Amy 'n Rei

(8/20 – 9/7/2021)

The Walker’s Haute Route (WHR) is a 140-mile multi-day trekking trail from Chamonix, France, to Zermatt, Switzerland. It’s considered one of the greatest through-hikes around the world. We originally planned to hike the Walker’s Haute Route in the summer of 2020. However, tourists from the United States were not allowed to enter Europe due to Covid-19, and we had to cancel the trip to stay home instead.

Later in 2020, the situation seemed to improve. Vaccines were about to be approved, and there was a good chance that we could finally go to Switzerland the next summer. So, I started to re-book all the accommodation, and we were waiting nervously to see whether the trip would actually happen. Finally, in June 2021, European countries started to welcome back American tourists, and we were able to trek the Walker’s Haute Route!

Day 1: Geneva

We arrived in Geneva in the late afternoon. The luggage retrieval area had a machine that printed out free Geneva Public Transport tickets that provided us with a free 10-minute train ride to the Geneva city center. We stayed at the Hotel Astoria, which was only a very short walk away from the Geneva Cornavin train station. We were required to provide both our passports and vaccination proof (CDC vaccination card) during check-in.

We already booked an early bus ride to Chamonix the next morning, so we thought it would be a good idea for us to check out the bus station, and to get some cash from a nearby ATM. The weather was sunny and very warm. There were many pedestrians, and most of them wore masks.

Today was Saturday. The Lake Geneva surrounding was full of tourists and venders. Rei bought an expensive bubble tea (8 CHF) that wasn’t very good. We walked around a bit, but somehow, we couldn’t find the famous flower clock. (Too many people!) Since we would return to Geneva after the trekking, we decided that the clock could wait, and we went to get some dinner instead.

Day 2: Chamonix to Argentiere

We had to get up very early to catch the 7:30 Flixbus to Chamonix. There was no time for breakfast. The bus driver again checked very carefully all our documents (including the Switzerland Entry Form) before allowing us to board the bus. The bus arrived at the France border shortly, and two French officers came on the bus to check our travel documents (including the vaccination proof).

The bus arrived in Chamonix around 9am. Argentiere was only a short walk away (less than 6 miles on pretty flat land), so we decided that we had time to take the Aiguille du Midi cable car for some sightseeing. The cable car ride was quite expensive (67 euro per person), but Aiguille du Midi at 3842m was the highest mountain peak served by a cable car, and it was considered a 3-star destination, so we decided to splurge.

The cable car ride was interesting. It was very cold and windy when we got out of the cable car. The weather wasn’t good. We could see that the high mountain tops were covered by clouds. However, it was much better than our previous visit to the Zugspitze, when all the mountains were covered by fog, and we couldn’t see a thing! Though we couldn’t see Mont Blanc, we could still see many snowcapped mountains, and the view was gorgeous!

There was a new attraction called “Step into the Void,” which was a glass room with transparent ceiling, walls and floor. Tourists could stand in the room to experience the “void.” The admission was free, but there’s a very long line. I didn’t feel the need to “step into the void,” but Rei said since we had plenty of time, we should do it. After a very long wait, finally it was our turn. We had to leave all our bags outside and change into the slippers they provided. We were also not allowed to carry cameras inside, so the protocol was for the next tourist to take photos for us. (Rei took photos for the previous group.) The gentleman behind us was very enthusiastic and took many pictures of us.

Afterwards, we went into the cafeteria to have a quick lunch. A restaurant worker asked us for the “green pass,” and we showed him our CDC vaccination cards.

“Americans!” he exclaimed and granted us entrance.

We started the first segment of the Walker’s Haute Route, a short walk to Argentiere, in the early afternoon. It was an easy walk along the river Arve (called “Promenade d’Arve“). When we started, we could still see the mountains, but soon we were walking in the woods. It was very serene, with clear creeks, tall trees and colorful wildflowers.

We arrived in Argentiere in the late afternoon, when it started to rain. (Good timing!) When we reached the Yeti Lodge, it was empty. Rei called the phone number posted outside, and soon a lady arrived by car. She informed us that we were the only guests, we could have the entire building to ourselves for tonight! We were surprised that she didn’t ask us for any documents, not even our passports!

Our bedroom was very cozy, and we had the living room and kitchen all to ourselves! This was really great during the Covid time! We didn’t need to worry about the other guests, and we didn’t need to wear a mask either!

We were told by the lady that there’s a nice restaurant nearby. However, we didn’t feel like finding a restaurant in the rain. We only walked to a neighborhood bakery to buy some croissants and pizza slices for dinner. They had different varieties of tartlets that looked very tempting, so we also got a couple for dessert.

Day 3: Col de Balme, Col de la Forclaz

We had coffee and the croissants we bought yesterday for breakfast, then we started today’s hike. The trail was confusing. Initially we weren’t sure whether we were on the right track until we finally found some signs and a few other hikers.

The trail to reach Le Tour involved some climbing, but it wasn’t too difficult. We were mostly hiking in the woods with some great mountain views. Soon we were able to see Le Tour ahead down in the valley.

There was a restaurant, but it wasn’t open for business, though we were able to use their bathroom. Le Tour had a cable car station that was quite busy. Even though it was tempting to take the cable car, we didn’t feel like “cheating” on the first day of serious hiking, which turned out to be a big mistake!

The ascent became more difficult, though the view was excellent. There were many colorful wildflowers along the way, and we could finally see Mont Blanc! This was a very busy trail, and we met many other hikers on the way. We could also see some other “smart” hikers on the cable cars above us.

Unfortunately, I started to suffer leg cramps on the climb. I found out belatedly that we didn’t exercise enough last year due to the various Covid restrictions, and we weren’t so ready as we’d thought! We huffed and puffed slowly to reach the top of the cable car station to find out there’s a chairlift starting there. We would have taken the chairlift, but the operator informed us that the tickets were only available from Le Tour! So, we had no choice but to continue climbing on foot. We learned the first lesson of this trip: Take the transportation when it is available. Don’t worry about “cheating.”

We were exhausted when we reached the Refuge du Col de Balme at 2191m. The refuge was situated at the border of Switzerland and France and had a restaurant. Since the refuge was on the path of both Walker’s Haute Route and Tour de Mont Blanc, it has always been quite busy with many hikers. We ordered some soup and bread for lunch and purchased a big bottle of drinking water.

After lunch, it was a long descent to Le Peuty. The view was fantastic, and we could see Glacier du Trient high above when we finally reached Le Peuty. Le Peuty had a campground, but there were no hotels. Tonight’s destination, Hotel Col de la Forclaz, was more than 2km away, and it involved another steep climb!

