Haute Route - Chamonix to Zermatt

The Movement Center talk

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The Movement Center had an event called “Campfire stories” where I was asked to talk about this adventure. It was a good excuse to put together a piece of writing on this adventure.

Hi - I’m Leo

I’m here to talk about a 200km fastpack through the Alps from Chamonix to Zermatt called the Haute Route. I did this with my friend Millie, who sadly can’t be here tonight. This isn’t going to be a sights and highlights reel. I ultimately want to convince you that I’m not any kind of special person - and that you too can slot some big adventures into your life while your body is strong.

I feel that deciding to do a big adventure comes down to:

body: do you trust your body enough to begin something that is more challenging than anything you’ve done before?

mind: do you trust your mind to solve problems as they arise on the adventure, and not to deem that some sort of failure?

means: everything costs time and money, can you prioritise adventures in your life.

On body: and this is a little plug to The Movement Center - If you’re a regular to TMC but haven’t seen me in a few years then it’s due to the fact that the team here truly do their job well. All injuries and niggles that I’ve had have been solved. Not by giving me some exercises to do and telling me to come back in a few weeks. But by educating me on my body, how it works and how to fix or work with what isn’t working. I can’t understate how influential the team has been here for me.

The Haute Route is a legendary Alpine ski route from the 19th century. More recently turned into a hiking route with several variations. Over 200kms long and over 12km total elevation it’s quite a journey. Typically people do it in between 12 and 15 days, we gave it a crack in 8. A friend of ours did it a few years ago and the seed was planted.

Fast forward to 2025: Millie and I both quit our jobs. Millie bikepacked the length of Japan and during this time we realised that we were both going to be in Europe in July. Should we do the Haute Route - yes. And that was kind of it. Well bless Millie - she booked mountain refuges that seemed relatively well spaced apart. And then we didn’t really talk about it again.

This brings in the first topic that I want to talk about: overplanning vs adventure. I’ve got an A-Type personality. I’m an engineer. I plan my life in Notion, Google Calendar and have millions of reminders. Yet I’ve found that my affiliation towards overplanning adventures just leads to misery. What works for me is: do a little bit of research, pack your gear, bring the things you need to not die and just that you’ll figure it out along the way. The next time Millie and I spoke about the Haute route was two nights before when we were both making our way to Chamonix. Rather start an adventure, have something go wrong and learn from it - than not starting at all because you’re paralysed by planning and risk mitigation.

I’ve gone on many mountain adventures and got into the ultra marathons in recent years. But this was physically the hardest thing I’ve ever done. As picturesque and idyllic as the Alps are, they are relentlessly steep and high. The days basically consisted of an early morning breakfast and coffee wherever we were staying - more on accommodation later - and then we climbed. For many hours. Then we descended, for many hours. There were climbs where our heels didn’t touch the ground. There were climbs that started in the early morning and ended after lunch, 3000m above sea level with a sandwhich, glacial dam, snowy peaks and a distinct lack of oxygen.

At night we alternated between staying in mountain refuges and small hotels in skiing towns. The refuges are something special. Hundred year old stone huts built into the mountains, accessibly only by foot. Some old and rustic. Some new and fancy. All serviced by helicopter and visited by mountain people. As you walk in you put your dirty shoes in a drawer and pick out a pair of crocs that become your best friends for the time that you stay there. There’s a bar. A three course meal. And that feeling you can only get being warm, dry and safe in a potentially hostile environment.

Day 2 was the hardest day by far. I’m talking 33km with 3000m descent hard. We were confident after a beautiful first day climbing out of the Chamonix valley, excited for the adventure to come and blown away by the scale of the mountains (we started with Mont Blanc looming over us). Day 2 started at a quaint refuge on a ridge line at the Swiss border looking North over endless snowy peaks and grassy mountainsides. We then immediately descended, far. Got to the bottom of an enormous valley above a town called Trient, had a coffee and jam tart from a refuge while watching a helicopter deliver some UTMB infrastructure. Before starting a savage 1000m climb. From then on out it was all down. We arrived late in the evening with quads that have never been felt that exhausted before. Poles saved my legs legs - I can’t recommend them enough.

Over the next few days I have never experienced stiffness like that before. Yet my body just continued to go. It was a learning experience like no other. There were moments where we couldn’t imagine finishing this thing. Yet we persevered.

You hear about the Alps and their perfectly manicured trails meandering up to towering peaks. And that’s true. Yet there is a split personality of trails out there. Old glacier fields now melted leave only shale and loose broken rock. The trails through these terrains are just series of rocks with red and white painted stripes. On steep faces there are many “fall and die” moments. So this is where the second important point of this speech comes in.

The importance of an adventure buddy. It’s sad that Millie is out of town for this, as I’m going to praise her and she won’t be here to hear it. But I don’t think that I would have been able to do this without her. When doing these big, unknown adventures you need someone who:

you can trust to look after themselves (read: doesn’t fall in those fall and die moments)

stays positive through gruelling moments

knows how to eat enough, stay hydrated and warm

can laugh or appreciate a view even when everything hurts

someone you can be in comfortable silence with

Choose your adventure buddies wisely. Choose people who will push you, or motivate both of you to do something that seems scary. But choose someone who does this safely. Who understand risk. And someone who you will trust to save your life if required. There are going to be points where you both lose your personalities, find someone who can find the humour in that moment and encourage you to continue going.

