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I've just booked a flight to Switzerland for a four week trip from late August to late September. My primary plan is the 13 day (stage) Walkers Haute Route from Chamonix France to Zermatt Switzerland but I'll also have time for much more walking. I'm thinking of the Tour de Monterosa which starts in Zermatt and goes into Italy before returning to Switzerland, but it involves a small glacier traverse and I'm not sure about safety. I could also do the Tour du Mont Blanc which is very heavily traveled but involves no technical sections. There's also a number of trails around the Matterhorn. I'm hoping for something challenging but non technical. Being able to "wild camp" would be a plus. I'm probably taking my tent and sleeping gear but otherwise traveling light. I'll be using my new ULA CDT for this trip. Any suggestions would be welcome! I've wanted to walk in Switzerland for a while. Choice was between this trip and the Camino. Ultimately I wanted more of a wilderness experience than the Camino for this year. Might do the Camino in April.
colorado_rob
07-13-2015, 13:13
We took a trip over there back in 2007 to climb some outstanding peaks (Mont Blanc, Matterhorn and Monta Rosa) and I have to say our hands-down favorite place was Zermatt and the Monte Rosa climb (which I bet shares part of the Tour de MR). That being said, as you say, this involves glacier travel and we were roped together the entire time on the glacier, sounds like you'll be solo, but you could always hire a guide???? Or clip into someone elses team? Apparently this is OK in European climbing circles, believe it or not.
The hut system over there (including the MR hut and the Cosmiques hut on MB) were fantastic, but bring plenty of money... not cheap. But at least the $$$ is doing well against the Euro.
As you say, lots of fantastic hiking around Zermatt, which was easily our favorite city on our trip. Great bars. Hike up to the Hornli Hut on the Matterhorn. There is a relatively cheap hostel in Zermatt where we stayed. Also check out the Matterhorn Museum. I think you're going at an excellent time, by the way. We plan on doing the Haute Route next year about that same time.
Some eye-candy attached... first one is from ust below the Hornli Hut, the other from overlooking the Monte Rosa area.
Enjoy!
Wow, those are great shots! I'm really looking forward to the trip. So many great areas to explore so I probably would steer away from anything technical, although I might look into guides as well. The huts looks excellent and the Euro & Swiss franc are both down over the past year so that will help somewhat. Still I expect it won't be cheap. I do want to wild camp whenever possible so I'll have my shelter and sleeping gear but my pack should be super light since there's no need to carry much food.
Be sure to make reservations ahead of time. Very popular trips. Boy I wish I was going with you on the Haute Route.. one of my dreams bucket list as it were.
The Tour du Mont Blanc is a loop trip and is absolutely spectacular. Also very well traveled.
I wish there was something like WhiteBlaze focused on the Alps. Getting good information from other hikers is pretty difficult!
I have the Cicerone Guides for the Tour of Mont Blanc and the Haute Route. I put together a plan where I will start at Champex and do the Tour de Mont Blanc in the clockwise direction which is the opposite of the traditional route. When I finish the ten day circuit in Champex, I will proceed on the Haute Route to Zermatt. The Haute Route has three stages I will miss from Chamonix to Champex but the high routing of the Tour de Mont Blanc above the Chamonix Valley seems far superior to the valley route of the Haute Route. In total, I have mapped out 20 "stages" which total about 200 miles which seems really low to me in terms of daily mileage ... BUT, the cumulative elevation gain is around 75,000 feet based on my estimates which is 30,000 feet more than the cumulative elevation gain that the JMT has over a slightly longer distance, so I think that the trip won't be without some challenges. If nothing else the lower miles will allow me to enjoy the culture of the Swiss, Italian, and French Alps which seems about as foreign to any US based hiking that I've done. Also, I have tentatively mapped out accommodations in each stage. I have mixed feelings about that but ultimately the only totally legit camping I can find are valley sites that cost money and, still eating in restaurants, the cost savings of camping vs. the hostels with half board isn't very much at all. About the only reason to take my tent would be to have an emergency shelter in case of bad weather, but the stages are so short that I really can't see that being very relevant at this point. I'm probably going to reserve accommodations for the first several nights and then play it by ear with reservations a few days ahead. I'd hate to have the itinerary be too rigid.
I'll post at least a brief report after the trip with some impressions of how hiking in the Alps differs from the US.
adventurelaus
08-11-2015, 14:33
Leave your tent at home. Wild camping isn't allowed in the Alps. Emergency bivac is tolerated.