We managed to get a private room with bath at the hotel. Though the room and the bath were very small, they were functional. We were very grateful that we didn’t need to share with others. During Covid-time, private rooms were more a necessity than a splurge. The included dinner was surprisingly good, with soup, a main chicken dish, and ice cream dessert. I still regretted that I didn’t get the second serving of the ice cream.

Day 4: Fenetre d’Arpette, Champex-Lac

There were two routes from Col de la Forclaz to Champex-Lac: (1) Fenetre d’Arpette: the more difficult but scenic route, or (2) Bovine: the easier and less scenic route. The usual recommendation was to take Fenetre d’Arpette if the weather was good, and to take Bovine otherwise.

Since the weather was excellent today, we decided to take the Fenetre d’Arpette route. We started very early after breakfast, with a packed lunch ordered from the hotel (a cheese sandwich and a veggie sandwich). The first part of the hike to Chalet du Glacier was flat and easy. There was a “bisse” (irrigation canal) on the way to Chalet du Glacier.

After that, climbing became more difficult. It was a very long ascent. We were passed by several hikers, and we saw more hikers coming the other way. With a heavy backpack, it actually took us close to 5 hours to reach Fenetre d’Arpette at 2665m! We didn’t get there until around 3pm, and we were the only hikers there when we arrived! Though the view from top was indeed gorgeous, we were too tired to enjoy it. Moreover, we were too tired to eat and could only manage a few bites of the sandwiches.

Then it was the long descent again, which wasn’t easy either. It involved walking over screes and large boulders. I tripped on the way down but fortunately didn’t get injured. When we were taking a break, Rei found out that the extra bag I tied to my backpack was missing! I was sure that the bag was still attached to my backpack when we were at the top. I also had photos to prove that. Therefore, it must have fallen when I tripped on the way down. The bag was essential because it contained my puff jacket and my rain jacket that I couldn’t survive the hiking without. Rei volunteered to go back to search for the bag. He finally found the bag, but we were already losing precious time.

It was already dark when we reached our hotel at Champex-Lac. We were too exhausted to have dinner. Our hotel room had a small kitchen, so we boiled some hot water to make tea and ate our leftover sandwiches. We went directly to bed after a hot shower. Fortunately, we would have an easier hike tomorrow. We also knew that we had to make some adjustment if we were going to survive the haute route.

Day 5: Le Chable

Today’s hike would be easier; we wouldn’t need to cross any high passes. Moreover, instead of walking all the way from Champex to Le Chable, we decided that we would just walk to Sembrancher, and then we would take a train ride to Le Chable instead.

We started walking along the pretty and serene Champex Lake after breakfast. There were several people fishing along the lake, and some of them have already captured some trout. There was also a fountain in the center decorated with beautiful flowers.

The walk from Champex to Sembrancher was an 8km hike of moderate descent. Our legs hurt from the last two days’ strenuous hike, so we limped along. On our right, we could see verdant mountains and valleys. We also saw two eagles flying high above. However, they were too far away from us to tell whether they were golden eagles or not.

The weather was warm, and the walk was pleasant, though we were both still tired from the previous day’s hike. The trail was dotted with colorful wildflowers, and we saw several different kinds of pretty butterflies!

We first reached La Garde, a small village with quaint wooden houses. Less than an hour later, we arrived at Sembrancher. Originally, we planned to have lunch at Sembrancher. However, we couldn’t find any restaurants! After a little search, we found the train station instead. Since Le Chable was only about 10 minutes of train ride away, we decided to take the train (CHF 4.40 each), and to have lunch in Le Chable instead.

Our hotel, Una Lodge, was just across the street from the train station, we decided to check in first. Rei wanted to find a laundromat first, but a local resident confirmed that laundromats didn’t exist in Le Chable! So, we went to have a late lunch instead. We had a delicious but expensive (close to CHF 50 in total) lunch of soup, bread and goat cheese before returning to the hotel.

Before this trip, I bought a Scrubba wash bag from REI, which I used to do the laundry. Scrubba proved to be a very useful tool. I washed all the dirty clothes and Rei put them out to the balcony to dry. The balcony was under the sun, and the temperature was quite warm, so all the clothes dried quickly.

The recommended Canteloupe restaurant was closed for the day, so we had pizzas for dinner instead. Rei had prawn pizza and a large beer, while I had mushroom pizza and a soda. The food was delicious. Overall, we had a very relaxing day.

Day 6: Col Termin, Lake Louvie

We found out yesterday that the post office was only several steps away from the hotel. Rei called the Marriott hotel where we were going to stay in Montreux after the hike. They confirmed that they would be able to accept and keep packages for us. Therefore, we packed all the non-essential things to be mailed away. All the “spare” and “just-in-case” stuff had to go. Rei packed half of his clothes — he brought 7 sets of changing clothes! (Are you kidding me?!!), as well as a compass and a pair of binoculars. I packed one set of spare clothes, my spare glasses, travel pillow, winter hat, and a pair of sandals. (I still kept my gloves and a pair of flip-flops for the huts.)

After breakfast, Rei put all the extra stuff together with additional carrying bags to the post office and mailed them to the hotel. The postage cost CHF 30, and we both agreed that it was money well spent. In the meantime, I went to the nearby supermarket to purchase today’s picnic lunch: a small loaf of French bread, a package of Gorda cheese, and a bottle of drinking water.

(One very important thing about through-hike is that you always need to have a Plan B. Inclement weather and illness, among other things, can derail the original plan. You need to know how to strategize and improvise in order to survive the trekking, and hopefully without needing to be rescued.)

We received free cable car passes from the hotel, which we used to ride cable cars from Le Chable to Verbier, and to les Ruinettes. This saved us a long and steep ascent (lesson learned from a previous mistake). With a lighter backpack, we felt more energetic and ready for today’s challenge.

The walk from les Ruinettes to La Chaux was a gentle balcony walk with stunning views of Grand Combin on our right. The standard Walker’s Haute Route itinerary was to stay at Cabane du Mont for the night, but we were taking a variation to stay at Cabane de Louvie instead. We made the decision because I managed to get a private room (though with shared bath) at Cabane de Louvie, which would be a lot better than staying in a dorm at Cabane du Mont. Moreover, I heard that Lac de Louvie was very beautiful and worthed the detour.

We were walking on the famed Sentier des Chamois, though we were informed that this wasn’t the right season for Chamois. A hiking family we met on the trail told us that they saw a group of ibexes, but we didn’t see any wildlife on this trail. However, the field was dotted with many kinds of colorful wildflowers. The trail itself wasn’t too demanding, but there were some very narrow stretches with very steep drops on one side, and there wasn’t any protection at all! I started to wonder what the mortality rate was for the WHR.

