2012 program
Ski the world's most famous ski-traverse
Haute Route - Zermatt to Chamonix
The Haute Route is located in the European West Alps, bordering Switzerland, Italy and France. This world's most famous, ski-traverse has been first pioneered on skis in 1903 by a group of enthusiastic skiers from Chamonix. The Haute Route connects the most amazing high alpine terrain between the famous ski-towns of Chamonix, Zermatt and Saas Fee and it is high on the "to-do" list of every accomplished ski-mountaineer from around the world. The Haute Route is surrounded by the highest peaks of the European Alps, reaching far over 4000 m in elevation. This includes the highest peak of the Alps the dominating Mont Blanc with 4808 m, Grand Jorasses, Grand Combin, the Matterhorn and the roof of the Swiss Alps.... the massive Monte Rosa area.
I was a young teenager when I traveled for the first time from my native valley of Glarus, in the Swiss Alps, to Chamonix in France. My enthusiasm and spirit for adventure and ski-mountaineering was endless as I focused to experience every great tour in the West Alps. At that time it was my big dream to someday become one of the proud ski-mountaineers who have skied the great Haute Route. Since then I have guided this classic tour, on all possible variations, 59 times.
Still, after that many times guiding the Haute Route, my deep passion towards this amazing tour continues. If anything, these superb mountains, the most incredible ski-lines and the deep culture of the remote mountain villages and high alpine huts keep inspiring me.
The Haute Route has three main routes, leading from east to west or west to east. My favourite version of the Haute Route is not the minimum "tick-list" style tour. I design the Haute Route to give my guests a maximum mountain experience which includes enjoying the endless serenity of these massive mountains, standing on as many outstanding mountain tops of the famous West Alps as possible, skiing the longest ski-runs found in the West Alps, the combination of staying overnight in traditional mountain huts and clean hotels of remote mountain villages and also to simply experience and absorb passion, mountain culture and high-mountain adventure. This is the tour where it all meets.
I am looking forward to guiding you in the heart of the Alps and share with you the adventure of incredible skiing, the amazing terrain, the pure air of high mountains and also the deep tradition of these mountain villages and the place where I started to guide.
Ruedi Beglinger
I.F.M.G.A certified Guide
Detailed Program
Please call or e-mail our office to receive a hard-copy of the detailed program which includes all needed information for your ski-trip with us. For this we do need your mailing address. Unfortunately we are not able to e-mail the exact detailed program.
Dates and Prices 2012
Date: Thursday April 26th to Friday May 4th, 2012 (8 days)
Meeting place: Hotel Helvetia in Zermatt, Switzerland, April 26th 2012, 4:00 p.m.
End of Haute Route: Hotel de l'Arve, Chamonix May 4th, after breakfast
Number of Guests: Maximum 10 (depending on number of guests up to 2 guides)
Cost: Cdn $2990.00 (no tax charges)
Included in the price:
- 2 nights in Hotel Helvetia, Zermatt
- 1 night in Hotel Vallee Blanche, Courmayeur
- 1 night in Hotel de l'Arve, Chamonix
- 4 times high alpine huts, Switzerland
- All breakfasts and dinners
- Taxi from Glacier to Courmayeur, Italy
- Transport of extra travel-luggage from Zermatt to Chamonix, France
- 3 times aerial tram ways in Zermatt and Courmayeur
- Train from Vallee Blanche to Chamonix, France
- Fully certified I.F.M.G.A. guide service with extensive experience and local knowledge in guiding and logistics in the European Alps.
- Possible needed bad-weather-detours
- Photos from the tour (bring USB memory stick, about 5 GB)
View the Haute Route photo gallery >>
How to get to Zermatt
From North America fly to International Airport Geneva, Switzerland. In the airport go down-stairs and board the Inter Regional Train (IR) to Lausanne - Martini - Sion - Visp. In Visp you have to change trains. Change onto the scenic train departing Visp for Zermatt.
Guide
Ruedi Beglinger will be your guide on this ski-trip. He has extensive experience in guiding mountaineering and skiing expeditions in Alaska, the Alps and other parts of the world. Ruedi has been certified by the Swiss (SBV) and International Guide Association (IFMGA) in 1977. He is an active and professional member of the Canadian Mountain Guide Association (ACMG) and the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA). Depending on the number of guests there will be a second certified SME Guide.
