Walker's Haute Route (Chamonix - Zermatt)
206 KM, 12 days, Altitude gain: 14,000m, Mountain passes: 12, Countries: France, Switzerland
08/19/2023 - 09/04/2023
206 KM, 12 days, Altitude gain: 14,000m, Mountain passes: 12, Countries: France, Switzerland
08/19/2023 - 09/04/2023
Walker's Haute Route did not disappoint me! This is my second time exploring the Alps. I hiked the Tour Du Mont Blanc in Summer 2022, and right away, I knew I needed to come back and explore this region more. The idea of hiking the Haute Route came from my running friend. He climbed both Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn in his younger years, so it would be really cool to hike from Chamonix (Mont Blanc) to Zermatt (Matterhorn)!
I felt very lucky that I was able to do this hike. Walker's Haute Route (WHR) is harder than the Tour Du Mont Blanc (TMB), but I was in much better shape and well-prepared for this hike. I had accumulated more than 300,000 ft of elevation gain before I even set foot in Chamonix. However, I never expected to encounter a heatwave, rain, and snow within less than a week in the Swiss Alps. I had intended to hike every step of my journey, but I had to switch to plan B as the weather turned for the worse. I had to take a bus and train to get to my next destination. As you can see on Day 8 of my journey, a summer hiking trip turned into a winter hike overnight. I was glad that I had packed well for this trip.
I came here because of the stunning landscape of the Alps, but the people that I met and befriended made it a life-changing experience. I don't want to write too much about this trip; I only want to share my photo album. I think the photos will speak for themselves :-). If you have any questions, please ask me! Until my next adventure...Enjoy!
Elevation gain/lost - Chamonix to Zermatt