We found a spot in the meadow to have our picnic lunch of bread and cheese and thoroughly enjoyed the great views around us. The weather was pleasant today, which also made the hike more enjoyable. Soon we were climbing Col Termin (2648m). It wasn’t as demanding as Fenetre d’Arpette. Moreover, our backpacks were a lot lighter, so we found the ascent very manageable, and we arrived at the top around 2pm. From Col Termin we were able to see the emerald colored Lac de Louvie below.

The trail down to Lac de Louvie was steep and quite demanding. After a short distance, we reached a fork: the trail straight ahead would lead to Col de Louvie (that’s tomorrow’s route), and the trail down would go to Cabane de Louvie. So, we went down. We still didn’t see any ibex, but we saw more butterflies and an eagle too (or was it a hawk?).

Soon we reached Lac de Louvie. The lakeshore was full of blossoms! There were so many different varieties of wildflowers. We could see Cabane de Louvie situated on a small hill at the other end of the lake. We arrived at the cabane in the late afternoon, and there were already many people there. I managed to book a private room for us, though the toilets and the shower (only one!) were shared. Luckily, we didn’t need to wait long to take a shower.

When we checked in, the owner Claudia explained to us how to use the hot water shower. She gave each of us a token. When we put the token in, we would get four “pushes,” and each “push” would release 30 seconds of hot water. So, this was the way to take a shower: You used the first “push” to wet yourself, then put both shampoo and conditioner on your hair, and soap your body completely. Then you use the rest three “pushes” to wash out the shampoo, conditioner and soap on you. Though it wasn’t a very satisfying shower, at least it got us relatively clean.

After shower, Rei went down to the shared dining hall to have his “daily beer.”

Dinner was at 7pm. We shared the dinner table with a couple from New York. They were both experienced hikers, so we swapped information on the hiking trips we have taken. Interestingly we have never gone on the same trails previously even though both groups had a “brag list.” They asked us about tomorrow’s lodging, and we told them that we would be staying in the Hotel du Barrage next to the Grande Dixence Dam instead of the Cabane de Prafleuri where most WHR hikers stayed. They have also heard about the reputation of the Cabane de Prafleuri and were wondering whether they should also go to Hotel du Barrage instead.

The dinner included soup, salad, rice and veal sausages. The food was okay. Since Cabane de Louvie was in a secluded location, we didn’t expect gourmet food anyway. I settled the bill with Claudia after dinner, then we went to bed early.

Day 7: Col de Louvie, Col de Prafleuri, Grande Dixence Barrage

The breakfast was very basic this morning: only tea, coffee, bread, jam and cereal. We started hiking right after breakfast. We had to first climb up back to the branching point on the ridge to continue hiking to Col de Louvie. We were making very good progress this morning. Maybe it was because our backpacks were lighter, or maybe our bodies were getting used to the hike. (What didn’t kill you made you stronger!)

Now we were walking on a balcony route that didn’t involve a lot of altitude changes. However, the trail still passed many large boulders, and it wasn’t really an easy hike. When we were crossing a section of large boulders, Rei spotted two ibexes high above the mountains. We managed to take some photos, though the ibexes refused to face us. Those turned out to be the only two ibexes we saw on the entire haute route. We didn’t see any of them for the rest of the trip.

The breakfast wasn’t very fulfilling, so we were already hungry again in the mid-morning. Fortunately, we still had leftover bread and cheese from yesterday’s lunch, and they were still very good, so we had a snack break on the way while enjoying the spectacular views around us.

Then we started the ascent to Col de Louvie. It was a very long climb. A few times we thought we were almost there, just to find out that there’s more ascending! Finally, we reached Col de Louvie, and we were surprised to find out that there were still snow patches on the col. It wasn’t easy walking on the snow, and both of us slipped a couple times.

The trail wasn’t clear when we reached the glacier lakes below. It took us a while to find the write-red-write WHR way markers again. It turned out that we weren’t the only ones who got confused. Other hikers didn’t find the trail either until they spotted us.

We had a lunch break before continuing the ascent to Col de Prafleuri. The climbing wasn’t too demanding. The terrain was more or less similar, and we maintained a good pace. Soon we reached a stretch of barren land, and we had to cross a river of glacial water. Though the river was shallow, it was deep enough that I had to take off the boots to cross in bare feet. I applied the river crossing skill I learned while hiking the Laugavegur Trail: Put the socks deep inside the hiking boots, tie the shoelaces of the two boots together, and hang them across on my shoulders. Then, cross the river in bare foot and use the hiking poles to keep balance. The water was freezing!

Later we saw Cabane de Prafleuri situated on a small hill. Instead of going to the cabane, we turned left and continued the walk to the Grand Dixence Barrage.

Shortly after we were at a branch, there was a trail going forward, and another trail veering left and down to the river. Rei decided that we should keep going forward to avoid climbing down and up. After we saw several erased WHR way markers on the way, it suddenly dawned on us that we were hiking on a closed trail! It was the original haute route trail that was later abandoned, probably due to the dangerous rock falls, and the trail was littered with boulders of various sizes. The new route was the one that we had seen previously going down to the river. Well, it was too late now. So, we quickened our pace to pass through the “dangerous” section.

We arrived at the top of dam around 5:30pm and were very glad to find out that the cable cars were still running. So, we got the cable car tickets (CHF 5 each) and took the ride to save us from the descent.

When I was making reservations for the WHR hike last year, I emailed the hotel many times but never received any responses. This year they had a new management. The new manager Mrs. Pauline Moix quickly answered my booking request and confirmed the reservation. Rei and I were not big fans of multi-shared dorm rooms in a mountain hut. We much preferred having our own private rooms, especially the ones with a private bath. Moreover, we were interested in having a closer look of the highest dam in the world. That’s why we bypassed the Cabane du Prafeuri (which also had a bed bug problem a few years ago) and walked the extra two miles to stay in Hotel du Barrage instead.

Apparently, the new management was still struggling to make the hotel ready for guests. Our room did not have curtains, and there were no toiletries in the bathroom. There were only 3 low quality clothes hangers inside the closet. Since we planned to do laundry tonight, Rei went to ask for more clothes hangers. He came back with 3 more hangers of similar quality and was told that those were all they had. However, we were very satisfied to have our own private room and bath and were able to take a long hot-water shower, we weren’t too picky about the room condition.

Then we went to the restaurant to have dinner and to use the Wi-Fi. (Wi-Fi didn’t work in the room.) We saw the couple we met last night were already inside the restaurant having their dinner. They were also very grateful to be able to take a long hot-water shower in the hotel.

