The Walker´s Haute Route | Hiking from Chamonix to Zermatt

In August/September 2021 my brother and I took 2 weeks off to hike 230km from Chamonix to Zermatt. We found ourselfs mostly on empty trails enjoying nature to the fullest. On our way we wittnessed a great range of 4000m peaks, traversed eleven mountain passes, crossed icy streams, passed glaciers and wandered through delightful valleys. The passes on this route stay always under 3000m of elevation and don’t require any technical mountaineering skills. To note, there exists some alternative routes on the different stages, so make your research before. I hope this video helps you to plan your Haute Route.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:57 - Day 1 : Chamonix - Argentière
01:47 - Day 2 : Argentière - Col de la Forclaz
04:26 - Day 3 : Col de la Forclaz - Champex
08:32 - Day 4 : Champex - Le Chable
09:26 - Day 5 : Le Chable - Cabane du Mont Fort
11:25 - Day 6 : Cabane du Mont Fort - Cabane de Prafleuri
13:28 - Day 7 : Cabane de Prafleuri - Arolla
Day 8 : Rest Day
15:56 - Day 9 : Arolla - Les Haudères
17:14 - Day 10 : Les Haudères - Cabane de Moiry
18:53 - Day 11 : Cabane de Moiry - Zinal
20:18 - Day 12 : Zinal - Gruben
22:21 - Day 13 : Gruben - St. Niklaus
24:48 - Day 14 : St. Niklaus - Kinhütte
26:57 - Day 15 : Kinhütte - Zermatt
Music is licensed with MusicBed:
Tony Anderson - Éclosion
Eric Kinny - Daydream in A for piano
Tony Anderson - Tenderness
A.Taylor - Who will remember
Jesse Brown - Inside of me
Tony Anderson - Aisha
Chad Lawson - The Waning Moon
Greg Thomas - Iuno
Slow Meadow - By the Ash Tree
Slow Meadow - Semolina
Camera gear:
Sony A7III + 24mm 1.4 GM
DJI Mavic Mini 2
Follow me on Instagram:
/ ralfpolke

[@jamesjirn1613]

No self-aggrandizing, no narration, no "look at me"-- just pure visual and auditory beauty! Thank you!

[@gonesurfing8603]

thank you so much, James! I really appreciate your kind words and I´m glad you enjoyed my video.

[@kcyfarfromhome]

Epic silence hiking film!

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you very much! I appreciate it a lot! Far less people on the trail than on the Tour du Mont Blanc.

[@MJBold_1]

Breathtakingly beautiful! Just wow!😍

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much!

[@Taco2610]

Did the Haute Route age 20 while in the Army in July 1982 with ZERO TRAINING. Big difference from then to now would be how little the amount of snow & ice there is now! Brilliant & scary at the same time.

[@gonesurfing8603]

thank you for this comment. It's true, on one hand I'm always excited to be able to still see some glaciers but on the other hand it's so sad that it maybe won't take long and they're gone.

[@Taco2610]

I have managed to get one or two photo's but don't know how or where to share them?

[@derekkuhl]

What a beautiful film! Makes me want to drop everything and go. Definitely going to put this on the travel list!

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much, Derek! If you love being out in the mountains and want to enjoy beautiful vistas along your way this hike should be definitely on your bucket list, you won't regret it.

[@decela1878]

You captured the essence of this trail: tranquility of Alps peaks in summer. I did only 1/2 of this trail (not enough time) and this video makes me regret I didn't finish it. These beautiful images are worth watching on a large screen. Keep hiking and share your videos.

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you could also enjoy the beauty of this trail, even it was only half of it. I hope you find the time to finish the second half once in future.

[@CaryMercer]

What an experience of a lifetime. Glad you got to share it with your brother. I'm looking to hike this trail next month and your video helped. Thank you so much.

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much, Cary! I‘m glad my video helped you to plan your hike, you will enjoy this one for sure too!

[@JustBrowsing777]

This video clearly deserves more views. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much for these kind words! I`m glad you enjoyed my video!

[@radudragan7608]

Amazing video with real feel of the route! Very useful with lots of info for who plans to do it. Well done guys!

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you very much! I appreciate it and i’m glad you enjoyed this video!

[@physicsAmbler]

At last a well filmed video about the hike and not about the people who filmed it! Great job!

[@gonesurfing8603]

thank you so much Philip! That's always the intention with my videos.

[@yasi7261]

What a great video! Thank you so much for sharing. I‘m planning to hike this trail next summer/automn

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much! You will love this hike for sure!

[@christopherpowell1880]

Thank you for such a beautiful piece of film. Got a real sense of place and pace rather than personality that too often features in these videos! Hugely enjoyable 🙏

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much for this comment, Christopher! This is a great appreciation for the work I put into the video and I´m very glad you enjoyed it!

[@vindsr.3881]

Outstanding!

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you very much!

