank you enough
Josephine Turner , Haute Route Tour
Great trip thanks... fantastic weather, excellent Guide and good company...
Russ Conway, Haute Route Tour


Brief Course Itinerary
Starting in Chamonix, France, you traverse by ski the spectacular high mountain route to Zermatt, Switzerland. By staying each night in comfortable mountain refuges, set high in the mountains, this course will appeal to those who want to spend a week in amazing mountain scenery. Note that the Haute Route has many variations, and that it is often essential to alter itineraries often to cater for weather, conditions, fitness, hut spaces and ski ability.

Sunday
Travel to Chamonix to arrive for the 17:00 check-in followed by and course safety and itinerary briefings. There is time for kit checks or rental of equipment. Briefings are over by 19:00 and the Chamonix hosts accompany the group to pre-dinner drinks. Some clients opt to travel out a day or two early to get their ski legs back and to test out their skis, whilst many others opt to do a one day avalanche awareness safety course. Night in Chamonix.
Monday
Day 1 ski tour, 1:6 Guiding: From Chamonix valley, you take the Grands Montets cable car to the top, then ski own onto the Argentiere glacier. From here you ascend the steep Col du Chardonnet, either on skins or crampons. Often this involves an abseil to descend. An alternative route to the hut is either by the Col du Passon or from Le Tour, in case of icy conditions. Both routes converge on the flat expanse of the Trient glacier. Night in the Trient Hut.
Tuesday
Day 2 ski tour, 1:6 Guiding: An early start from the Trient Hut for a short climb, then the long exhilerating ski down the Arpette valley to reach Champex-Lac. Take a short transfer by road to Le Chable, then ascend the Verbier cable cars. You pass Montfort hut and cross the Cols de la Chaux and Prafleuri, and possibly ascend the Rosablanche on the way. Night in Prafleuri Hut. If you reached Trient from the longer Passon route, you may stay in Montfort.
Wednesday
Day 3 ski tour, 1:6 Guiding: Praflueri Hut via the Lac de Dix and the Pas de Chevre to descend to Arolla, Switzerland. Night in Arolla hotel. If you started from Montfort you might go to the Dix Hut instead, and in this case would ski down to Arolla the following morning before starting the Thursday itinerary. On the way to Arolla, you cross the Pas de Chevre by it's famous ladders up the final section, and in Arolla you stay in a comfy traditional hotel in the village.
Thursday
Day 4 ski tour, 1:6 Guiding: A day of ski touring through amazing scenery as you ascend from the Arolla valley up to Bertol Hut on skins. This is a big height gain, but the day is not especially long, and you should not be too tired so as to enjoy the skiing on the last day. Upon arriving beneath the hut, you are faced with a series of ladders and cables to ascend to reach the hut that is perched on the top of the ridge, in an amazing location. Night in Bertol Hut.
Friday
Day 5 ski tour, 1:6 Guiding: An early start for the ascent of Tete Blanche from the Bertol Hut, then descend to Zermatt past the Matterhorn. This is a big day of skiing, but fortunately most of it is downhill, which will be a welcome relief. After the Tete Blanche, the descent through the icefall of the glacier is steep in some pitches, before you finally pick up the pistes to descend to Zermatt. Return transfer to Chamonix. Celebratory dinner and night in Chamonix.
Saturday
Breakfast then the accommodation check out is by 10:00. Most arrange their airport transfers to leave around this time, to catch a flight from Geneva about midday. Depart for home.

ITINERARY NOTES: Where possible we follow itineraries. Mountain adventures are weather and conditions dependant, so occasionaly we are forced to alter the plans. If this is the case, suitable alternatives are offered. Please use this outline itinerary as a guide to the types of route / activity that you will attempt.

Resources section
Haute Route ski tour routes map
If you are planning to complete the Haute Route ski tour, you will find that there are many route options and variations. Icicle offers the most popular route, but each year we organise bespoke trips for groups set on other variations. When you are researching the route, such as with the course itinerary above, it's useful to have a map handy, and we have produced a basic map which you can access by clicking on the image to the left, or by clicking here. This will open our route map of the Haute Route ski tour in a new window for reference. If you would like to receive a quote for a group booking for guiding on any of the other Haute Route variations such as the Grand Lui, then please get in touch.
Skis and equipment advice
Because we know it is so important to you to have the most suitable equipment and clothing for off piste skiing and touring, we have devoted a page especially to it, which you can access by clicking on the image, or by clicking here. This page outlines the key equipment you should bring, and gives examples of skis that are suitable for the course. If after reading this page you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. For this course please note that the loan of all technical climbing equipment for each client is included (see full details at the base of the page) in the course price as required: ice axe, 12 point crampons, harness, ropes, ice screws, avalanche tranceiver, probe and shovel.


Course Film & Photo Gallery

This film and slideshow is
designed so that you get
a really good impression
of what it is like, and the
type of skiing and views
that you will see. These
photos and film are from
a series of Icicle groups.

Click here to visit the full
Icicle photo gallery page.
Course Prices
Standard course
5 full days IFMGA guiding, 1:6 max ratio
7 days holiday in total, Sunday-Saturday
£899
Live availability
Click on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
Latest Availability
Secure online booking system
Standard Course Inclusions: 1) IFMGA Mountain Guides for five days, 2) Chamonix course hosts for logistics & briefings, 3) Pre course information booklet, 4) Equipment discount voucher for UK shops, 5) Two nights B&B accommodation in Chamonix (inc. bedding & towels), 6) Four nights half board accommodation in mountain huts including three course cooked evening meals. 8) Free 36 page technical Course Instruction Booklet, 9) Road transport in Chamonix valley, 10) Chamonix office support, 11) Technical safety kit*.
Exclusions: 1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Cable Cars (approx 40€pp), 3) Ski hire, 4) Personal laundry, telephone calls, lunches, & any purchases in mountain huts / hotels / restaurants, 5) Return transport from Zermatt to Chamonix (approx 50€pp based on six), and road transport outside Chamonix valley (Champex-Verbier approx 15€pp based on six), 6) Sunday pre-dinner drinks & Friday celebratory meal & drinks, 7) Activities insurance, & excess baggage charges.
Notes: The loan of all technical climbing equipment for each client is included* in the course price as required: ice axe, 12 point crampons, harness, ropes, ice screws, avalanche tranceiver, avalanche probe and shovel.
Upgrade options
Avalanche Skills Day
£49 (throughout the season)
To learn avalanche prediction, reutschblocks and use of avalanche tranceivers. Course is available on any day during the week (includes ARVA), details.
Would you prefer to have a private group?
The course price for our scheduled course dates is just £899 per person, and all the dates are guaranteed to run. There's no difference to the scheduled dates course price whether you are booking on your own, or as a small group. However, if you have a group and would like to form a private group, whether you have a group of six people or are on your own, we can run a Haute Route for you on any week of the winter season. The table above shows the group rates for any group size. If there are more than six of you, you will require multiple guides, but can work out the costs based on the table. The prices for the private groups have exactly the same inclusions and exclusions as the scheduled courses, as detailed above.
Group
Cost pp
1 person
£2099 pp
2 people
£1299 pp
3 people
£1049 pp
4 people
£899 pp
5 people
£849 pp
6 people
£799 pp
Note prices quoted are per person