Rei ordered a steak and his “daily beer,” and I ordered chickpea salad. The dinner was good — definitely better than the food we had in the mountain lodge last night.

Day 8: Lac des Dix, Las de Chevres, Arolla

The breakfast at the hotel didn’t start until 8am. Rei decided that we should take the cable car up after breakfast to save us the climb. Apparently, we were not the only ones having this idea. There was already a long line in front of the cable car station when we arrived. The cable car up (CHF 7 each) was more expensive than the cable car down (CHF 5; round trip CHF 10).

We walked a bit on the dam, and took several photos before continuing walking on the WHR. The trail passed a few dark tunnels. After we passed the last tunnel into the bright sunlight, Rei realized that he had dropped his sunglasses in one of the tunnels. He refused to use the headlight (which was buried deep inside his backpack), and it was impossible to find a pair of dark sunglasses in dark tunnels, so we gave up at the end.

The trail along Lac des Dix was flat and easy. The weather was nice again, so we had a very pleasant hike. There were many hikers on the trail; most of them were just on a day hike. We didn’t see any ibexes or chamois, but we saw several marmots. By choosing this route, we avoided Col des Roux.

The gentle and easy trail ended at the other side of the lake. After that, we started to ascend again. We had a lunch break at Pas du Chat before continuing the climb. The hike was long, but not too difficult.

There were two options for the crossing: climbing across Col de Riedmatten or using the ladders at Pas de Chevres. Hikers had to decide which was “the lesser evil” of the two. We reached Col de Riedmatten, and it looked formidable! So, it strengthened our decision to climb the ladders. It turned out that the via ferrata to reach the ladders was actually scarier than the ladders themselves. As long as you were not afraid of the height, the ladders offered a much easier route. Rei and I were even able to take photos of each other while climbing up the ladders.

After the pass, it was a long descent to Arolla. We arrived at Hotel du Pigne in Arolla around 5pm to check in. Our room had a balcony with an excellent mountain view. There were some stores near the hotel, and Rei was able to purchase a new pair of sunglasses to replace the lost pair.

We again had dinner at the hotel restaurant (too tired to look around for other options). Rei had a hamburger and a large beer as usual. I decided to try tomato and cheese Rosti. Rosti was a traditional Switzerland dish made of potato, cheese and other ingredient. It was very tasty.

Day 9: Lac Bleu, Les Hauderes, La Sage

Today we would have an easier hike. The hotel had an attached small supermarket, from where we purchased some bread and cheese for today’s picnic lunch. We checked out around 9:30am to start the hike.

The first stop was Lac Bleu. There were two routes. Rei said to take the right one. It first started as an easy downhill hike in the pine woods, then we had a strenuous upfill climb. Finally, we arrived at the junction where the two trails met. The left route had a “Chemin Dificile” (“difficult path”) sign, so perhaps we had made the right decision.

Lac Bleu was a beautiful jewel colored little lake. Rei claimed that the lake was his favorite place of the entire trek so far. However, it was also very crowded. Today’s Sunday, so there were many day trippers. Apparently, the place was very popular with families. We saw many families with children of different ages on the way. We were fortunate enough to find a picnic table overlooking the lake, where we had our first lunch of the day. After we were done, another group quickly grabbed our picnic table.

The descent was even steeper. Many people from the other direction huffed and puffed their way up. We were glad that we walked in the “right” direction. After we reached the main road, there was a small cafe at the intersection. We had some cappuccinos there so that we were able to use their WC.

We then walked past Pralovin and Les Hauderes to reach La Sage. There were some stores and restaurants in Les Hauderes, but they all seemed to be closed. The hike was on a familiar terrain of grass and dirt — very similar to our usual hike at home. I saw the most beautiful butterfly I have seen so far, the Peacock Butterfly, and managed to take a photo. We found a picnic table at the roadside and stopped to have our second lunch there. The walk from Les Hauderes to La Sage was a moderate uphill hike that we easily managed.

We arrived at Hotel de la Sage (which was the only hotel in La Sage) around 3pm. The lady at the reception informed us that the hotel restaurant was closed for today, and gave us the information about another nearby restaurant, which was also the only nearby restaurant.

We took a shower first, then we decided to go to the only restaurant that’s open today to have an early dinner before it was too crowded. Restaurant L’Ecureuil was only a short walk away. When we arrived there, we saw there were many tables outside, and several tables were already occupied. There were about 3 tables inside, all with a “reserved” sign on the table.

Rei asked the restaurant owner whether we would need a reservation to have dinner there. However, the restaurant owner did not speak English and didn’t really understand what Rei was saying. After some English and French exchanges, Rei informed me that we got a 6pm reservation.

I didn’t quite trust the conversation, and I also wondered why we couldn’t just sit down at one of the outside tables. Rei talked to the waitress outside, who fortunately understood some English. She told us, yes, we could have dinner now at one of the outside tables.

Rei had his usual steak and beer. I ordered a ham and egg croutes, which was another traditional Swiss dish with bread baked with cheese, ham and egg. It looked wonderful and tasted delicious too. I shared some with Rei.

I did some laundry after we returned to the hotel. After we checked email and read news on the phone, there just wasn’t anything else for us to do. So even though it was still very early, we went to bed.

Day 10: Col du Tsate, Cabane de Moiry

Today we would hike from La Sage to Cabane de Moiry. It was supposed to be one of the most difficult sections with several thousand feet of ascent. We were apprehensive — not sure how we were going to survive the hike. We had decided that we had to start very early to give ourselves enough time. We had breakfast as soon as the dining room opened and started hiking around 8:20am.

We had to cross Col de Tsate at 2868m. The climb was very steep. However, the trail was just dirt path with grass or gravels, and it was easier than crossing boulders, so we were doing pretty well. We met an older hiker walking in the other direction. He told us that he’s from Colorado. He’s 69 years old and was doing a solo hike from Italy to go all the way to Chamoix. I always thought that Rei and I could only continue long distance trekking until reaching mid-60s. It now suddenly seemed that there’s a possibility of lasting longer, which was very encouraging!

We reached Col de Taste in less than 4 hours. There were several other hikers at the Col. A kind young hiker took a picture of Rei and me together. Though it was already lunch time, it was too chilly up the Col, so we decided to hike down to find a better lunch spot. We preferred to find a place under the sun to give us some warmth, but the sunlight kept shifting! Finally, Rei spotted a giant stone boulder that shaped like a huge throne. We made some tea and ate the delicious packed lunch from Hotel de la Sage.

