On day 9 of the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), friends Gryllz and Alamo joined SpiceRack and me in Chamonix, France. Months earlier, they’d signed up to hike from there to Zermatt, Switzerland — from the hulking massif of Mont Blanc to the elegant spire of the Matterhorn — across remote stretches of rugged mountains for a couple of weeks.
Our trail, the Walker’s Haute Route (WHR), looked epic. It was mysterious terrain filled with words that we didn’t understand, but if it were anything like what I’d experienced on the TMB, it would be a walk for the ages. SpiceRack, whom I’d met on day 1 of the TMB, wasn’t completely on board with the plan until she met the other two. She fit right in, though, and decided to come along. To say that I was thrilled would be an understatement.
The hike was incredible. This pilgrimage between two Meccas of climbing achievement kept me happy with my mouth agape the whole way. The great company and food kept me laughing and joyful from start to finish. After about two weeks, we were on a train from Zermatt to Geneva, exhausted, happy, and filled with bread, cheese, mayo, and Toblerone. The plan worked. A trip like no other.
The daily blog posts are all posted and linked below, along with the photo album for your convenience. Bon Jovi!
To Camp or Hut?
Our crew of four hiked the Walker’s Haute Route in a style similar to wilderness backpacking in America — wild camping, cooking and carrying our own food, filtering our water, and otherwise living self-sufficiently. This served us well, and we had a grand time. However, one of the great benefits of hiking in the Alps is the access to warm food and beds as one hikes past mountain huts and through villages. This allows you to carry less weight in addition to enjoying the comforts of a café every few hours or so. More than once, we looked longingly through a hut window where warm meals were being served as we trudged through an afternoon deluge to our own damp camp. We felt righteous and badass, but also a bit ridiculous.
In 2025, SpiceRack and I returned to the Alps with my family to experience the TMB this “other” way. With a self-guided itinerary, booked a year in advance, we slept inside every night and ate a hot meal at least twice a day. If the idea of planning your own hike of the Haute Route or TMB feels overwhelming, I get it. It’s one thing to camp as we did in 2018 (and it’s actually really easy), but booking huts and hotels is complex. While possible to do yourself, I’m glad someone did it for us in 2025. If you want to sleep inside (or arrange baggage transfers so you can carry less during each day), hiring the professionals is a great option.
For this, Alpenventures Unguided is my recommendation. They have multiple self-guided itineraries to choose from in the Alps, including the Walker’s Haute Route and Tour du Mont Blanc, as well as routes in the Dolomites, and other worldly locations. Ultimately, getting out there is the most important thing. Dirtbag it like we did in 2018, or splurge on the cheese course every night (yep, that’s a thing). The Alps are awesome and absolutely worth the effort. As always, if you have any questions about any of this, please feel free to contact me.
Walker’s Haute Route Summary
Start/End: Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland
Distance: 225 kilometers (140 miles)
Elevation gain/loss: a lot
For days?: Yes, 14 days
Dates: July 29 — August 11
Resupply: baguettes and cheese are everywhere
Navigation: Cicerone guidebook, printed PDF versions of free Swiss maps
Haute Route Photos
Daily Trip Report
Haute Route Day 1
Haute Route Day 2
Haute Route Day 3 (Finish Tour du Mont Blanc)
Haute Route Day 4
Haute Route Day 5
Haute Route Day 6
Haute Route Day 7
Haute Route Day 8
Haute Route Day 9
Haute Route Day 10
Haute Route Day 11
Haute Route Day 12
Haute Route Day 13
Haute Route Day 14 (Zermatt, Switzerland)
If you have any quick questions about any of this, please feel free to contact me. And if you want to dive deeper, I offer Thru-Hike Coaching, which is great if you are an aspiring backpacker or thru-hiker. Overwhelmed by all the details, or don’t know where to start? I would love to help. From route planning, gear choices, on-trail safety, and food selection, I’d be honored to contribute to your journey!
Affiliate Disclosure: In my ongoing quest to avoid living comfortably and working in an office, I have incorporated affiliate links on this website where appropriate. If you make a purchase through these links, I might earn a few bucks at no additional cost to you. That's pretty cool, huh? You'll be like a modern-day Robin Hood, taking money from "The Man" and giving it to this hungry dirtbag. Burritos for all!
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