European Skiing on The Haute Route

In March, 2008, we are excited to offer the Haute Route Ski Tour in conjunction with Art Mooney of Mooney Mountain Guides. TMG owner and guide Pete Keane will be going along on the trip as well.

The Haute Route is without a doubt the world's most famous ski tour. It is an incredible journey through the heart of the glaciers and high peaks of the West Alps. Skiing the high mountains and long glaciers of these mountains is high on the wish list of many accomplished ski-mountaineers. Its long tradition goes back well into the 1800's when the rugged traverse was done for the first time from Argentiere, France to Zermatt, Switzerland. Over the past decades the popularity of this tour has grown and with this several different routes from Argentiere to Zermatt or from Zermatt to Argentiere have become recognized as the Haute Route of the West Alps.

Although the traditional Haute Route travels from Argentiere to Zermatt, many ski-mountaineers enjoy the tour more coming from Zermatt. Of course the mountains are still the same, regardless in which direction someone skis the Haute Route. The big difference is in how much walking or downhill skiing is preferred. It is difficult to argue which route is best. The Zermatt to Chamonix route has much more downhill skiing and less uphill touring, so it is better in those aspects. It also is less traveled, so we have more fresh snow on the descents and less traffic on our uphill climbs. For these reasons we usually guide the Haute Route starting in Zermatt and finishing in Chamonix. This will give you the luxury of climbing more famous peaks and skiing longer runs as we avoid the well known Haute Route crowd.

The Haute Route is much more than just skiing. Enjoying the different mountain cultures of the western Alps, living in the mountain refuges and small mountain villages, and eating the local specialties are all parts of this fabulous and unique experience.