The descending wasn’t too difficult either. We first reached a small lake, Lac de la Bayenna, and then arrived at a car park with many cars. (Why couldn’t we simply get a car ride here?!) We were told that many people drove to the car park and then ascended to Cabane de Moiry to have lunch and to view the glacier before returning. This made a nice day trip. Indeed, we saw many families, and even a tour group gathering there.

The ascending to Cabane de Moiry started with an easy uphill hike, and then it got more difficult. We had to walk through a narrow ridge with steep drops on both sides and then cross some snow fields. Moreover, it started to rain shortly after we left the car park, and then the rain turned into hail!

The last stretch to the Cabane was the most difficult part. The trail became very steep. We again needed to cross big boulders, and there was even a section of via ferrata! A group passed us during the ascent. They all carried ropes and ice picks — it looked like they planned glacier climbing.

We finally reached Cabane de Moiry a little after 4pm. The hut was right next to Glacier de Moiry with excellent views! It was considered the best mountain hut on the WHR. Cabane de Moiry was an old mountain hut expanded with a new wing. The dining room was at the lower level of the new wing, with floor to ceiling glass windows looking into the glacier. The upper level included eight 4-person rooms with shared bathrooms. (There were no private rooms.) We were assigned to Room #1. Two guides of the guided tour that passed us during the ascent shared the same room with us. Rei asked about showers and was informed that the hut was officially out of water, so they shut down the showers.

There were a lot of Covid prevention actions. People were required to wear a mask all the time (except for eating). They assigned seats at the dining hall, and plastic screens were used to separate different groups. The dinner included a salad, a pasta main dish, and an apple compote as dessert. The food was just okay.

Since there was nothing else to do (no Wi-Fi at the hut either), we went to bed right after dinner. This was the only night that we didn’t have a private room and had to wear a mask to bed. Rei was very concerned that we would get infected, but I worried more about asphyxiation.

Day 11: Barrage du Moiry, Zinal

The breakfast was the typical hut breakfast of coffee, tea, bread, jam and cereal. They also had some cheese sticks. Besides that, there was nothing fancy. So, we quickly finished our breakfast and started today’s hike.

We had to climb down the same difficult trail we used yesterday to reach the mountain hut. There were some low clouds, so the view was pretty but a bit eerie. However, Glacier de Moiry under the morning sun was one of the most splendid views we have seen on the WHR.

Soon we reached a fork. Instead of going down to the car park we passed yesterday, we continued straight ahead to walk an undulating balcony trail to Barrage de Moiry. It was on this trail that we saw the rare famed Edleweiss in the wild. There were other very colorful wildflowers along the trail. Lac de Moiry soon came into view. Its color was bluer than the color of Lac des Dix.

We met several day hikers walking towards us from the opposite direction. Apparently, this was also a very popular trail for day hikers. In Switzerland, we have seen many old gentlemen and ladies (at least, older than us) hiking on the mountain trails. They were all in excellent shape, and some of them even carried heavy backpackers for long trekking.

Though we didn’t need to descend to Barrage de Moiry, we decided to detour to the dam to have our lunch and to use the WC. There was a restaurant right by the dam, but it would take too long for us to have a sit-down meal.

After lunch, we continued the ascent to Corne de Sorebois (2850m). Since the climbing only involved walking on dirt trails without any boulder crossing, we managed pretty well. We reached the col after about two hours of climbing.

There was supposed to be a cable car that could take us directly into Zinal, but the cable car wasn’t running today! Even though the walk down wasn’t too difficult, and view was magnificent, Rei kept complaining.

It was around 5pm when we reached Hotel Pointe de Zinal. We were again too tired to look around and decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant. Moreover, Zinal was a small town, and there wasn’t much to see anyway. (Rei did go to a supermarket across the street to buy two bottles of drinking water.) Rei ordered his regular hamburger with a large beer, and I had homemade pasta with vegetables. The pasta was pretty good.

Day 12: Gruben

I wanted to go to the bakery near the hotel to buy today’s picnic lunch, but Rei considered the bakery “too fancy!” So, we went to the supermarket to buy some bread and cheese instead. I also grabbed a dark Swiss chocolate bar for dessert.

Today we had to cross Col de la Forcletta to reach Gruben. The first part of the ascending wasn’t too difficult. There was a local marathon going on, and we met more than a dozen runners coming from the other direction. We also passed a ranch with many milk cows.

Then the climbing became more demanding. We had to pass some rock sections and climb steep slopes to reach Col de la Forcletta. At this point, I started to feel that one col was just like another: they all offered gorgeous views, but they all required a very steep ascent, followed by an even steeper descent!

After we crossed Col de la Forcletta, we still needed to walk a long way to reach Gruben. We did enjoy the splendid views along the way, even though it was a very long hike. Now we were entering the German speaking part of Switzerland. We missed a short cut (which was roped off), and ended up walking on a longer (but flatter) detour to reach Gruben.

We stayed in Hotel Schwarzhorn, the only hotel in Gruben, for the night. When I first emailed the hotel to make reservation last November, I was told that they didn’t have any private rooms left. So, I booked two places in the dorm and asked to be put on the waiting list for a private room. I got an email at the beginning of August, informing me that they had a private room for me if I wish. I immediately took the offer.

After we checked in, we found out that there were 5 rooms in our section, and only one other room had hiking boots placed outside. There were probably a lot of cancelations due to Covid. The private rooms in Hotel Schwarzhorn were old-fashioned: they only had a sink inside the room, and guests had to use shared toilets and showers. There were two toilets and two showers in our section, and they were all empty, so we were able to take a hot shower without any waiting.

Our half-board dinner included a starter, a chicken, mushroom and rice main dish, and a custard dessert. We really enjoyed the delicious dinner.

Since there was a sink in the room, we were able to brush teeth, wash face, and even did some laundry. Therefore, it wasn’t too inconvenient not to have our own private bathroom.

Day 13: Jungen, Grachen

We started early again this morning — shortly after 8am. The initial climb through a pine forest was moderate and manageable. After an hour of hiking, we were above the tree line, and the slope became steeper. However, it was still not too bad.

We reached Augstbordpass, our last col, after about 3 hours of hiking. It was still too early for lunch, so we kept going. When we reached the recommended lunch spot by the guidebook, suddenly there were many hikers having their lunch at exact the same place! We made tea again and ate the packed lunch from Hotel Schwarzhorn and the dark chocolate bar that we purchased the other day.

I was very relieved that we had passed the last col of this trek, and I thought the descent would be easier, but that’s not the case. We had to cross a very long stretch of boulders, and we progressed very slowly.

We then reached a spot with spectacular views! Wow! We were at a high point looking down into a valley, and there were many beautiful snowcapped mountains across. This was one of the best places during our hike. We stopped and took many photos of the stunning views.

