Ski the less-travelled Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route via Bourg-Saint-Pierre for a more remote, rewarding and truly alpine adventure
Highlights of the trip:
- A much less crowded and more alpine version of the Haute Route.
- Traversing the southern side of the Grand Combin.
- Crossing the Sonadon Pass from the Valsorey hut.
- Skiing through remote high mountain terrain with a strong sense of journey.
- Ascending the Pigne d’Arolla via the Brenay Glacier, a magnificent and rarely travelled stage.
- Climbing the Tête de Valpelline on the final day, with one of the great ski descents towards Zermatt.
Haute Route Chamonix to Zermatt via Bourg-Saint-Pierre
The Haute Route ski tour from Chamonix to Zermatt is the most famous ski tour in the Alps. Crossing high mountain terrain between two iconic alpine towns, it is a true ski mountaineering journey, combining glaciated landscapes, high-altitude cols, remote mountain huts and memorable ski descents.
There are several ways to complete the Haute Route. This itinerary follows the Bourg-Saint-Pierre variation, a more historic and less travelled route than the classic Verbier version. By crossing the southern side of the Grand Combin, it offers a stronger sense of remoteness and a more alpine character, with technical sections where skis may need to be carried, crampons and ice axes used, and the group roped together under the guidance of your UIAGM high mountain guide.
This is a demanding itinerary, best suited to strong and experienced ski tourers who want a more engaging way to travel from Chamonix to Zermatt. Over six ski touring days, you will cover approximately 95km and 6,800m of ascent, staying in high mountain refuges along the way. The route travels mostly between 2,500m and 3,500m, with the possibility of summiting the Pigne d’Arolla at 3,790m if conditions allow
A committed Alpine journey
The key commitment on this route comes after the first two ski touring days, once the group reaches Bourg-Saint-Pierre. From here, the stages from the Valsorey hut to Chanrion, and from Chanrion to the Vignettes hut, are more remote, with limited options to leave the route once underway. They also involve more complex route-finding than the classic Verbier variation.
For this reason, good weather, suitable snow conditions and a strong, consistent group level are essential. The first two days form an important part of the programme, giving your guide time to assess the group in real mountain conditions before continuing into this more committed section.
A final weather and group assessment will be made in Bourg-Saint-Pierre. If the forecast, snow conditions or group level are not suitable, the guide will adapt the itinerary at this point. This is not about limiting the adventure, but about making good decisions in serious alpine terrain and giving the group the best chance of completing a rewarding journey safely.
Our 4-day Arolla to Zermatt ski tour offers a superb shorter alternative, taking in some of the finest sections of the Haute Route while keeping the itinerary more flexible.
Your guide(s):
Your guide for this trip will be a fully qualified UIAGM high mountain guide. This is the highest professional mountaineering qualification in Europe.
UIAGM guides are highly proficient skiers and mountaineers. They are trained and assessed over several years in all aspects of mountain safety, including glacier travel, avalanche awareness, rope work, route choice, group management and decision-making in complex alpine terrain.
Your guide’s priority is your safety. On this route, that may sometimes mean making difficult decisions, such as turning back, changing the itinerary or choosing not to continue into a more committed section of the Haute Route. We ask all participants to respect these decisions.
Some of our guides are also qualified ski instructors, which can be a real asset during the tour, offering useful tips to help you ski more efficiently in varied off-piste conditions.
The maximum ratio for this trip is four skiers per guide.
Unsure if this is the right Haute Route for you?
If you are interested in this route, please get in touch before booking. We can talk through your ski touring experience, fitness, technical level and previous mountain background, and advise you honestly.
For strong, experienced ski tourers booking as a small group, this is one of the finest and most rewarding ways to travel from Chamonix to Zermatt. For skiers looking to join a group, our 4-day Arolla to Zermatt ski tour is an excellent alternative.
You will make your own way to the start of the tour at the Grands Montets ski lift in Argentière, ready to meet your guide at 09:00.
We recommend staying in the Chamonix Valley the night before so you have time to prepare your kit and be ready for the start of the tour. Please arrive with all your equipment packed and ready. There are several outdoor shops in Chamonix and Argentière if you need to hire or buy kit, and we are happy to advise you in advance.
From Argentière, we take the Grands Montets lift towards Bochard before traversing across the mountainside to reach the Col des Rachasses. From here, we descend via the Glacier des Rognons to the Glacier d’Argentière.
We then put skins back on and head towards the Col du Passon. The ascent is not especially long, but the final section involves carrying skis on the backpack and using crampons and rope to reach the col at 3,025m. From the col, there are excellent views towards the north face of the Chardonnet and across the Tour basin.
