Me in the fireweed on the way down from the Col de Balme, Day 1.

Europe · France, Switzerland

Haute Route, Chamonix to Zermatt

France and Switzerland

Distance: 78.6 mi126.5 km
Days: 9 days9 days on foot
Elevation gain: 27,651 ft8,428 m
High point: 9,800 ft2,987 m
Season: Summer
Lodging: Huts

Hikes / Europe / Haute Route, Chamonix to Zermatt

In August 2025 I hosted a group hiking trip on the Haute Route in the European Alps. We hiked hut to hut for nine days, from Chamonix, France, to Zermatt, Switzerland, over a pass or two almost every day, and finished beneath the Matterhorn. This trail was one of the best I had ever hiked.
Kraig Adams

Effort at this pace: Hard · about 9 mi (14 km) and 3,072 ft (936 m) of climbing a day over 9 days, up to 9,800 ft (2,987 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.

Where these numbers come from

From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.

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Plan: dates, gear, deadlines and stays in a private link. Save: keeps it on your account.

From Kraig Adams's GPS

The route, day by day

Relief map of the Haute Route route: 9 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Montroc, Jungen, Cabane de Moiry, Relais d'Arpette and Arolla.

Elevation4,203–9,810 ft78.6 mi

From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (EU-DEM, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

Tap a day for his map of it

Download GPX2.2 MB · free

Each day and variant (9 files)

The film

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Hiking 100 Miles on the Haute Route Chamonix to Zermatt

Kraig Adams · Aug 2–10, 2025 · Group trip

The Refuge du Col de Balme on the French-Swiss border, Day 1.

A glacial lake in the Grand Désert, below the Col de Prafleuri, Day 4.

The Moiry Glacier, with Cabane de Moiry on the rock at the right, where Day 6 ends.

Looking down the Mattertal on the way to Jungen, Day 9.

Before you go

The basics

Start: Montroc, a short bus ride up the valley from Chamonix, France
Finish: Jungen above St. Niklaus, then a cable car and a train to Zermatt, Switzerland
Usual difficulty: In my words: most people could do this trail. There are some big passes and some big days
Best time: Summer. Most huts open from mid or late June to mid or late September. I went in early August
Permits: Book every hut and hotel ahead, online through the hut's own site or the Swiss Alpine Club system, months ahead for July and August. From 2027 SAC huts charge a CHF 10 reservation fee per person per night (not refunded if you cancel) and a solidarity contribution of CHF 3 a night for members, CHF 5 for non-members (2027 to 2029)
Getting there: I flew from New York City to Geneva, Switzerland, and took a scheduled shuttle bus from the airport to Chamonix. We stayed two nights at a hotel and spa with frog art and forest-themed rooms. Hotels that nice are a little overkill for me when I travel on my own dime. On the morning of Day 1 the group met in the hotel lobby, and it's always interesting finally seeing what people decided to carry. We took the bus up the valley toward Le Tour and started walking at Montroc.
Nearest airport: Geneva, at both ends
Lodging: Huts

From Kraig Adams's guide

Costs and gear

What it cost

See his costs

His costs, line by line

What Kraig carried

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 · my huge 100 L roller duffel · PATH Projects Pyrenees T19 Hoodie · Senchi Designs A90 Half Zip Hoodie · Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody · Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket · PATH Projects Killam PX Pant · Territory Run Co. Long Haul Short and 22 more.

The full gear list

Bookings and permits

When bookings open, from the sources named under each. Dates move: confirm on the official site.

Cabane de Moiry bookings for 2027

Cabane de Moiry opens 2027 bookings on February 10, 2027 (online only, half board). Most other huts book through their own sites or the Swiss Alpine Club system; for July and August, book as soon as each hut opens.

Next: Feb 10, 2027

Book on cabane-moiry.ch.

Source: Kraig Adams's Haute Route guide: Huts and hotels. Checked October 2026.

Alert me when bookings open

From Kraig Adams's guide

Safety

Rescue numbers

On the French side (Day 1, up to the Col de Balme), call 112; Chamonix's guide also lists 18 for mountain rescue and 15 for medical emergencies.

Phone signal

Not everywhere.
Cabane de Louvie, for one, has no phone network or Wi-Fi (2026).

Insurance

Get travel insurance that covers mountain rescue and helicopter evacuation.

Bail-out points

Day 1, Montroc to Trient. Before the Col de Balme, go back down to Montroc or down from the Col des Posettes to Le Tour for the Chamonix bus. In summer the Charamillon gondola and the Autannes chairlift at Le Tour run up toward the Col de Balme, so you can also ride down. After the col, keep going to Trient.
Day 2, Trient to Relais d'Arpette. Before the steep climb, go back to Trient. In bad weather, skip the Fenêtre: from Trient, walk up to the Col de la Forclaz and take the Tour du Mont Blanc's lower route over the Bovine alp to Champex-Lac. After the pass, keep going down the Val d'Arpette.
Day 3, Les Ruinettes to Cabane de Louvie. Before the Col Termin, go back to Les Ruinettes and ride the gondolas down to Verbier (check the last lift). From Cabane de Louvie, a steep path goes down to Fionnay in the Val de Bagnes.
Day 4, Cabane de Louvie to Cabane de Prafleuri. Before the Col de Louvie, go back down to Louvie and Fionnay. After it, you're committed to Prafleuri. From Prafleuri a track goes down to the Grande Dixence dam, which has a summer bus to Sion (see Day 5).
Day 5, Cabane de Prafleuri to Arolla. From the north end of Lac des Dix, a track goes to the Grande Dixence dam (Le Chargeur). In 2026 bus 12.372 ran from there to Sion station four times a day from June 27 to October 25 (last bus 16:58). Past the lake, the only way is over the Col de Riedmatten to Arolla.
Day 6, Les Haudères to Cabane de Moiry. Before the Col du Tsaté, go back down to Les Haudères. After the col, head down to the reservoir, where a road runs down the valley to Grimentz.
Day 7, Cabane de Moiry to Grimentz. This is a day of walking downhill toward a road. From the dam, the road runs down to Grimentz.
Day 8, Cabane Bella Tola to Gruben. Before the summit, go back to Cabane Bella Tola and the St-Luc funicular. Gruben has a summer bus down the Turtmanntal.
Day 9, Gruben to Jungen. Before the pass, go back to Gruben. After the pass, keep going to Jungen. If the cable car isn't running, a steep path goes down from Jungen to St. Niklaus.

From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.

Their films and versions

Creators who've done it

1 creator so far: Kraig, 9 days, huts.

Hiking 100 Miles on the Haute Route Chamonix to Zermatt

Kraig AdamsAug 2–10, 2025 · Group trip

Days: 9 days on foot
Cost: See his costs
Lodging: Huts

Kraig's version Plan it Kraig's way

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Typical: 9 days on foot (the hike's facts).

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How many days do you need for Haute Route, Chamonix to Zermatt?

I walked 9 days, plus a day in Chamonix before the start. Our days were short, 6.5 to 11.2 miles and 4 to 8 hours with stops, and we used buses and lifts to link some of them.