We reached Jungen, a little, charming mountain village, around 4pm. There was a long line of hikers waiting to get on the cable cars down to St. Niklaus. Rei asked a person where to buy the cable car tickets, and was told to just wait in line, and to buy the tickets later. The little cable car could only take 4 people at a time, so there was a 30-min waiting time for the ride. When we finally got on the cable car, we could see that the drop was very steep, and we were glad that we chose to take the cable car instead. When we reached the bottom, there was an operator at the station making sure that everybody did pay for the ride (CHF 12 each).

Fortunately, we were able to immediately catch a bus to Grachen when we arrived at the bus station, so we didn’t need to wait. The fare was CHF 3 per person. Our hotel Gadi was a very short walk away from the bus stop.

We had dinner at the hotel again. Rei decided to treat himself with the set dinner, which included an appetizer, a salad, a main dish, and a dessert. I only ordered shrimp spaghetti. The waiter was very attentive and kept checking with us to see if everything’s okay. However, the set dinner lasted for two hours! Rei went directly to bed after dinner because he was already exhausted and sated, and poor me was left to do the laundry alone.

Day 14: Europaweg to Randa

The breakfast at Hotel Gadi was fantastic! It offered the most varieties of all the breakfasts during this trip. Therefore, we lingered at the dining room and savored the food. We didn’t start the hike until about 9am.

Grechen was a charming village with many houses decorated with colorful flowers. The first stretch of the hike to Gasenried was flat and easy. We really enjoyed the first two hours of hiking. We saw different kinds of goats and a pretty bird. There was even a public WC on the way.

Then the hike on the Europaweg became more difficult. There were several stretches of rock hopping, and several very steep uphill sections. There were even some sections with ropes to help the hikers. The trail was not only very steep but also very narrow. A few very challenging sections were described by Rei as: “You must be kidding!” We spent the next hour laboring through this difficult part of the hike. We were extremely careful because any falls could be fatal.

A couple years ago, some rock falls forced the closure of the Europaweg between Grat and Galenberg. The section has always been very prone to rock falls and very dangerous. Hikers now needed to detour down to Herbriggen. It’s possible to return from Herbriggen to Galenburg and then continue to the famed Europahutte. Since we were not big fans of rustic mountain huts, we opted to walk from Herbriggen to Randa and stayed in a hotel there instead.

Finally, we were on a downhill dirt road to Herbriggen. We saw some very beautiful waterfalls on the way. We could even walk behind one of the falls. The downhill trail was steep and could be slippery, so we couldn’t proceed very fast. It was already past 1:30pm when we arrived at Herbriggen. We didn’t meet any other hikers in this section of the Europaweg. It seemed that most hikers chose to take train directly from St. Niklaus to Zermatt instead.

Originally, we planned to find a cafe there to have lunch, but we couldn’t find any. So, we ended up eating the fruit and energy bars in our backpacks at a picnic table near the train station (which had a WC). There was a water fountain right by the picnic table, so it was very convenient.

After lunch, we walked along the river for almost 2 hours to reach tonight’s hotel. The trail was relatively flat. Pretty pink flowers dotted the meadow. We also saw some waterfalls high above the mountains on our right. This was a pleasant walk, especially that the weather was nice too. We expected some showers in the afternoon, but the weather remained nice.

The owner of the Matterhorn Golf Hotel was a chatty chef. He told us that he had worked in many famous hotels and restaurants all over the world. He’s now settled in Randa because his three sons were training to compete in winter sports. He convinced us to have the set dinner at the hotel. (There weren’t many other options in Randa anyway.) The dinner he prepared for us was indeed quite exquisite: It included a spicy salad wrapped in a tortilla, a main dish of cheese and eggplant, and an ice cream dessert. His wife and sons were helping in the dining room, so it’s quite a family business.

Day 15: Suspension Bridge, more Europaweg, Zermatt

Because we wanted to walk across the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge, we returned to the Europaweg again. Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge was completed in 2017 and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time. Since then, it was passed by another longer suspension bridge in Portugal, but that did not affect its popularity.

There was a very popular loop trail to the suspension bridge from Randa, and that’s why we met many other hikers on the route. We could tell that most hikers were day hikers because they only carried a very small backpack or only a water bottle. Everyone wanted to take a photo on the bridge, so we had to take turns. We found a bench right by the bridge and spent some time there to have a snack and to enjoy the view.

Then we walked across the bridge. It was a bit scary but a lot of fun! The bridge spanned over a large rock falls area, and one could see through the bottom of the bridge. If the suspension bridge were in a more civilized area, I could imagine that they would have charged at least $20 for people to walk across.

All other hikers walked down to return to Randa after crossing the bridge. Therefore, we were alone on the Europaweg. The view from Europaweg continued to be magnificent, but the hike was very tough.

We had to cross many sections of boulders, results of previous rock falls apparently. Many sections of the trail had ropes to provide hikers some protection from falling, but the trail was still very dangerous. This would have been a paradise for those who enjoyed obstacle courses (and it’s free too!), but for us it was simply too much. We just wanted to hike on a flat and easy balcony trail.

We found a picnic table along the trail to have a lunch break, then continued our walking. We had to pass a dark tunnel and there were several signs on the trail to give warnings. There were also a few concrete overhanging sections to protect hikers from being hit by the falling rocks. The trail also detoured downhill to avoid a very large area of rock falls before climbing back to the original route. Overall, this part of the Europaweg wasn’t very enjoyable.

After we finally passed the dangerous area, the trail became easier. I spotted Matterhorn partially covered by cloud. However, Rei didn’t believe me. He said that it could be another mountain, but he checked the GPS on his phone and the direction looked right. It was still a very long walk to Taschalp. It was around 3:30pm when we finally arrived there.

Our original plan was to walk to Sunnegga and then take the cable car down to Zermatt. However, it would still take us a few hours to arrive in Sunnegga, and it didn’t look like that we would be able to arrive before the closing time of the cable car station. Moreover, it started to rain, and we didn’t think we would be able to see any more wonderful views on the trail. Therefore, it’s time for Plan B. We walked down to Tasch to catch a train to Zermatt instead (CHF 8.4 each).

It was still raining lightly when we arrived in Zermatt. Hotel Bristol was only a short walk away from the train station. I splurged on a balcony room overlooking Matterhorn. However, the famed mountain was completely covered by clouds at the time. We hoped that the weather would be better tomorrow morning.

