A Classic Itinerary Making an Ideal Walking Holiday
High Mountain and Low Valley Accommodations
THE WALKERS HAUTE ROUTE
Swiss Walking Holiday for the Experienced Walker
Our
Swiss Valais trek visits some of the most beautiful valleys, villages and
mountains in Switzerland between Arolla and Zermatt along much of the
Haute Route. It encompasses high rugged passes where the walking is of a
truly Alpine nature with flower-strewn valley pastures. Most of the paths
here are little trodden, making for an excellent variety of flowers and
alpine wildlife. This is a challenging trek for people who like high
passes, such as the Col de Torrent 2918m and the Col de Sorebois 2896m,
and great Alpine settings.
From
the old climbing centre of Arolla below such peaks as Mount Collon, Pigne
d’Arolla and Aiguille de la Tsa, we hike through the famous Val d’Herens,
visiting its quaint picture postcard villages. We cross the Col de Torrent
into the equally stunning Val d’ Anniviers, with its great cirque of
white peaks: Dent Blanche, Zinal Rothorn, Weisshorn and Obergabelhorn. We
spend two nights in Grimentz at a typical swiss chalet hotel. Finally we
descend into the stunning Mattertal Valley to Randa and Zermatt, where we
have a glittering array of walks to enjoy.
This
tour is the walkers version of the Haute Route, one of the best known
winter ski tours in the world and on it we pass under ten of the twelve
highest peaks in the Alps. There are tremendous views of glaciers from the
high passes that we cross and of course these contrast with the strolls
through the lush Alpine valleys and meadows. In spring and early summer
these pastures are a mass of colour when the alpine flowers come into
bloom.
8
nights/9 days - Your first night is spent in the
beautiful mountain setting of Arolla in a 2*chalet hotel. Night
2 in the typically Valaisian village of Les Hauderes (1*
hotel). Nights
3 and 4 are in the attractive alpine village of Grimentz (3*
hotel),
whilst night 5 is at the Hotel Cabane Weisshorn, a mountain inn in
the shadow of Weisshorn, a beautiful mountain bearing 3 faces
and 3 ridges. For night 6 you stay in the small hamlet of Gruben
(mountain inn),
on the right bank of the Turtmann stream. For the final nights 7
& 8 you can enjoy the great Alpine resort of Zermatt, in
a 3* typical Swiss chalet-style building.
Note:
On this tour due to mountain accommodation and baggage movement
logistics, you will not have your full luggage on nights 5 & 6.
Sherpa Notes
Waymarking
Bergweg red/white and Wanderweg yellow waymarks.
Accommodation
and Meals Dinner, bed & breakfast on 6 nights, bed and breakfast on 2
nights. 1 night in 1*, 1 night in 2*, 4 nights in 4* and 2 nights in
mountain inn accommodation. Triple rooms available.
Start
and End of Tour Train and postbus to Arolla. Return from Zermatt by train to
Geneva/Zurich.
Swiss Travel Cards
We recommend that you purchase a Swiss travel card, available from
your nearest Swiss state tourist office or from your arrival airport
in Switzerland.
This will cover the cost of your travel from the airport to your
first hotel and from the last hotel to the airport and will also
give you up to half price travel throughout your stay in
Switzerland.