But most importantly find someone who will revel in the beauty of it all when you reach the peak, look down on the world and no photo or words will ever capture what you feel.

Finally: Adventures cost money. We’re lucky to live in South Africa as we have access to such incredible natural spaces close by. Yet going to the Alps costs both money and time. Millie and I had quit our jobs - this wasn’t the reason for quitting our jobs, more of a reward for it. I don’t want to ask everyone to quit their jobs and live in the mountains. But when thoughts arise late at night or in the shower - don’t ignore them. Humans thrive in change. An adventure like this adds a punctuation mark in your life and often signifies a chapter closing and a new one beginning. Comfort in a job can often breed apathy. And adventures like this change you for the better they inspire you again. I’ve come back excited to work, I’ve found a pretty perfect job and new work lifestyle. T

hanks to the time spent alone, high up above the world and deeply in my body.

Here’s one excerpt from my journal of day three to end this off:

We’re moving along the most impossibly beautiful contour path. Calm green grass clinging to the steep slope, angry rocky peaks to the left. Across the valley the companion slope is covered in snow patches, not fairing the same sunny treatment as the slope we’re on. The altitude is present and we pause for a moment - a lucky coincidence that the views are always breathtaking - when your breath has already been taken by the enormous climb and scarcity of oxygen. Millie’s tone immediately changes, sharp and urgent: “what is that, on the other side of the valley. Five animals running across the snow”. What where (I didn’t have my glasses and long range vision isn’t my forte - thanks computer job). “There, that ice pack that looks like Italy”. I’m getting agitated now, fearing that I will miss them. “I don’t know what Italy looks like” I plea. Then I spot them: two larger, three smaller four legged animals jumping and moving quickly through the ice. Definitely not Chamois (the local goat/antelopes they have in the Alps). They moved like cats, or dogs. Calm, agile and smooth. They moved like predators. They seem to spot us and evapourate into the rocky landscape. We ponder this sighting for a few hours until we meet some locals who confirm our suspicion by saying: “wow - you’re so lucky to have seen a pack of wolves, it’s a rare sighting”.

Thank you

Notes from the trip

Day 1

Brisk morning. Snow capped mountains look down onto Chamonix. Millie singing “buttercup baby”. Big coffee. Big oats.

Everyone in technical gear. Warm welcome from the French. Similar to Camino maybe because we look the part.

Millie is singing like a jukebox of golden oldies

Beautiful forest trails. But snowy mluntains.

Cheeky kids running down. Taunt us with a smile in French by the river.

Le tour then climb up next to a ski lift

Real sheep dogs barking at hikers

Beer and an ice cream at a ski restaurant.

Last few hundred meters climbing up to the refuge. Cold wind. Someone doing a photo shoot on a speedy wing glider.

1 minute shower. cold. We sit downstairs next to the unlit fire place. Millie asks the owner to make a fire and tell his life story. He chuckles at this. Millie probes until he speaks: he worked at a refuge when he was 20, then was a salmon fisher in Norway for 30 years. Millie asks why he left, his answer: why can’t I love more than one thing. It took 2 years to buy the refuge off a couple in their eighties without children. Then redid the interior.

It’s light and beautiful inside. Warm wood all over. Many beds upstairs and a cozy vibe downstairs. We’ve got dinner breakfast and a packed lunch coming, dreamy.

He has that French bluntness, but with a twinkle in his eye. Millie plays it perfectly, matching his bluntness with even more. When Millie goes to the toilet he comes the the hot fire and says “I make her a fire and then she leaves with a smile”. I say thanks for the fire, “it wasn’t for you” he laughs.

He speaks of women as if still suffering from a deep heartbreak. But greets a young woman working at the refuge with exuberance, reliving his youth in refuges through her.

Cozy dinner. Lovely Canadian couple celebrating their one year engagement

Bed before nine with a book. Wonderful. Tomorrow is going to be a big day

Day 2

Good sleep

Breakfast. Chocolate.

Beautiful contour and descent with refuges. Glacier. Saw a Chamois nice man pointed it out

Get to the bottom at the river. Helicopter building infrastructure

Coffee and jam tart.

Time to climb. Oh my god huge climb. So proud of our bodies. we summit and have lunch on the top: a great sandwich from the refuge with some chips in there. Beautiful valleys on either side.

Many people up here. So many hiking alone. 95% of people are well prepared with gear and fitness. Yet there are some people in hoodies and trainers who look like they just came off the tube.

Beyonces halo played at breakfast this morning and is now stuck in our heads. Juke box Millie plays it out loud every few hours.

Leggy suggests yelling “I AM INSIGNIFICANT” into the massive mountains. Great idea.