Rei wanted to do some shopping, so we went out after taking a shower. Because we almost ran out of cash, Rei went to an ATM to get more Swiss franc. Rei had planned to buy a new cap, but he couldn’t find any one he liked. I saw some nice-looking T-shirts, but they were all very expensive (about CHF 60 each). We only ended up buying some chocolates from a supermarket.

It was dinner time. We didn’t want to have a long dinner in a fancy restaurant. The Italian restaurant Walliserkanne looked perfect: It had many outside tables, and there were sufficient diners eating there. We sat down at an outside table. Rei ordered beer chicken and a large beer (of course!), and I ordered a pizza. The pizza was very delicious, and I shared some with Rei. It was fortunate that we got some more cash from the ATM, because the restaurant did not accept credit cards.

It was still raining when we walked back to the hotel.

Day 16: Zermatt to Montreux

Rei was woken by a text from Cutie (our younger son): “Buy more chocolates.” He looked out the glass balcony door. Wow! So, he woke me up too.

We could see a very clear and amazing Matterhorn from our balcony. It was shortly before sunrise, so we were able to take many coveted alpenglow views from the balcony. It was completely worth the extra money I spent on booking a room with a Matterhorn facing balcony!

“Cutie deserves extra chocolates!” Rei concluded.

(When I later showed the photos to others, they all surmised that I woke up very early in the morning to scout a perfect site and then waited for hours to take the unbelievable photos. I hesitated whether to tell them the truth.)

We were taking train to Montreux today, but we didn’t need to leave very early. Therefore, we had some more time to spend in Zermatt in the morning. Rei finally found a cap with a Matterhorn image sewed at the front. He immediately put the cap on after we left the store.

Then we took a train ride from Zermatt to Montreux. This was a scenic train route. The first part ran along the river and passed through the valley to reach Visp. From there, we exchanged for another train to reach Montreux. The train was now passing farmlands and vineyards. We could see a few magnificent castles too, but the train was too fast for us to take any pictures.

Both trains were quite empty, and Rei and I could have all four seats by ourselves. I was not sure whether it’s always the case, or it was because less people travel nowadays during the pandemic. All passengers were required to wear a mask on the trains.

When we arrived in Montreux, we found a luggage locker to store our backpacks and only kept a small bag with essential items with us. We were going to visit the Chillon Castle, which was about one hour of walk away. The walk was along Lake Geneva, so it would be very enjoyable.

Today was Sunday, and Montreux was packed with people walking along the lakeshore. We were quite nervous about the crowd and had to put our masks on just in case. We also had to walk a while to find an empty bench to eat our lunch (some delicious pretzels we bought from a bakery at the Zermatt train station). The lakeshore trail was decorated with many art works. There were also many very colorful flowers. We saw different water birds swimming in the lake. It was amazingly beautiful, and we really enjoyed our stroll along the lake.

Soon we could see Chillon Castle on the lakeshore. The castle wasn’t very large, but it was in a perfectly beautiful location. The castle was made famous by a poem written by Lord Byron about a political prison kept in the dungeon. Many Switzerland tours included Chillon Castle in their itineraries, and all tourists wanted to see and to photo the prison.

We spent close to two hours seeing the entire interior of the castle. After the visit, I proposed to take a boat ride back to Montreux. However, Rei said the lakeshore stroll was very pleasant. Besides, he wanted to buy some ice cream too. Therefore, we walked back instead, and Rei did get his ice cream.

After we walked close to Montreux train station, we realized belatedly that our hotel Grand Hotel Suiss Majestic was just across the street from the train station! We retrieved our backpacks from the locker and then checked into the hotel. Our room had a balcony facing Lake Geneva. We thoroughly enjoyed the view from the balcony and took many pictures from there.

Rei found a restaurant not too far from the hotel and booked a table for 8pm. He used Google Maps to guide us through some very suspicious looking back streets to reach the restaurant, which made me very nervous. We had fondue and a big plate of prawns for dinner, and Rei of course didn’t forget to order his “daily alcohol.”

It was already very dark after we finished the delicious dinner. Rei said the shortest route back to the hotel was still the same back street way according to Google. I flatly refused and insisted on taking the well-lit main street even if it would take longer. It turned out that the main route passed through the train station and was actually shorter than the other route. So much for trusting Google instructions!

Day 17: Geneva Again

We scheduled one more day for this trip to be able to take a required Covid test before returning home. We woke up around 7am this morning. The hotel didn’t include breakfast, so we went down to the bakery next to the hotel to get some croissants and pain au chocolat. They sold some very delicious looking tarts, so we also bought a slice. Then we made coffee in the room and had a delightful breakfast on the balcony with the splendid Lake Geneva view!

Rei suggested having a short walk along the lake before checking out, so we went out after breakfast. It was very quiet this morning compared with yesterday. We saw some water birds frolicking on the lake, and we also saw many sparrows in the shrubs.

The 9:57am train from Montreux to Lausanne was along Lake Geneva north shore, and it was a very scenic ride. However, the trip between Lausanne to Geneva went inland, the view wasn’t so great.

We arrived at Geneva International Airport around 11:30am. Because tomorrow’s flight was at 7:20am, we were staying in an airport hotel tonight. Nash Suites Hotel was supposed to be only 10 minutes’ walk away, but it took us longer because we couldn’t find a pedestrian route to reach it.

After check-in, we walked back to Terminal 2 to have our Covid rapid antigen test. We have already booked online with Sanitrade (me-test.ch) for the test. The test was indeed rapid. They first checked our IDs and then led us to a testing booth each. A technician came to swab my nose and told me to wait in the booth for 15 more minutes. After the nerve-wracking 15-minute wait, the test result came back negative, and we were told to take the result to get a certificate. After we got the certificates, we also got a pleasant surprise — the lady informed us that the test was free, because the Switzerland government would pay for the cost! We were very grateful to receive a free test. Rei originally opposed my decision to have a test at Geneva Airport; he thought it would be more convenient and cheaper to get a test from a local clinic. Now he was glad that we (or I?) made the right decision.

We had a quick lunch at the airport and then used the free Geneva Transport Pass we received from the hotel to take a train ride to go downtown Geneva for more sightseeing. This time Rei checked with the TI, and we finally found the flower clock (it wasn’t as large as I’ve expected). We also visited the old town and the United Nations. Then we went to two different stores to purchase more chocolates to bring home. It was still early, and many restaurants haven’t opened for dinner yet. So, we ended up going to a bar to have some chicken burgers (and a beer for Rei for course) before returning to the hotel.

We were ready to go home early tomorrow morning.

Afterthoughts

I enjoy through-hikes. Most hikers on the route followed a similar itinerary. Therefore, we met the same groups of people from time to time. We swapped stories and developed comradeship during the trekking. It provided a fascinating experience.

