March 26 - 31, Chamonix to Zermatt Rinaldo Route
3/15/06
Europe
4824
2
Rick and I set out to attempt the "Classic" Haute Route with Rinaldo Borra, a local Swiss guide based out of Grindelwald. Unstable weather and poor forecasts caused us to incrementally step back from our planned itinerary, first to the Verbier route (Mt Fort), then on to Arolla with the hope to regain the route at either Dix or Vignettes. Ultimately poor weather won and we chose to move on to the Zinal/Grimentz area for some nice off piste skiing and then to Zermatt a day earlier than planned. As luck would have it the weather finally broke on Friday (what would have been our last day of the tour), so it was a spectacular bluebird day skiing some Zermatt area glaciers with our guide, but a little bittersweet to have not completed the Haute Route.
A fantastic trip overall, and kudos to Rinaldo for an exceptional job assuring we had a successful ski vacation regardless of avalanche road closures, French railroad strikes, and constantly changing weather forecasts. At one point he even skied from Switzerland into France in whiteout conditions to retrieve his car in Argentiere, race like Mario Andretti through the Mt Blanc tunnel to Italy and then back to Martigny Switzerland to pick us up. We'd all but given up on him as we learned of the railroad strike and the avalanche road closure, but he nonetheless made it back in short order, confirmed we had managed to find a bite to eat while he was gone, and we were off to Arolla...
More photos of the trip can be found here and here.
A fantastic trip overall, and kudos to Rinaldo for an exceptional job assuring we had a successful ski vacation regardless of avalanche road closures, French railroad strikes, and constantly changing weather forecasts. At one point he even skied from Switzerland into France in whiteout conditions to retrieve his car in Argentiere, race like Mario Andretti through the Mt Blanc tunnel to Italy and then back to Martigny Switzerland to pick us up. We'd all but given up on him as we learned of the railroad strike and the avalanche road closure, but he nonetheless made it back in short order, confirmed we had managed to find a bite to eat while he was gone, and we were off to Arolla...
More photos of the trip can be found here and here.
I can relate, a couple years ago, we did the Alternate start to the Haute route before getting whited out at Borg de Grand St. Bernard. Ended up missing some of the big uphill and the run under the Matterhorn. Of course once the train got us to Zermatt the weather broke and we had a nice tour (the alternate finish to the Haute Route) to Saas Fee. Once we got there, out of the Bluebird sky fell 80 CM of soft pow, so I guess Ullr was not too POed at us after all.
Did we do "The Haute Route" ? No, but I take credit for doing most of it and doing the hardest part of it as well.
Sounds like you had a great trip. In time I hope more sweet than bitter.
Sell it all and move to Cham!
Did we do "The Haute Route" ? No, but I take credit for doing most of it and doing the hardest part of it as well.
Sounds like you had a great trip. In time I hope more sweet than bitter.
Sell it all and move to Cham!
Rinaldo is a very great guy, grew up with Martin Volken near Zermatt. After the trip with you, he was in the Ortler. Gave us lots of great tips, even though we were self guided. He will visit Martin this June, maybe he can give a talk and slide show? Martin, are you lurking here? What do you say?
Reply to this TR
Please login first: