Hiking the Haute Route: Arolla to Zermatt

The journey begins in Arolla, a small mountain village at the far end of Val d'Hérens and the highest-situated village in the area. You check in at the hotel from around 3 pm and have the rest of the day to settle in and get a feel for the alpine surroundings. The village lies where the last sparse forests of larch and arolla pine meet the high-alpine landscape. To the south, the view is dominated by the mighty, glacier-covered north face of Mont Collon. A fitting introduction to the mountain world that awaits during the week. Dinner is included in the evening.

After a hearty breakfast, the hike begins. From Arolla you climb up towards Pra Gra at 2,479 metres, where the landscape opens up into a magnificent panorama. The trail continues into a rugged mountain cirque over rockier terrain and along the moraine edges below the Aiguilles Rouges glacier. At the Cabane des Aiguilles Rouges mountain hut, there's an excellent opportunity to stop and enjoy the surroundings before starting the descent. Along the way awaits the intensely blue Lac Bleu, a small alpine lake that truly lives up to its name. You hike back towards Arolla and then continue by bus to Les Haudères, a beautiful village at the foot of Dent Blanche.

A proper alpine day takes you via La Sage and Villaz up towards Col de Torrent at 2,919 metres. As you climb, the view expands, and from the higher sections you can see Grand Combin, Mont Fort, and Pigne d'Arolla, among others. On the other side of the pass, the trail descends towards the turquoise mountain lake Lac de Moiry. From here you can choose a bus towards Grimentz or extend the day's hike in various ways:

Lac de Moiry to Bendolla, lift to Grimentz: 6.5 km, 220 m up, 360 m down.

Bendolla to Grimentz: 2.5 km, 545 m down.

Lac de Moiry to Grimentz: 6 km, 665 m down.

After some time among Grimentz's traditional dark larch-wood houses, you continue by bus to Zinal.

Today you leave your suitcase unpacked and do a circular hike from Zinal. The destination is Roc de la Vache at 2,581 metres, south of the village. Here, the climb is rewarded with a magnificent view over the Moming glacier, the 4,221-metre-high Zinalrothorn, and the northeastern side of Dent Blanche. This is another substantial mountain day, with nearly a thousand metres of ascent and descent, but you can look forward to the same hotel and the same room when you return to Zinal. A nice detail after today's 14.7 kilometres in the mountains.

One of the trip's true long days – and the kind of stage that makes the Haute Route the Haute Route. First you follow a fine balcony trail above Val d'Anniviers, with Zinal's peaks behind you and the Matterhorn as part of the magnificent backdrop. Then comes the climb towards the Forcletta Pass at 2,874 metres. On the other side, the landscape changes as you descend through alpine meadows and larch forest towards Grüben/Meiden at 1,822 metres. The small mountain village offers traditional alpine huts and views of the Turtmann glacier. Tonight's accommodation is simpler, and you get your own room but share a bathroom with other guests.

Yet another high alpine pass is on the agenda. You start among larch and arolla pines and walk through a beautiful valley past a small glacial lake. After that it climbs up towards the Augstbord Pass at 2,894 metres, the natural border between Turtmanntal and Mattertal. Those who still have energy in their legs can make a detour to Schwarzhorn at 3,201 metres for a panorama stretching from Mont Blanc to Monte Rosa. The main trail continues down to the high-altitude village of Jungen, with its baroque church and views of the Nadelhorn and Monte Rosa. From here you can take the cable car to St. Niklaus or walk all the way down. A train then takes you onward to Täsch.

The finale offers one of the trip's most classic views. After a taxi from Täsch to Täschalp at 2,214 metres, you step out onto the Europaweg. The trail runs like a balcony through Mattertal, surrounded by an impressive collection of four-thousand-metre peaks. Above all, it's the Matterhorn that steals the attention – the mountain reveals itself from ever better angles as you approach Zermatt. After about four hours of hiking, you enter the famous, car-free mountain village and can celebrate having crossed a substantial stretch of Valais on foot.

After breakfast, the hiking trip comes to an end and you continue home or onward on your own. If you're not in a hurry, Zermatt is hardly the worst place to stay a few extra days. Here there are plenty of additional hikes and excursions among some of Switzerland's highest mountains, and we're happy to help you book extra nights. Otherwise, you walk to the station in the middle of the village and begin the journey through Mattertal towards Visp and onward to the airport or your next destination.