There are many adventure sports that can be practiced in alpine landscapes, being mountain skiing one of the favorites for lovers of snow sports. You can do high routes in the Alps, but the Haute Route par excellence is the one that goes from Chamonix to Zermatt and continues towards Saas Fee.
A medium-level group takes four and a half days to go from Chamonix to Zermatt on a classic tour. However, the mountain charm is broken a little by having to go by taxi from Champex to Verbier and there take the ski lifts from the ski resort to reach the Mont-Fort cabin.
The proposed itinerary crosses the heart of the Haute Route, covers the best landscapes of the Swiss section of the same and a normal group can do it in two or three days. It is advisable to reserve a place in the shelters, which, despite being called cabins in this area, do not correspond to our idea of what a cabin is. We will take due precautions in glacial terrain.
Although it is a terrain frequented by mountain skiers, especially in the Dix-Col section of Vallpeline, in case of bad weather and poor visibility, the route can be very dangerous, due to the presence of cracks and the characteristics of a high mountain area. Therefore, the recommended time is from March to May.
Starting point: Arolla (1,990 m), where we will arrive via a good mountain road following the magnificent Evolène valley (Geneva-Lausanne-Sion or Chamonix-Martigny-Sion).
1st Stage: Arolla-Dix cabin with a slope of about 970 m
From Arolla we will take the WSW direction, to head comfortably and without too many difficulties or orientation problems towards the Pas de Chèvres (2,855 m). From there, we will go down some vertical metal stairs that will leave us at the Cheillon glacier, a short distance and elevation difference from the Cabane des Di (2,928 m).
This spectacular pass has fairly safe stairs, but you should bring a rope in case there are individuals in the group prone to vertigo. A short distance north is the Riedmatten Pass, where the Patrouille des Glaciers, the cross-country skiing race, passes. a> with the largest participation in the world. It is somewhat higher and more difficult, as it is not equipped like its neighbor Pas de Chèvres, which in winter is the quickest access to the Dix refuge.
2nd Stage: Dix Refuge - Vigentes Refuge with a slope of about 875 m
This stage is short but spectacular, since we will pass through the roof of the crossing, the Pigne d'Arolla. The view over the four thousand Alps is formidable: from Montblanc to Monte Rosa, passing through the Matterhorn.
You leave the refuge in a SE direction, crossing the Cheillon glacier and then flanking below the tips of the Tsena Refien range. We will continue climbing through glacial troughs and cross the famous Serpentine Wall pass, where it may be necessary to use ski blades or even crampons, depending on the conditions and technical level. Then, through easier terrain, we will pass near the Col de Breney, reaching the top of the Pigne d’Arolla.
From the top we will descend a little south to reach the pass and from there we will head east along medium-sloping terrain. The arrival at the Vignettes refuge, located in a true eagle's nest, is spectacular.
3rd Stage: Vignettes refuge - Bertol refuge – Arolla. It has a gradient of about 1,240 m for the route without climbing the summits.
The day before it is advisable to recognize the exit from the shelter so as not to make a mistake and go too far to the east, where there are dangerous shovels if they are frozen or loaded with snow. It is better to leave the refuge early, because the journey is long. The descent is about a hundred meters in elevation and more than a kilometer in length, so it is usually done without skins. From the plain formed by the Col de Chermotane (3,067 m) we will head SE towards the Col de l’Èvêque (3,392 m). We will make a new descent and then a shorter but steeper ascent, which will test our technique in double turns, reaching the Col du Mont Brulé (3,213 m).
From this hill, we will descend along the Tsa de Tsan glacier, flanking below the Bouquetins crest to an elevation of 3,160 m. From there we will continue on a gentle ascent, marked by the growing presence of the Dent d'Herens and the Matterhorn, to the Col de Valpelline (3,568 m), an impressive belvedere in the area. From here, the nearby presence of the Tête de Valpelline can tempt the strongest of the group. The view from the top is worth it.
From the Col de Valpelline we will easily gain the Col de la Tête Blanche, we will ascend to elevation 3,650 and head towards the Col de Bertol. Less than a hundred meters now separate us from the Tête Blanche peak, which is worth ascending if you have enough strength and time. We will descend to a level of 3,230 and about fifty meters of elevation and 800 meters of length separate us from the hill (approximately 3,280 m). If time is not pressing, we can spend the sunset watching the Dent Blanche turn red and spending the night in Bertol's cabin will be a luxury within our reach. In this case, we will leave the skis on the hill and a climb equipped with chains of about thirty meters will lead us to it.
The descent from Col de Bertol is steep and can be avalancholy. The passage between Plans de Bertol and the Lower Arolla Glacier is delicate and exposed at times. Once on the lower Arolla glacier, we will follow it until we reach the point where we left the car.
Variants: from the Col de Valpelline most groups head towards Zermatt. The itinerary is magnificent and runs along the northern slopes of the Dent d'Herens and the Matterhorn, which in this valley is called the Matterhorn. Pay attention to the cracks, especially on the Stockji glacier (Stockjigletscher).
