Thread Starter
TS
Thank you! I appreciate the information!
Nancy, I did the Haute Route (Verbier variation) last year, April, 2016. Our group of 5 Tahoe-area skiers used Alpine Guides Ltd. https://www.alpine-guides.com/trips/haute-route-ski-tour/. Anther solo skier joined our group with our excellent guide, Dave Hollinger. FYI, I'm 65 and have been backcountry skiing, climbing and mountaineering since the mid-70's.
The general program is to arrive in Chamonix a few days ahead of the start of the tour to acclimate, get over jet lag and get in some skiing. We rode lifts and did some uphill inbounds skiing as well. You'll meet your guide in the evening, go over logistics and weather forecasts (ours was challenging), etc. We had a training day inbounds at Vallorcine, some use the Valle Blanche for that. You'll go over avi gear, putting on harnesses and crampons, etc, and the guide will generally assess your downhill and uphill skiing skills. The following morning you'll head up the Grand Montets after dividing up some group gear (rope, extra transceiver, etc). You'll be wearing your harness every day with crevasse rescue gear attached. It's not necessary to be an expert with the climbing gear, but some familiarity will be helpful. You'll be taking off your pack daily the next 6 days, putting on ski or foot crampons, taking off skins; lots of transitions. This can be done in dicey weather so the faster you are at these transitions the better. Being efficient is important.
Being fit is key. You'll average 3,000' uphill per day and the guide will keep a steady pace. The group is expected to keep up and stay together. Fiddling with gear is frowned on so it's important to know your gear and be able to keep moving. There will be rest stops, of course, but knowing how to get moving fast in the morning and stay moving is paramount. The downhill skiing is intermediate/ advanced, mostly, but there are a few sections of steep. Having "black diamond" skiing skills would work, I wouldn't recommend it for intermediates. Snow conditions can vary from powder to blue ice. You don't need to know how to rappel, your guide will lower you down the Col du Chardonnet (exciting due to its fantastic location).
You'll get to the hut in the afternoon, find your bunk, rest and rehydrate at a table with your group, and try to dry gear in the cramped spaces. Eat, drink, repeat. I saw few people taking extra runs, the time was mostly spent recovering and getting ready for the next day, which begins early. We had mostly cloudy/weather but managed to be one of the only groups to outpace the weather and make it to Zermatt on schedule. It's a fantastic trip in an unbelievable landscape of ice and snow.