We then descend across the glacier before a short final ascent to Refuge Albert 1er. This is a relatively short first day, allowing everyone to settle into the rhythm of the tour.
Duration: 4 to 5 hours
Ascent: 450m
Descent: 700m
We leave the refuge and climb towards either the Col Supérieur du Tour or the Col du Tour, depending on snow and weather conditions. From here, we cross onto the Trient Glacier before descending in a traverse towards the Col des Ecandies at 2,796m.
This is a beautiful transitional day, moving from the Mont Blanc massif into Switzerland and giving the group its first real sense of travelling across the Alps. The area around the Albert 1er hut is surrounded by classic peaks including the Aiguille du Tour, Chardonnet and Aiguille d’Argentière, while the crossing towards the Trient Glacier brings a more open, high mountain feel to the route.
The descent into the Val d’Arpette is one of the classic sections of this stage, with varied skiing and impressive alpine surroundings. We continue down to Champex, where we take a taxi transfer to the village of Bourg-Saint-Pierre.
Tonight we stay at the Hôtel Napoléon.
Duration: 5 to 6 hours
Ascent: 540m
Descent: 1,100m
This is a beautiful and demanding ski tour from Chamonix to Zermatt via Bourg-Saint-Pierre, following a wilder and less-travelled variation of the Haute Route. It includes remote glaciated terrain, technical alpine passages and some excellent ski descents.
The route described below is the itinerary we aim to follow, but it may change depending on weather, snow conditions and the level of the group. In the high mountains, conditions can change quickly and your guide will continually assess the terrain, snowpack and forecast.
Early starts are normal on this tour. Snow conditions are often more stable in the morning, when temperatures are colder, and can become less reliable as the day warms up. Early starts also often mean early finishes, giving you time to rest and enjoy the atmosphere of the refuges.
Your safety is the priority throughout the tour. We ask that you respect your guide’s decisions, even if this means changing the route, turning back or not continuing with the planned itinerary. Occasionally, changes may involve additional costs, such as extra transport or an extra night in a refuge, which would need to be paid locally. We will always try to avoid unnecessary extra costs, but never at the expense of safety.
From Bourg-Saint-Pierre, we put skins on and begin the long ascent of the Vallon de Valsorey towards the Cabane de Valsorey at 3,030m.
This is a sustained uphill day, with a significant height gain, but the route climbs through a beautiful and increasingly remote valley beneath the Grand Combin. The terrain is varied, moving from gentler slopes to steeper sections as we approach the hut.
The Cabane de Valsorey is a traditional high mountain hut and an important staging point on the historic Haute Route variation via the Plateau du Couloir and the Mont Durand Glacier. The day itself is essentially a long climb from the valley to the high mountains, gaining around 1,300m and marking the transition from the more accessible early stages into the wilder Grand Combin area.
Reaching the Cabane de Valsorey marks an important point in the journey, as we are now entering the more committed and alpine section of the route.
- Duration: 4 to 5 hours
- Ascent: 1340 m
This is one of the most alpine stages of the tour and an early start is essential, often around 05:00.
From the hut, we climb towards the Plateau du Couloir before continuing to the Col du Sonadon at 3,520m. This section is technical and usually involves carrying skis, using crampons and being roped together for around 300m of ascent.
This is the stage that gives the Bourg-Saint-Pierre variation much of its character. The crossing links the Valsorey hut with Chanrion via the Plateau du Couloir, the Col du Sonadon and the Mont Durand Glacier — a serious and remote high mountain passage rather than a straightforward ski touring day. The Plateau du Couloir is widely regarded as a key point of this section, and the descent then follows glaciated terrain towards Chanrion.
From the col, we reach the Mont Durand Glacier, which we descend towards the Cabane de Chanrion. This is a remote and highly atmospheric stage, crossing serious glaciated terrain and offering a real sense of high mountain travel.
- Duration: 4 to 5 hours
- Ascent: 1000 m
- Descent: 1000 m
Today we ascend the Brenay Glacier towards the Col du Brenay at 3,639m. This is a magnificent glacial stage, travelling through remote terrain with wide views across the surrounding peaks.
If conditions allow, we may continue to the summit of the Pigne d’Arolla at 3,790m. This is a superb addition to the day, with views extending towards Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and many of the major peaks of the Valais Alps.
From the Pigne d’Arolla, we descend towards the Cabane des Vignettes, skiing through complex glaciated terrain between seracs and crevasses.
If weather or snow conditions are not suitable for the Brenay Glacier, your guide may choose an alternative route via the Otemma Glacier. This is less technical but still provides a beautiful and worthwhile journey to the Vignettes hut.
