Walker's Haute Route - From Trient to Zermatt
The Walker's Haute Route connects the two most iconic mountain villages of the Alps: Chamonix at the foot of Mont Blanc and Zermatt below the Matterhorn. Unlike its famous ski-touring namesake, the walkers' variant stays on trails all the way - but it crosses eleven passes and delivers a relentless up-and-down through the Valais, from Alpine pastures and larch forests to glacier moraines and high suspension bridges.
Total length: ~190km, accumulated height: 12.500m, duration: 12 days
We did the tour in 12 days in late July 2026.
Take a look at this video to get an impression about this trip:
How did we do the Walker's Haute Route ?
We started in Trient instead of Chamonix.
Day 1 - Trient to Champex
Length: 16km, time: 7h, up: 1.390m, down: 1.200m
Accommodation: Campsite
Day 2 - Champex to Le Châble
Length: 14,5km, time: 4h15min, up: 200m, down: 845m
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 3 - Le Châble to Cabane du Mont Fort
Length: 13km, time: 5h30min, up: 1.660m, down: 30m
Accommodation: Cabane du Mont Fort
Day 4 - Cabane du Mont Fort to Cabane de Prafleuri
Length: 17km, time: 7h30min, up: 1.110m, down: 940m
Accommodation: Cabane de Prafleuri
Day 5 - Cabane de Prafleuri to Arolla
Length: 18km, time: 6h, up: 740m, down: 1.360m
Accommodation: Temporary campsite next to the hotel
Day 6 - Arolla to La Sage
Length: 11,5km, time: 4h, up: 520m, down: 860m
Accommodation: dormitory
Day 7 - La Sage to Cabane de Moiry
Length: 11,5km, time: 6h, up: 1.680m, down: 520m
Accommodation: Cabane de Moiry
Day 8 - Cabane de Moiry to Zinal
Length: 19,5km, time: 7h, up: 650m, down: 1.800m
Accommodation: Campsite
Day 9 - Zinal to Gruben
Length: 17km, time: 6h, up: 1.250m, down: 1.100m
Accommodation: hotel, bed / dormitory
Day 10 - Gruben to St. Niklaus
Length: 18km, time: 7h, up: 1.150m, down: 1.845m
Accommodation: hotel / guesthouse
Day 11 - St. Niklaus to Europahütte
Length: 12km, time: 5h, up: 1.300m, down: 210m
Accommodation: refuge
Day 12 - Europa-Hut to Zermatt
Length: 23km, time: 7h, up: 850m, down: 1.460m
Accommodation: Hotel in Zermatt (camping sites in Zermatt/Tätsch currently closed)
Our Learnings
- Much more difficult than Tour du Mont Blanc (longer trails, lot of up and down)
- Always be prepared for bad weather - some people do not even have rain clothes
- There is a supermarket every second/third day - however most of them are really small