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2006 Haute Route Run

100 miles in 6 days - 30,000' elevation gain

   In 2005 a friend, Bill Sundermeier, suggested an epic adventure run from Chamonix to Zermatt along the Haute Route in Switzerland.  He'd run the Europaweg in a prior year and built an itinerary that covered 120 miles in six days, running from hotel to hotel along the route.  My wife and son, Cathy and Will, agreed to provide support for us and in August of 2006 we left for Switzerland.

    It was an incredible week.  Eye-shatteringly beautiful terrain, a trip we will never forget and one that I would love to reprise.  We flew from PDX to CDG, then in to Geneva.  Rented a van and drove to Chamonix, where we spent the next two nights prepping for the run.  After finishing the run in Zermatt we flew to Paris for two nights, staying across from Notre Dame,  and then returned to Portland.  During our departure from Charles De Gaulle we got stuck in the elevator for an hour.  After pressing the intercom to request help the attendant on the other end said, "We are sending help.  Do you speak French?"  "No", we replied.  "'tis a pity...", was the answer.

    Our route followed much of the low/hiker's Haute Route: Chamonix - Champex - Verbier - Arolla - Zinal - Grachen - Zermatt.  Route specifics are at the bottom of the page under Resources.  We followed our route with one exception.  At Cab du Mont Fort (day 3) we ran into significant new snow at 8,000'/2,940 m and above.  We explained our route to the hut guides and asked about the trail.  They were thoughtful for a moment, scanning our ultralight trail-running gear from head to toe, and said, "in those?  ...you go up there, you die".  Undaunted we decided to climb the Col, negotiating snowy, slippery boulders, we made slow progress to nearly the summit.  But after considering the possibility of encountering more snow and postholing across the Grand Desert Glacier, we made the difficult decision to re-route to Lourtier at lower elevation instead.

    Switzerland:  amazing, spectacular views from the trail so breath-taking it was like flying.

                                                                All photographs (C) copyright  Jeff Maurer, Cathy Maurer, Scott Diamond.  All rights reserved.
                                                                                                  Route/itinerary courtesy of Bill Sundemeier

Chamonix Arrival

Day 1: Chamonix to Champex
20 miles - 5,000' elevation gain

Day 2: Champex to Verbier (via Sembrancher)
11 miles - 2,500' elevation gain

Day 3: Verbier to La Sage (really to Lourtier due to snow)
17 miles - 5,000' elevation gain

Day 4: La Sage to Zinal
20 miles - 7,500' elevation gain

Day 5: Zinal to Grachen
11 miles - 9,000' elevation gain

Day 6: Grachen to Zermatt (Europaweg)
21 miles - 3,500' elevation gain

Day 7: Gornergracht (Sight-seeing)

Haute Route Trail Markers

Bill Sundermeier

Picture

Scott Diamond

Picture

Jim Rudig

Picture

Jeff Maurer

Picture

Cathy Maurer

Picture

Will Maurer

Picture

Paris

Resources

Itinerary:
Chamonix layover:  Hotel le Chamonix
Day 1: Chamonix - Champex: 6,300' elev gain, 20 miles, estimated 7.3 hours

    Argentiere: 5.6 mi/9.0 km, 2% grade
    Le Tour:  2.5 mi/4.0 km, 5% grade
    Charamillion: 1.2 mi/2.0 km, 20% grade
    Col de Balme: 1.2 mi/2.0 km, 18% grade
    Refuge les Grands: 1.6 mi/2.5 km, -4% grade
    Chalet du Glacier: 1.4 mi/2.2 km, -10% grade
    Fenetre D' Aprette: 2.8 mi/4.5 km, 17% grade
    Arpette: 1.9 mi/3.0 km, -35% grade
    Champex: 1.9 mi/3.0 km, -5% grade

Champex hotel:  Hotel du Belvedere

Day 2: Champex - Verbier: 2,500' elev gain, 11.2 miles, estimated 4.3 hours

    Sous La Le: 2.5 mi/4.0 km, -11% grade
    La Garde: 1.6 mi/2.5 km, -5% grade
    Sembrancher: 1.2 mi/2.0 km, -9% grade
    La Chable: 2.8 mi/4.5 km, 2% grade
    Verbier: 3.1 mi/5.0 km, 13% grade
Verbier hotel: Hotel de Verbier

Day 3: Verbier - Arolla:  9,500' elev gain, 20.7 miles, estimated 9.8 hours

    Clambin:  1.9 mi/3.0 km, 8% grade
    Cabane du Fort: 2.7 mi/4.3 km, 17% grade
    Col de la Chaux: 0.9 mi/1.5 km, 32% grade
    Grand Desert Glacier: 1.2 mi/2.0 km, -34% grade
    Col de Prafleuri:  1.2 mi/2.0 km, 36% grade
    Cabane De Prafleuri: 1.6 mi/2.5 km, -14% grade
    Col des Roux: 0.6 mi/1.0 km, 18% grade
    Ref la Barma: 1.2 mi/2.0 km, -17% grade
    Lac des Dix: 2.1 mi/3.3 km, -3% grade
    Col de Reidmatten: 2.9 mi/4.7 km, 12% grade
    Arolla: 3.1 mi/5.0 km, -18% grade
Arolla hotel: Hotel du Pigne

Day 4: Arolla - Zinal: 6,800' elev gain, 19.9 miles, estimated 7.3 hours

    Lac Bleu: 2.5 mi/4.0 km, 2% grade
    La Gouille: 0.6 mi/1.0 km, -25% grade
    Les Hauderes: 1.6 mi/2.5 km, -16% grade
    La Sage: 1.6 mi/2.5 km, 9% grade
    Col du Tsate: 3.4 mi/5.5 km, 22% grade
    Parking du Glacier: 1.6 mi/2.5 km, -18% grade
    Barrage de Moiry: 2.5 mi/4.0 km, -4% grade
    Col de Soreboiis: 0.9 mi/1.5 km, 39% grade
    Sorebois: 1.2 mi/2.0 km, -21% grade
    Zinal: 4.0 mi/6.5 km, -12% grade
Zinal hotel: Hotel Le Besso

Day 5: Zinal - Grachen: 9,200' elev gain, 22.4 miles, estimated 10.8 hours

    Alpe Nava: 3.6 mi/5.8 km, 11% grade
    Forcletta: 0.7 mi/1.2 km, 45% grade
    Chalte Berg: 1.7 mi/2.8 km, -14% grade
    Gruben: 3.2 mi/5.2 km, -13% grade
    Augstbordpass: 3.4 mi/5.5 km, 19% grade
    Jungen: 4.7 mi/7.5 km, -13% grade
    St Niklaus: 1.9 mi/3.0 km, -28% grade
    Grachen: 3.1 mi/5.0 km, 11% grade
Grachen hotel: Hotel Desiree

Day 6: Grachen - Zermatt: 3,100' elev, 21.1 miles, estimated 9.0 hours

    Gasenried: 1.2 mi/2.0 km, 0% grade
    Grat: 1.6 mi, 2.5 km, 26% grade
    Gallenberg: 5.0 mi/8.0 km, 4% grade
    Europa Hut: 2.2 mi/3.5 km, -11% grade
    Taschalp: 5.9 mi/9.5 km, 0% grade
    Tuftern: 2.8 mi/4.5 km, 0% grade
    Findeln: 1.2 mi/2.0 km, -8% grade
    Zermatt: 1.2 mi/2.0 km, -22% grade
Zermatt hotel: Hotel Couronne


Websites:
BestHike.com Haute Route
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