Chamonix-Zermatt: Part 1
Activity
Difficulty
Duration
Dates
Price
From 1125.00 €
About the Chamonix-Zermatt trek : Part 1
This trekking route between Chamonix and Zermatt is surely one of the most spectacular and remarkable alpine hikes linking two mountaineering capitals.
From Mont-Blanc to the Matterhorn, this itinerary takes you through a formidable stretch of the Alps, dotted with over 40 peaks over 4,000 metres in altitude, alternating between lush alpine meadows, typical villages and daily pass crossings, all set against a backdrop of glaciers and the highest Alpine peaks.
Here’s the first part to Arolla!
You will leave with :
Pierrick
Trekking Guide
“Every journey should be an out-of-the-ordinary adventure, guiding walkers to hidden treasures beyond the known paths.”
Chamonix-Zermatt trek photo gallery: Part 1
The Chamonix-Zermatt trek route: Part 1
Upcoming departures
What's included in the formula
- Supervision by a qualified mountain leader.
- Overnight stays as indicated in the program.
- Half-board in the accommodation indicated in the program.
- Picnic lunches.
- Luggage transportation on the evenings of D3, D5 and D6.
- Transfers as indicated in the program.
What's not included in the package
- Cancellation and repatriation assistance insurance to be taken out on registration.
- Soft drinks in general.
- Personal hiking and travel equipment (shoes, poles, personal first-aid kit).
- Transfer to meeting point on D1. Transfer from Geneva airport available at extra cost.
- Any private transfers or gondolas not included in the program.
- Return transfer from Arolla.
- Everything not indicated in the price includes.
Day 1: Le Tour - Trient
6 hours’ walk – Overnight in hostel with luggage – D+ 850 m / D- 1000 m
You meet at 9am at the Tour hamlet for the departure briefing and to load your personal belongings, which will follow you throughout your stay.
You’ll then set off in the direction of the Col de Balme at 2195m to reach our Swiss friends. From here, you’ll take a little-traveled alpine route to the village of Trient, where you’ll spend your first night in a comfortable inn.
Day 2: Trient - Champex
7 hours’ walk – Overnight in hostel with luggage – D+ 1450 m / D- 1050 m
Today you’ll set off to climb the famous fenêtre d’Arpette (2665m) with the Trient glacier in the background, to take in the sights!
You then pass into the Val d’Arpette, where you descend to spend the night.
Day 3: A first pass at 3000
30-minute transfer – 8-hour walk – Overnight in refuge without luggage – D+ 1600 m / D- 1150 m
Early transfer this morning. You’re off to climb the Col de Lâne at 3030m from Bourg St Pierre, in a very wild atmosphere beneath the Petit Combin.
You then continue your day in this superb high-altitude cirque to the Brunet hut.
Day 4: A glacial day
Today you’ll be heading for the Panossière glacier, which you’ll ascend via the moraine to reach the refuge of the same name beneath the famous Grand Combin.
From here you cross the Col des Otanes at 2870m and descend to Lac de Mauvoisin.
Day 5: Lac de Mauvoisin - Cabane de Louvie
Today you’re off on a traverse through the Val de Bagnes to the Louvie hut and lake, via the Col de la tête du Sarshlau at 2622m and the Col du bec de l’aigle at 2567m. This day offers magnificent panoramic views of the Combins massif.
Day 6: Cabane de Louvie - Cabane de Prafleuri
Today you’ll set off on an alpine stage in a wilderness of snow and rock, climbing the Col de Louvie at 2921m and the Col de Prafleuri at 2987m, before descending to the hut of the same name at the end of the day.
Cabane de la Barmaz: It is sometimes possible to sleep at the wilder Cabane de la Barmaz. This adds 140 m of D+ and 300 m of D-. Meals will be concocted by your guide, who may ask you to carry an ingredient.
Day 7: Arrival in Arolla
A magnificent last day awaits you, where flower-filled alpine pastures rub shoulders with the mineral and glacial world. You’ll pass over the Col des Roux at 2804m to reach Lac des Dix, which you’ll skirt before climbing up to a final pass to reach the Arolla valley at the end of the day.
Highlights of the trip
General information
SAFETY
You can find the Quai d’Orsay’s position on these countries on the official website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: diplomatie.gouv.fr in the “Conseils aux voyageurs” section.
The information contained on the website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs is subject to change and is given for guidance only. Please note that no region of the world or country can be considered safe from the risk of terrorism.