For your safety the guide carries the following items
- Cell phone for all European Countries
- Complete first-aid kit
- Repair kit
- Ski-mountaineering rope
- Complete crevasse rescue gear
- Evacuation gear for injured people
- Avalanche rescue gear
- All maps of the area, 1:25.000 scale
- GPS, compass and altimeter
Ability level:
This program takes place in steep and very rugged high-alpine terrain, which has many crevassed glaciers, glacial seracs and other natural skiing challenges. Some of the ski-ascents and ski-descents lead through exposed and technically difficult terrain, up to 40 degr. firm spring snow, where safe and efficient ski-techniques and ski-discipline are required.
For this program each guest has to be an accomplished alpine skier who can ski, efficiently and safely, steep mountain slopes (as found on double Black Diamond downhill ski runs in major ski-areas of North America) and in all kinds of snow conditions with a heavy pack of about 25 lbs. Snow conditions in the Alps can be at times much more challenging than what we usually ski in North America. Often the snow is hard frozen or very firm, can have dangerous boiler-plates (formed by high wind), further it is possible that you might encounter breakable crust. On the other hand it is also common, because of the frequent snow-storms and high elevation, in April and May to experience powder-snow. Whatever snow-conditions this tour has to offer, we ask that all guests can safely and efficiently ski a perfect fall-line under good control and link a minimum of 30 short-radius turns. Further it is important that every guest can safely control their skis in difficult terrain and can execute efficient and safe kick-turns in steeper terrain as found in "double black diamond runs", side-slip on skis in terrain of 40 degr. incline and execute efficient plow-turns.
It is important that everybody on the tour enjoys good health and has no difficulties to acclimatize to higher elevation.
Every guest has to be physically in good shape. We recommend that everybody is doing active out-door endurance sport (ski-touring, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, biking, long distance jogging etc.) on a regular basis and during the entire year. It is important that you can comfortably ski-climb with a pack of about 25 lbs. for an entire day of maximum 8 hours and that you can cover daily ski-climbs of up to 1400 vertical meters (4300 vertical feet).
It is important that you are able to follow instructions given by the guide.
Further we recommend that you have skied with Selkirk Mountain Experience in previous programs, either at Canada's Durrand Glacier or on any other program in Canada or the European Alps. This will give you the valuable opportunity to get to know your guide, how Selkirk Mountain Experience runs their programs in achieving the set goals and in reaching a high level of safety.
If you have any questions regarding "Ability Level", please do not hesitate to contact Selkirk Mountain Experience.
Acclimatizing and Jet-Lag
Over the many years of guiding guests from North America in the European Alps, we have learned that the long flight from North America to Europe develops serious Jet-lag for most guests. However, the level of Jet-lag does affect every person at a different level. One of the most known effects Jet-lag has on people is the change of the internal clock but also sitting in an air-liner for such long time dehydrates travelers to a large degree.
It is difficult to acclimatize to higher elevations while suffering from Jet-lag.
With respect towards the planned program and every guest's health and comfort on the tour, we ask all guests to arrive, at the town where we will meet, a few days earlier (three days recommended) than the actual starting date of the program. While skiing in one of the local ski-areas for two to three days, every guest should be able to overcome Jet-Lag and be able to acclimatize to the elevations of our program much easier and without risk of potential health problems.
Booking Conditions
- Selkirk Mountain Experience Ltd. requires a non-refundable 50% deposit of the total program cost in order to confirm your booking.
- After you receive our confirmation we ask that you send full payment no later than ten weeks prior to the program starting date.
- If full payment is not received ten weeks prior to the starting date of your program, Selkirk Mountain Experience Ltd. reserves the right to forfeit your full deposit and sell your spot to the next person on the waiting list.
- Selkirk Mountain Experience Ltd. strongly suggests that you buy travel cancellation insurance that will cover all your paid costs in the event that you have to cancel your program (personal illness, family emergency, work-related cancellation and any other possible reason).
- Selkirk Mountain Experience Ltd. reserves the right to cancel any program for whatever reason. In this situation Selkirk Mountain Experience Ltd. will refund all paid money. However, Selkirk Mountain Experience Ltd. is not responsible for any further expenses incurred in preparation for the program.
Waiver of liability
All guests who ski with Selkirk Mountain Experience Ltd. are asked to sign the form RELEASE OF LIABILITY, WAIVER OF CLAIMS, ASSUMPTION OF RISKS AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT. We ask you to read and sign it and send it together with your registration back to our office. If you have any questions please feel free to phone our office at 250 837 2381 or email us.
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