[@gatsbygates]

Amazing trip and video! Thank you for sharing!

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you very much, Cyril! I am glad you enjoyed our hiking adventure!

[@SummitAboutScotland]

Beautiful video thanks for sharing. This has inspired me even further to do this in next in next couple of years. Greetings from Scotland 👍

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much! I hope you can enjoy this trail as soon as possible!

[@matyoos]

Wonderful footage, loved every minute of the video.

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you for following along on this journey!

[@robertkahnt3607]

To good. Amazing Vid - THX

[@gonesurfing8603]

I‘m glad you enjoyed my video! Thank you so much!

[@ChristianMueller22]

Lovely! the Grand Combin views are fantastic and Cabane de Moiry is awesome place to stay. the last 2 days are just "Top of the Alps". Thank you guys. on my bucket list since years - I plan to go more South and cross a few glaciers... Servus from Bavaria

[@gonesurfing8603]

Hi Christian! Thank you so much for this comment, this means a lot to me. The Walker's Haute Route is really a stunning adventure you will remember forever. Your plan sounds also very tempting, go for it! Liebe Grüße aus Wien!

[@kilianmedaer7682]

Hi guys! First of all congratulations for doing this trail. Secondly I walked TMB twice and I never heard of The Water Haute Route, and when I saw an article about it I immediately searched for it on youtube and this was the first video I saw. AND GUYS you two convinced me of doing it once again. It looks so beautiful. This edit is called a piece of art, thanks!

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thanks so much, Kilian! When you walked the TMB twice you already know a little part of the Haute Route as they share some trails. You will definitely enjoy the rest of it too as it's a visual feast!

[@bgzack]

Completely wonderful video! Thank you! (BTW, I did this a couple of years ago with Alpenwild - highly recommended for those who prefer a tour. A magnificent trek!)

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you very much for this comment! I´m glad you also could enjoy this beautiful hike, it's for sure one of the best in the alps.

[@NurBurG_N3RD]

Wow, great video. I can only dream of doing trips like this. Hope to visit Chamonix next year.

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much! I hope your dreams come true and you will see Chamonix soon! Even for smaller day hikes it’s a perfect starting point.

[@JoEvsTravelhike]

Interesting route that was not known to us before and very good video 👍

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much! I can highly recommend this hike. It shares some trails with the Tour de Mont Blanc, so this hike wouldn't be bad either as an alternative.

[@huyslifeadventure]

Great Film 👍

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much!

[@antigoon78]

This video is the best on the WHR so far. Amazingly beautiful! Do you have the map of your route somewhere so i can take inspiration from it? I'm thinking of doing it this September.

[@gonesurfing8603]

thank you so much! I don't have a map of my route but I used the Cicerone Guide Chamonix to Zermatt from Kev Reynolds and followed mostly his suggestions in regard of the route.

[@p0d0cyte]

Absolutely amazing video. So inspiring! What’s the drink you’re having at 26:38 - looks like beer, but there’s ice?

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much! I‘m glad you enjoyed my video! It’s ice in the drink, but no beer, it was kind of an apple cider.

[@ymmm-yogamovementmeditatio9507]

Beautiful film, bravo. Were you able to camp everywhere in Switzerland? Did you need to ask permission anywhere?

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much! Wildcamping is generally not forbidden, but it differs from region to region and there seems not to be a uniform regulation. We stayed at designated Campsites.

[@arongroen6655]

A-ma-zing. Why does this video only have a thousand watches? I can't believe it 😂. Could you guys maybe share a tracklist of the beautiful music?

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you very much, I´m glad you enjoyed this video! The tracklist is now in the video description.

[@petrayang3635]

so beautiful.

[@gonesurfing8603]

thank you very much, Petra! I´m glad you enjoyed my video!

[@davidcarpenter8229]

Beautiful! I’ll be hiking the Route this September. What camera did you use to film this?

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you so much! I filmed this one with the Sony A7III.

[@SensuiYYH]

did you eat at the villages or did you cook up dehydrated meals?? great film!!!

[@gonesurfing8603]

thank you very much! Most of the time we ate at the refuges or in the villages, where you also could get some snacks. We didn't use dehydrated meals.

[@CaryMercer]

Hi Ralf, which hut or huts were your favorite? I'm looking to mostly camp/wild camp, but I'd like to stay in one or maybe two huts. Thank you.

[@Adywebb123]

Absolutely stunning. I loved the fact that their was no talking. Brilliant. How did you plan this. I would to do something similar

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed watching my video! I can highly recommend the Cicerone Guide Book Chamonix to Zermatt, it's well worth the money. There you can find everything you need to know about this hike.

[@tomgreene1843]

Great upload ....no crazy music or guff...too old now to do any of it ...sorry i did not do some when younger....but great to watch!

[@gonesurfing8603]

@@tomgreene1843 Thank you so much for your comment, Tom! I'm glad you enjoyed the video, especially if you're not a hiker.