REGISTRATION
By post:
Ask us for a registration form
- by phone: 06 65 93 29 29
- or e-mail: contact@watse.fr
Send us your registration with a copy of your passport, your postal address, telephone number and e-mail address, together with a deposit of 35% of the cost of the trip.
Also, if you wish to take out a Comfort or Comfort Multirisk cancellation insurance policy, this must be paid at the same time as the deposit when you register. You can consult our insurance contracts on our website.
By internet:
Book your holiday directly on our website: directly on the holiday page, choosing your dates and insurance options.
ATTENTION: air fares will be maintained until 3 months before departure and may be readjusted if necessary if you book during this period.
ASSISTANCE AND SAFETY
We strongly advise you to take out assistance insurance for the duration of your trip.
We offer two different types of insurance: Comfort Cancellation and Comfort Multirisk, to be taken out when you register for your trip.
Details of this insurance are available on request or can be viewed by by clicking here.
Other offers include Mondial Assistance, your own insurance company or Club Alpin Français. Check that your trekking activity is covered.
Make sure your insurance covers all medical expenses in the event of an accident.
You must make sure that you are covered for mountain rescue costs. If this is the case, you must provide us with the following information before you set off on your trek:
- a certificate from the insurance company covering mountain rescue costs.
- the contract number and telephone number of the assistance center
Beware of restrictive clauses in certain insurance policies (particularly those linked to Visa Premier, Gold or other cards), such as mountain insurance limited to snow activities, or altitude sickness not recognized as an illness requiring repatriation, which will be refused.
Please check the actual content of your insurance and take the necessary steps if necessary.
Health & climate
JET LAG
No time difference.
CLIMATE
Temperatures vary according to altitude. In summer, it can be hot in the valleys and cold at higher altitudes. The wind can also make it feel colder.
HEALTH AND VACCINES
No vaccinations required.
We strongly recommend that you are up to date with the usual vaccinations: diphtheria-tetanus-poliomyelitis, whooping cough, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and B.
We recommend that you have a check-up with your dentist before you leave.
IFREMMONT
No specific indications.
Transport and conditions
Meet at the Tour parking lot at 9 a.m. at the lift departure point.
Any travel during the trek is included in the price, except for transport to and from the meeting point on the first and last day.
We can organize your return transfer from Arolla: optional and on request.
For those wishing to continue with the second part, we ask for a contribution of €20 (to be paid on site) per person for the transfer to the start of the second week.
AIR
No specific indications.
LUGGAGE
Luggage transfer on days 3, 5 and 6.
The stay
MEALS
Picnics for lunch. Morning and evening meals are taken in the accommodation or prepared by the Watse team. Snacks are provided, but you’re welcome to bring your own.
ACCOMMODATION
3 nights in a hostel and 3 nights in a refuge.
For those wishing to continue with the second part, an overnight stay in Arolla is extra and must be paid locally: hotel Les Glaciers (from CHF 95 to 110 per person on a half-board basis). We take care of hotel reservations.
We can sometimes replace the Prafleuri hut with the wilder and more pleasant La Barmaz hut. If this is the case, your guide will take care of the meals and ask you to bring an ingredient.
TRAINING
Supervision by a state-qualified French mountain leader.
Transfer times and walking times are given as a guide only. For safety reasons (climatic or other hazards) and in the interests of the participants, the tour leader reserves the right to modify the itinerary described above.
Practical info
ELECTRICITY
Some (but not all) refuges offer charging facilities for small electronic devices (smartphones, cameras).
FORMALITIES AND VISA
No visa required for French nationals and citizens of bordering countries.
BUDGET, CHANGE AND TIPS
Meals not included (cold drinks, snacks, etc.) and accommodation are included in the price of the stay. Tipping is not compulsory and should reflect your satisfaction with the team.
Watse added value
THE COMPLETE ITINERARY
BETWEEN CHAMONIX AND ZERMATT
Our trekking guides have imagined this itinerary between Chamonix and Zermatt as a complete and uncompromising route to give you the chance to discover all the most beautiful places along the way. No dead ends, you’ll see everything there is to see!
A NEW AND VARIED CIRCUIT
This trek between Chamonix and Zermatt is one of great diversity. Balcony paths, wild valley crossings, distant aerial panoramas: there’s no room for fatigue on this trek. Atmosphere, scenery, fauna, flora… everything changes with every step!
A WATSE EXCLUSIVE
Watse’s trekking guides know the Northern Alps inside out and have devised an exclusive route that you won’t find anywhere else.