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Haute Route Local shepherds once thought that the air of the high mountains contained poison and that nobody could survive a night. There are now huts scattered throughout, ensuring that we not only survive the night but do so in style. Hearty meals with plenty of wine are the trademarks of this trip. With food and blankets provided at the huts, we can keep our packs light. Our
tour starts in Zermatt with a ride up the ski lifts and a traverse
under the north face of the Matterhorn. The next two days take
us from the German to French speaking area of Switzerland. A magnificent
1400m (4600 ft) ski run take Once you arrive in Chamonix why not sign up for an optional ski accent of Mt Blanc or a day of off piste skiing. You will be acclimatized and fit from your previous week.
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The
Haute Route is the best know ski tour in the Alps for a good reason.
It is a high level journey through the heart of the heavily glaciated
Western Alps. This height of land formed a natural barrier which
became the boundary between Switzerland, Italy and France. Today
it is not so much a barrier as an alpine playground. We will travel
from country to country, between languages and cultures, all on
skis. 
s
us down to the tiny alpine village of Arolla (hotel and hot showers).
Again ski lifts to take us out of the valley and up to high mountain
huts. Over the next three days we wander our way through the glaciers
and over the passes, making ski ascents of the Pigne d’Arolla
3772m (12370 ft) and Mt Blanc de Chelion 3827m(12552 ft). From
Mt Avril, it is a long ski descent to green fields and the tiny
Italian village of Glacier. We transfer by vehicle to Courmayeur,
which rests 12000 feet below the south face of Mt Blanc (4808m,
15770 ft). In the morning we take the lift up for our long ski
descent between the granite spires of the Valle Blanche. It will
be with a sense of achievement that you walk down the main street
in Chamonix a week after leaving Zermatt.
Starting
the Haute Route in Zermatt provides us with several advantages.
There will be less people while skiing and in the huts. There
will be more nights with hotels on the route, so less time without
showers. We are also less likely to have cancel or change sections
of the tour due to weather or conditions. Doing the ski tour this
way means less time walking or climbing with crampons and more
time on your skis. There are many options for more challenging
ski descents or climbing peaks if weather and conditions permit.
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