[@fenta6665]

Wow, genial!!!

[@gonesurfing8603]

vielen lieben Dank, Christian! Wenn Du mal auf der Suche nach einer 2 wöchigen Wanderung bist, diese ist absolut empfehlenswert!

[@brunogdecastro9835]

Legal demais!

[@gonesurfing8603]

muito obrigado!

[@MajorHernia]

Is it possible to camp in campsites the full way around? Or is there no option but the refuges at some points?

[@gonesurfing8603]

No, there aren't so many campsites along the trail. So one option is to do wild camping and the other one is to go with the refuges. The refuges will be the more expensive option, but it's worth it. They're all located in beautiful locations and it's a great experience too.

[@josephinebrew3788]

Wow! I had to watch your video twice, I love it. I’m going to hike this route in July 2022 and can’t wait. I hiked the TMB in 2019 and it was incredible. How were the mountain lodges during Covid? They looked pretty empty from your video. Did you have to provide any electronic covid vaccine passport to enter? We’re you able to get a covid PCR test in Zermatt for your international travel home? Did you return from Zurich or Geneva?

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you for your kind comment Josephine! It was always a beautiful experience to stay at the mountain lodges and they all did their best during these times. Although it may appear in the video that they looked pretty empty it was the other way round. They were booked very well, partly fully booked. You had to book all of them in advance, so it's a good idea to check their websites for further informations. As far as proof of covid vaccine passport concerns, you should have one with you. We didn't need a Covid Test when leaving for home at that time, so I can't answer this question. We left from Geneva, there's a train going from Zermatt to Geneva Airport, it takes about 4 hrs, a very good connection.

[@josephinebrew3788]

@@gonesurfing8603 thank you!

[@TamaEnergy]

How best to book the huts! thinking of doing in July solo :)

[@gonesurfing8603]

The best way to book the huts is primarily to figure out what route you will take and make a schedule and then book through their websites. Some huts could only be contacted by phone at the time when I was booking. Furthermore if you plan to do it in July, this will be the main season, try to book as soon as possible. Some huts, as Europa Hut, will book out fast. The Cicerone hiking guide has lots of information, I can highly recommend it. You will for sure love this hike!

[@moyashisoba]

Very nice video with beautiful views. How much cash should someone carry on this trail? And is it possible to set up camp anywhere? Technically it's forbitten in Switzerland but I've seen a lot of hikers just do it (in other videos).

[@gonesurfing8603]

Thank you for taking your time to watch my video. It´s not so easy to say how much money someone should carry on this trail as it highly depends on how you wanna experience this trail in regard of accommodation and food. So you can spend 15.-CHF for a campsite, about 100.-CHF for a mountain cabin or 100+ CHF for a hotel/private room. The same goes for food, either you spend your money in the supermarket or you eat in the cabins or restaurants on your way. For off site camping, as I know, it's officially discouraged in Switzerland, but I saw it in several videos too, so it's up to you.

[@moyashisoba]

@@gonesurfing8603 Thank you for answering my questions and you are absolutely right, it depends a lot on what one is planning. Havn't thought about that. 😅

[@tomizet6671]

How did Altra Olympus shoes work for you?

[@gonesurfing8603]

The Altra Olympus worked perfectly for me, but that doesn’t mean that it will be the same for others. But in general every Trailrunner will be fine for this hike.

[@graemehindshaw4221]

What time of year???

[@gonesurfing8603]

We did this hike in August/September.

[@graemehindshaw4221]

@@gonesurfing8603 nice video, these are great for giving others knowledge so they are confident to do it. I'm planning this one for next Summer, doing the Dolomiti Alta Via 1 in July myself. How did you get on with camping? Was the Nemo Dragonfly (I think!) good? What rating sleeping bag did you use?

[@gonesurfing8603]

@@graemehindshaw4221 Thank you so much! Camping is no problem, but we just used designated camping areas. I recommend the Cicerone Hiking guide, there you will find a lot of useful information about not only the whole route, but also about the different accommodation possibilities including the campsites. We took the Nemo Hornet 2p tent with us and had been very satisfied, it's light and has just enough space for 2 persons. And we haven't been the only ones out there with this tent. My sleeping bag was a 3-season one, rated 0°C/32°F comfort, -5°C/23°F Limit and I never felt cold during the nights, but you have to be prepared in the mountains. In the huts you just need a sleeping liner. Hope I could help you with this information.

[@graemehindshaw4221]

@@gonesurfing8603 perfect thanks. Yeah the hornet, knew I recognised it. I went with the BA Copper Spur in the end as it's slightly bigger. Thank for the sleeping bag tip, mine is 4 season -17C comfort! but the gf isn't, but it is 3 season 0c rated comfort 👍

[@mahmoodal.harthy4330]

Just amazing I want to choose between TMB and this trial for 2023 What you think? Any advice