Hello All, Welcome to this week's Walk of the Week. For the last couple of years we have been putting a lot of emphasis on getting our Alpine trips spot on.   The Alps are a paradise for all manner of outdoor activities, but in the summer they become the focus of walkers, climbers and mountain bikers.   We have been focused on the classics and trying to get them completely spot on before opening them up to our wonderful customers, so it is with great happiness and aplomb I present to you The Walker's Haute Route.

In a Nutshell:

Distance: 178-183 km Grading: Strenuous - This is a tough trip, there is no two ways about it.   But the rewards, oh the rewards!  The paths are extremely well marked and the paths are in great condition, but there is a fair amount of uphill which gets really steep at times. However, there are no via ferratas, no actual climbing, so if you have a good level of fitness and have climbed a few hills in your time, then I would suggest that you go for it.

Where is it?

The Walker's Haute Route is in the Swiss Alps, starting off from Chamonix and taking you through to Zermatt.   This makes it incredibly easy to get to, with just about every regional airport in the UK offering cheap flights to Geneva.  From there it is very simple to connect with Chamonix and Zermatt.

Why walk it?

I did mention the rewards earlier didn't I?  This is one of the most satisfying walks that we offer.  While you will likely be purple-faced and occasionally slightly delirious due to the exertion, frequent stopping is highly recommended anyway.  The scenery is about as close to perfect as you can imagine.  The panoramic vistas that lurk around every corner and over every summit are spectacular and the fact that you have to work to get there makes it all the more special.  While on many of our low-level trips, you can get the same scenery by driving, there is absolutely no way of getting these vistas without taking the walk (unless you have a weekend in the Alps in your private helicopter!) The other major factor is the camaraderie.   You will be staying in mountain huts, with nobody but fellow walkers and climbers and this always makes for a very convivial atmosphere, whether at the communal dinner time, or if you decide to stay up a little later and chat through the day's events over a small glass of wine.

Planning to walk the Walker's Haute Route

There is a relatively short window of opportunity to walk this route, due to the winter snows and the general unpleasantness of late Autumn.   We offer the trip from Mid-July until September and being a Macs Adventure trip, you can start it on any day that you would like (subject to availability) There is not really a best time to go as any time in this period provides the best chance of great walking weather. We have a couple of specialists in the office, a Swiss Walking Specialist and a couple of people who have been out to walk the route, so any questions that you have about the trip, you know where to direct them. If you fancy a bit of an alpine challenge, then I don't see many better trips to go on than the Walker's Haute Route.  Don't hesitate to email one of our Destination Specialists to find out more.