You can get memberships at Alpine clubs for reduced overnight hut stays and emergency evacuation insurance which will pay for the helicopter and other rescue costs. You should be able to get the membership at the hut itself. Fees for membership vary depending on the local sections of the club. Huts are owned and maintained by the various local sections. But you don't need a membership, you just pay a bit more for lodging at the hut.
To stay at the hut you need a sleeping bag liner or so. These huts are remote so they can't do laundry. The blankets will be washed very rarely. So they even have a printing on them to indicate which end is the foot end. ;) Towel, toothbrush and paste are needed of course as well. You'll need to hike out your trash. A flashlight/head lamp is recommended as well. You might want ear plugs, too.
Rooms vary from two bedrooms to unisex mattress room. Water and electricity are very much conserved. All payments need to be in cash. Food on these cabins are excellent and really not that bad. There is one meal (Bergsteigeressen) that's discounted for Alpine club members. Keep in mind that the people that operate the huts are getting paid from the food income. Longing costs goes to the club of the hut. Check at the hut when meals are served. Often there are specific times. BTW, even restaurants in towns close during non-eating hours in Europe.
Reservations are recommended (calling the hut by phone) but not required. None of the alpine club huts are allowed to send you away (safety reasons) and you will be able to stay overnight there even if you don't get a bed. In that case rates will be drastically reduced.
Member Rates for German Alpine Club houses. Non members pay 10 Euros more:
Two bed room: 25 Euro
Multi bed room: 18 Euro
Mattress room: 12 Euro
Emergency room (only available when everything else is gone: 6 Euro (same for non-members)
Bergsteigeressen: 8 Euro
1 liter hot water (for tea) with usage of two cups: 3 Euro
As for hiking, the trails are well marked so you shouldn't get lost. A map is still useful.
Weather can change quickly and be really bad. People regularly die due to overestimating themselves, bad weather, etc. So take care.
Mountains are much steeper than what I experienced in the US. Also much prettier.
Hiking boots are often recommended since you'll be walking on sharp and hard rock. Ultimately this depends on the hiking trail itself.
If you have water filtration, you can be cheap and not buy drinking water at the cabins. Otherwise drinking water cost money. Tab water at the cabins isn't always drinking quality.
I've done some hiking in the Austrian Alps. Much less in Switzerland since that country is a bit more expensive in general.
http://photos.niesens.com/2014/2014-06-05-Deutschland-Urlaub/i-sDSL73p/0/M/2014-06-17%20062%20Sleeping%20quarters%20of%20the%20Brunne nkopfh%C3%BCtte-M.jpg
Sleeping quarters of the Brunnenkopfhütte
http://photos.niesens.com/2014/2014-06-05-Deutschland-Urlaub/i-hCk9Hkm/0/M/2014-06-17%20089%20Speckkn%C3%B6del%2C%20gulash%20and%20be er-M.jpg
Speckknödel, gulash and beer
http://photos.niesens.com/2014/2014-06-09-T%C3%B6ltzer-H%C3%BCtte/i-J9bgsHn/0/M/DSCN1861-M.jpg
Multi bedroom at Töltzer-Hütte. Notice the printing on the blankets. ;) We stayed a week so the duffel bag went with the freight lift. (BTW, the Bergferien für Familien is a pretty awesome program by the alpine clubs for families.)
A couple I know well has been filling my FB wall for days now with breathtaking photos of day hikes around Zermatt. Everyone I know is going or has been to Europe this summer...
Thanks for all the detais Adverturelaus! I have my itinerary dialed in at this point and have made reservations at all the huts I anticipate using. I have a sea to summit liner for use in the huts and I'll also be taking my new zPacks sleeping bag to avoid the communal blankets. I'm very much looking forward to the food which sounds amazing!
I wasn't aware of the need to pay for drinking water at the huts. I am packing aquamira to treat sources I might use in the mountains but didn't anticipate having to do so at huts. Maybe I'll also pack my Sawyer filter for use at the huts.
Just a couple of weeks to go before I leave
adventurelaus, would you say that trekking poles are important or optional in the Alps? I normally hike with poles but in an effort to avoid checked baggage I'm thinking of starting without poles and only buying if I decide they are needed. Your comment on the trails being more rugged than in the US gives me pause regarding this plan ...
adventurelaus
08-18-2015, 23:10
Quite a few people nowadays are using trekking poles in the Alps. But it's a recent phenomena and certainly not required. Couple decades ago trekking poles weren't around and people hiked the same trails. I think it's mainly a personal choice.
Depending on the airline, you might actually get one bag free with transatlantic flights. Something to check out.