Chamonix to Zermatt — 12thto 22nd July 2025 — Trip Introduction
Posted by Mark Richardson on Sep 01, 2025
Chamonix to Zermatt is known as the Walker’s Haute Route and is an amazing journey of around 180km across some of the most beautiful passes in Switzerland. I completed the route in 2006 but wanted to experience it again in 2025, nineteen years since my first crossing and at the advanced age of 64.
The traditional way to make the crossing is to use mountain huts and valley hotels, but for me backpacking is the way to get the most out of the environment. Despite Switzerland being less than enthusiastic about wild camping, I managed to camp for all eleven nights of the trip using a mixture of wild camping spots and campsites.
Wild Camping is not illegal in Switzerland and is generally ok above the treeline, below this level it’s important to ask someone if it would be ok to camp. You can’t do the full route using campsites and so some wild camping is inevitable if you don’t want to use accommodation. The good news is that there are many high level mountain areas on the route and finding a place to pitch a tent is straightforward. As always though, you must use ‘Leave no Trace’ principles and always camp away from footpaths, ideally out of sight.
That said, the route was a glorious excursion!
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| Mark Richardson |
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Mark was the founder of Ultralight Outdoor Gear back in 2006 and has completed long distance backpacking routes in some of the remotest parts of the world. His favourite hikes have been Torres del Paine (full circuit), the John Muir trail and the Markha Valley trail (Ladakh, India). Although semi-retired Mark has not lost any enthusiasm for minimalist backpacking and is tackling Scotland’s Munros choosing multi-day backpacking routes over the more usual guide book excursions. |
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