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Hi,
We’re planning to do the Walker’s Haute Route this summer. We are a little limited on time and only have about 8 days. We’ve done the Tour du Mont Blanc in the past so we weren’t planning to bother with the Chamonix to Champex part of the route since we already did it. I was just wondering where a good place to start this trek would be and what parts would be best to skip (we would be willing to take buses to avoid the boring parts that might be hiking along a road etc). We can hike about 8-10 hours per day and are most interested in the great views.
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Hi Michelle,
Many people do the Walkers Haute Route using public transport to skip certain stages. Starting halfway in Arolla makes an easy and beautiful start and allows you to complete the last stages (Europaweg) to Zermatt. Most villages along the way are easy to be reached by public transport, so you could start in Champex as well (where Tour de Mont Blanc splits from la Haute Route) and skip a few stages along the way. This would allow you to complete the trail as well. On several occasions, cable lifts give you the chance to skip the strenuous climbs. It’s hard to say which stage to skip as we found them equally beautiful. I would let weather decide 🙂
I can recommend the Cicerone guide by Kev Reynolds Chamonix to Zermatt as a great guidebook to see what stages you like 🙂
Have fun on the hike!
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Hi! We are planning a multi-day run on the Walker’s Haute Route- hoping to complete it in 6-7 days. Do you have recommendations for stages to combine? We are comfortable doing up to 35k in a day, and are thinking about starting in Argentiere because we’ve spent a good amount of time in the area between there and Chamonix. Thanks!
Reply Running the whole trail is quite a challenge but if you’re well experienced, a real adventure. I have no experience in mountain running, but I think the terrain on some stages might make it difficult of making a lot of progress. Stage 6 and 7 have some boulder fields as these stages stay on high altitude. Also the Europaweg is very unstable and should be crossed with caution, but can be skipped, as the last stage descends to the valley earlier than it used to. Also bear in mind that there is quite some altitude to be gained on a daily basis. Ascending 1000 meters before descending most of it again per stage is no exception. In your case, this would make 35 kilometers a day with 1500-2000 meters of elevation gain. I would suggest starting in Chamonix and see how it goes along the way. Most villages you encounter have good connection to public transport (especially the last stages). Also, there is the possibility to skip parts by cable car. Enjoy the trip!
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Wow!! What an amazing, full of details article!! The video is beautiful, and gives a good idea of what to expect. I would love to walk this trail but I don’t think I am ready to walk on my own some of the parts… Could you recommend some organised groups for this trail?
Reply Hi Natalie, joining an organised group is possible and recommended if you are trekking solo. There are many tour companies who offer the Walkers Haute route as a group adventure. I recommend Googling it.
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Amazing post man, there’s so much good info in there. Myself and a few friends are planning to do 2 nights and 3 days along the route starting at Le Chable and ending at Arolla. Is this possible to do? We’d leave the car in Le Chable and then get public transport back again. The other thing I’m wondering is whether or not the huts will be open. We’re doing it from the 14 – 18th September. I’ve emailed them but still waiting on a response.
Reply These stages are well doable in three days. Both Le Chable and Arolla have good public transport options, so the itinerary should work.
About the huts: most huts in the Alps close around mid-september. There are no exact dates on their website but you can call them.
http://www.cabanemontfort.ch/hebergement.html
http://www.refuges-montagne.info/fr/cabane-prafleuri.php
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My husband and I are interested in combining the Tour du Mont Blanc and Walker’s Haute Route into a 25ish day hike- this would start in Chamonix, loop back to Chamonix on the TMB and then head up on the WHR to Zermatt. We have experience on three-week hikes with a lot of altitude gain/loss in the USA, but not in Europe. We are hoping to take tents and camp in where we are able. In your opinion does this sound like a good idea, or a little too over-enthusiatic?
Reply Hi Stephanie, this sounds doable. You may need to skip a few stages (weather dependent), but I think over a 25 day period you can fit in combination hike of the two routes.
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