Duration: 6 to 7 hours
Ascent: 1,330m
Descent: 602m
The final day is a long and magnificent high mountain stage, and one of the great finishes to the Haute Route.
From the Cabane des Vignettes, we begin with a short descent to the broad glacial plateau of the Col de Chermotane, passing beneath Petit Mont Collon. We then make a steady ascent to the Col de l’Évêque at 3,386m.
A short descent onto the upper Arolla Glacier leads us to the climb towards the Col du Mont Brulé at 3,212m. From here, we descend briefly onto the Italian side and cross the Tsa de Tsan Glacier before making the final ascent to the Col de Valpelline at 3,562m.
If conditions and timing allow, we may climb the Tête de Valpelline at 3,798m. From here, the view towards the Matterhorn and the surrounding 4,000m peaks is one of the great moments of the tour.
The final descent to Zermatt is long and memorable, following the Stockji Glacier and then the Zmutt Glacier, before continuing down towards the valley. After six days of high mountain travel, arriving in Zermatt is a special finish to the journey.
The tour ends in Zermatt. Return transport is not included, giving you the flexibility to travel onwards by train to Geneva, Zurich or your next destination. If you need to return to Chamonix, we can advise you on train connections or help arrange a private transfer on request.
- Ascent: 1130 m
- Descent: 1800 m
- Duration: 6 to 8 hours
Who will love this trip?
This trip is ideal for experienced ski tourers and ski mountaineers looking for a more adventurous and technical version of the Haute Route.
Because of the committed nature of the route, this trip is available for small groups booking together, rather than mixed open groups. To help ensure the group is well matched, we only take skiers whose ability we can confidently verify. This means you will need to have either:
- skied with us before; or
- skied with another guide who can confirm your level.
This approach helps create a strong, consistent group from the start. It gives everyone the best chance of enjoying the route and completing it successfully, while avoiding the disappointment of arriving for a trip that is not quite the right fit.
This trip is best suited to skiers who:
- are confident off-piste skiers with good ski touring experience;
- have previous multi-day ski touring experience;
- are comfortable using crampons, ice axe and rope where required;
- are calm and efficient in exposed high mountain terrain;
- are confident on steep ground, including slopes of up to around 45° in places, such as the ascent to the Sonadon Pass;
- have an excellent level of fitness for daily height gains of approximately 800m to 1,300m and days of around 6 to 8 hours.
Summer mountaineering experience is a strong advantage, although you do not need to be an expert alpinist.
Altitude, hut life, changing snow conditions and consecutive days on skis all add to the physical demands of the tour.
Loading accommodation filters...
- Restaurant evening meals and drinks in Gap in the evenings
- Picnic or restaurant lunches (some days will include the possibility of a restaurant lunch and others will require a picnic)
- Your journey to and from Gap
- Tips for the guide
We were a small group embarking on the Haute Route with Bernard and Phillips as guides. The route was meticulously planned and included a back up route if the weather was against us. Ski touring is not for everyone as it…
Haute Route with Bernard, Sally, Philippe and the team has been an epic expedition and experience of a lifetime. Thank you all for making it possible and giving us those memories to treasure.
This tour starts in the Chamonix Valley on the morning of the first ski day, meeting at the Grands Montets ski lift in Argentière.
We recommend arriving in the Chamonix Valley the day before the tour starts so you have time to organise your kit, check your equipment and be ready for an early start. Depending on availability, you may choose to stay in Chamonix, Argentière or Les Houches.
The tour finishes in Zermatt, so return transport to Chamonix is not included. This gives you the flexibility to travel onwards by train to Geneva, Zurich or your next destination. If you need to return to Chamonix after the tour, we can advise on the best train connections or help arrange a private transfer on request.
By plane
The nearest airport for the start of the trip is Geneva Airport. From Geneva, there are regular shared transfers and bus services to Chamonix throughout the winter season. FlixBus is a useful option for checking timetables and prices.
By train
Chamonix is accessible by train via Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Le Fayet, which connects with the Mont Blanc Express to Chamonix, Argentière and other stations in the valley.
If travelling from the UK or elsewhere in Europe, you can take the train to Paris, continue by TGV towards Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Le Fayet, then connect onto the Mont Blanc Express. You can plan your journey using the SNCF website.
Leaving from Zermatt
At the end of the tour, you can travel from Zermatt by train via Visp, with good onward connections to Geneva, Zurich and other Swiss destinations.
Ski the less-travelled Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route via Bourg-Saint-Pierre for a more remote, rewarding and truly alpine adventure
Similar adventures you might like
Other trips at the same difficulty level
Stories from the mountains
Tips and inspiration from our blog