Trip Report
Report from April 2022 and written by the Explore-Share team
The Haute Route ski touring route joins Chamonix, in France, with Zermatt, in Switzerland, and is famous for its Mont Blanc views on one end and Matterhorn views on the other. The full route is 180km (112m) long and takes around one week to cross on a ski touring traverse, depending on the variant of the tour.
Muffy from Wyoming and her husband decided to explore this route starting from Verbier. They are regulars in the Teton mountains near their home and opted to travel to the Swiss Alps on a hut-to-hut adventure as a special treat. They hired IFMGA-guide Kyriakos (booking through Explore-Share). Although they had ski touring experience, they had never tried a multi-day overnight experience before, which involved putting new skills into practice.
The experience was unforgettable. Tough parts of the adventure included skiing roped up with climbing harnesses passed a tiny looking crevasse that was actually big enough to fit a car to learning to fold crampons. But the rewards were worth it, from enjoying a cold beer and a hot meal at the top of a precipice to admiring gorgeous views and the blackbirds flying around the mountain huts.
Going with a guide was definitely an asset to help keep Muffy and her husband safe. And guide Kyriakos was patient and humorous, which made this amazing Haute Route ski touring experience all the more enjoyable!
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