The scenery we saw while hiking the Walker’s Haute Route was unbelievable. The entire through-hike was an amazing experience for us. However, the route was difficult and can be dangerous. When Rei looked at our photos after the hiking, he exclaimed: “This looked really dangerous. We could have died!”

Practical Information

I think the best time to hike the Walker’s Haute Route is between mid-July and mid-August. We did the hike in late-August/early-September. Even though we had nice weather in general, some cable cars had already stopped operating.

Lodging and Transportation

There are 3 options to hike the Walker’s Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt:

1. Completely DIY and book individual hotels and mountain huts. Carry own backpack. We spent around USD $5,000 for both of us on this entire trip excluding airfares. That included all food, lodging, transportation, sightseeing, shopping and our pre- and post-trekking expenses. If we just counted the lodging, breakfast and some dinners included in the regular tours, the total would be only around $3,000+ for the two of us.
2. Book a self-guided tour (possibly with luggage transportation). Expect to pay $3,000 to $3,500 per person (Chamonix to Zermatt only), and extra for some dinners that are not included. Luggage transfer will cost several hundred dollars more.
3. Book a guided tour with luggage transportation. Expect $4,000 to $6,000 per person (Chamonix to Zermatt only; some tours may include extra nights in Zermatt). There are even some deluxe tours that will use private transportation to avoid mountain hut stays but expect to pay even more for the luxury.

Based on my experience, you usually pay double to book a self-guided trekking tour and pay three times or more for a guided tour.

If you want to have your own private rooms, you should book huts far ahead. We booked in previous November and still didn’t get a private room at the Hotel Schwarzhorn at the time.

Hut Rules

We had private rooms in every place we stayed except for Cabane de Moiry (where private rooms didn’t exist). They pre-assign your spots in the hut. Beds only have a pillow and a blanket, and you need to bring your own sleeping sack or sleeping bag liner.

Due to Covid, all huts now require half-board.

People are required to take off their hiking boots in the “mud room” after entering the hut. Indoor shoes or slippers are allowed.

Huts have shared toilets and showers, but the showers may be closed due to water shortage. You must bring your own soap, shampoo and towel.

All the huts we stayed in have electricity outlets for you to charge your cell phones.

Food

Most places provided half-board except for hotels in larger cities, where there are a lot of restaurant options. The only meal we needed to worry about was lunch. We usually ordered a pack lunch the previous night. In places where there were supermarkets, we purchased fresh bread and cheese for our picnic lunch.

We also brought hot water bottles, cups and some tea bags to make tea at lunch. All places we stayed provided hot water.

Packing

We packed a lot less than the usual recommended packing list, but our backpacks were still too heavy. So, the following is my “minimalist” packing list for travelling during warm weather:

• IDs: passport and CDC vaccination card.
• Credit cards and some cash.
• Booking information for your hotels and transportation. It’s safer to have a printed copy just in case.
• Cell Phone.
• Toiletries.
• First-aid.
• High quality hiking boots and hiking poles.
• A guidebook: I have both the “bible” Trekking Chaminox to Zermatt by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone), and the new Walker’s Haute Route: Chamonix to Zermatt by Andrew McCluggage (Knife Edge). I only brought the latter with me, because it contains “real” maps.
• Sun protections: sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm.
• Rain protections: rain jacket, rain pants, backpack rain cover.
• Puff jacket.
• Change clothes: In addition to the clothes you are wearing, you really only need another pair of pants, two sets of change clothes, and three pairs of good quality hiking socks.
• Laundry need: soap or detergent. I also found Scrubba washing bag to be very useful.
• Mountain hut kit, if you are staying in at least one hut: sleeping bag liner, pillowcase, quick dry towel, indoor shoes or slippers.
• Extra: I also carried a small camera, because I was never very good at using a cell phone to take photos. We also brought a hot water bottle, a cup, and some tea bags to make tea for lunch during our hike. All places we stayed provided hot water.

Route Suggestions

Hardcore hikers insisted on hiking the entire Walker’s Haute Route without using any transportation help. However, for regular hikers like us, or for people who don’t have two weeks to hike the complete route, there are other options. After many days of hiking, I found one col was just like another one. Moreover, the trails under a cable car route were usually not worth the effort. They were usually long and steep (there’s probably a reason why a cable car line was constructed), and you can see the same (or even better) view on the cable car, or after you get off. In addition, several segments of the WHR are dangerous, and shouldn’t be attempted in inclement weather. Therefore, it is a good idea to always have a Plan B.

Chamonix to Argentiere: It is possible to take a bus ride to completely skip this section. You are not losing much experience by doing so.

To Col de la Forclaz: There is a cable car from Le Tour to Charamillion, and a chair lift to go further up. We really regretted not taking the cable car.

To Champex: This was our hardest hike. We’ve wondered whether we would have done a better job by having a lighter backpack. We also wondered whether we should have taken the Bovine route.

To Le Chable: Some people completely skipped this section by using public or private transportation to arrive in Le Chable or Verbier directly. We took a train ride from Sembrancher to Le Chable.

To Cabane de Louvie: We rode the cable cars all the way to les Ruinettes, and were very glad about the decision. Ascent from Le Chable to Verbier and les Ruinettes was very long and difficult. The splendid view of the Grand Combin can be seen from the balcony trail starting from les Ruinettes.

To Grand Dixence Barrage: We took the cable car from the top of the dam down to the hotel.

To Arolla: If you are worried about crossing Col de Riedmatten or climbing the ladders at Pas de Chevres, it is actually possible to use public transportation to reach Arolla through Sion.

To La Sage: Some people completely skipped this section by using public or private transportation. However, Rei considered Lac Bleu his favorite place of this hike, and he didn’t think it should be skipped.

To Cabane de Moiry: Apparently there’s some transportation to reach the car park below Cabane de Moiry, because we saw many people there. However, I haven’t figured out how this can be done.

To Zinal: There is a bus from Barrage de Moiry to Zinal. Even though we were tempted, we eventually decided to walk. There is a cable car ride from Sorebois to Zinal too. Check the cable car schedule when planning your trip.

To Gruben: There are no cable cars or buses on the mountain route. However, there are transportation options from Gruben VS to reach Oberems, Visp, and other villages.

To St. Niklaus: Most people took the cable car from Jungen down to St. Niklaus. From there, it’s possible to take bus to Grachen, or take train to Randa and Zermatt.

Europaweg: Most people simply take train from St. Niklaus to Zermatt. We hardly ever saw any other hikers on the Europaweg except around the suspension bridge. Rei thought we could have skipped the entire Europaweg and simply did the suspension bridge loop hike from Randa.