The mountains break and we get our first jeep track run which lasts a few km. Stop at hostel but alas, no lunch here. Onwards and downwards.

Find a cute down with lake and supermarket. Buy a sandwich wnd eat it by the lake. Some tweens are on peddle boats. They’ve send scouts to buy ice creams. A girl on the boat is loud and attention seeking. When handed an ice cream she yells “what must I do with this” - referring to the wrapping - continuously.

Walk in the last 13km. It’s beautiful meadows and jeep tracks. It takes a while and we’re relieved to make it to the hotel. Tired and dirty. Shower. Wash clothes. Great dinner of an amazing salad and then like a chicken stir fry pasta. Sleep.

Day 3

I feel the 2900m of descent in my legs. And we noticed that Sam’s route from a few years back started at the top of the ski lift. And we also notice that this hotel gives you one free pass to ride to the top of the ski lift. It must be done.

Big ski lift

Beautiful contour

Met lina doing the haute - from Canada.

So many flowers and butterlies.

So nice to have poles on the really steep slopes for balance.

The high alpine water is truly delicious

Saw five mammal looking things running along an ice pack. “It looks like italy” “I don’t know what Italy looks like”

Big pile of rocks. Well marked.

Met bob from France. Moving quickly. He said they may have been wolves.

Smoker a joint with him up there in Mordor. Is it strong? Medium! How often do you smoke? Good question, it’s holiday.

River crossing.

Read the day 3 Strava caption for more notes. I’m tired now and forcing down the most delicious meal.

Have the world’s most beautiful and coldest shower. Then it starts raining a bit.

Bob heads off into the night to find his friends about 5km away. They had a big night last night and just bussed ahead. They have his tent.

Some more people pull in later.

Probably the most amazing refuge. So well equipped, warm, professional and beautiful.

Day 4

Loud Neighbours, hot. Not the best sleep. But it was one of those times where the body lies still and rests effortlessly. And you just need to keep the mind still and all will be good.

Amazing breakfast of oats, stewed, apples, granola, and nuts

The Bucks were eating outside the refuge we got ready put on our bags did the pretty steep little scent to see a massive lake with a crazy kind of blue grey color cows with their bells tinkling everywhere and then we dropped onto the contour path around the side of the lake and had a little run

Butterflies and flowers everywhere.

There was a rockfall so changed route slightly. Followed some people up. Sheer slope with shale rock. Pretty hectic but not too big (800m). Mordor up there.

The rain starts.

Quads and calves are still unbelievably stiff but they’re just working and just keep going peace with the fact that I got quite a few days to go and it’s amazing what the body can do

Some Dutch girls scared on the top about exposed faces. Confirmed when we got to the bottom.

Lunch with a nice view. I need a good night sleep in the shower said no to the refuge and booked a shed. Kind of bathroom Hotel close by very excited.

Rain starts again and we make the last 3km fairly quickly. Take a few shortcuts through cow paddocks which was terrifying.

Hotel is nice. Everything is lopsided. Warm shower is unreal. The couple roll in from yesterday - they were talking loudly last night. The woman asks when we left and I said 8am. She kind of proudly and sheepishly said they left at 4am.

Tired. Need to stretch and sleep.

Massage ball is vital

Day 5

Great sleep. Thank goodness. Body feels stiff but it’s turned a corner - slightly stronger.

Legs are feeling so much better walk along the river for a while take a little path from the opposite bank which leads straight into two massive cars so we have to go underneath the electric fence and then along the river back onto the main road. Find a deserted or abandoned, baby mole put it back in a hole and then through a beautiful pine forest

Big climb up a ski slope find a Belgian guy who is starting a hotel just casually doing 2000m of elevation on a Sunday and then we found Bob at the supermarket outside of Little market

Started the enormous climb, which would be about 2000 m total today straight up ski slope and Millie dragged us along and then Bob dragged us along and then we took a break by a little cow shelter, but I think they sleep in for the winters and then offered for a cheap truck to save the calves And now opens up and we see the final peak ahead of us to send and then one last time to the shelter tonight

There’s a signal in the mountains almost every which makes it so amazing to hike a line and feel so safe compared to South African mountains

We discuss what we haven’t used. I say head torch. Bob says that it’s a sign of strong legs.

We meet German man aged 65. Crushing it. We have seen him the last few days. He’s a legend. His advice - take the stairs, stay active. Michael. Stephan says there is no need for the phrase nice to meet you when Millie tries to learn German

Bob goes up to eat his banana at the top of the peak and Millie and I go down and do the descent. There’s some beautiful dams down here rather crazy site as we turn the corner here pretty much feeling like a proper road coming in and a huge car park along alongside the massive dams that collect the glacier runoff

Millie borrow my poles for the last actually we had a beer before the summer was great when Bob joined us, but you borrowed my pose the last time I’m shocked by how much harder it is Without the poles.

Last 500m climb to the most beautiful refuge ever. Huge windows framing the glacier. Warm wood and glass - toasty inside. I wait in a long line of Dutch men (not the best kind of Dutch men). Only to find out that I need to buy a shower token. Back of the line again.

Amazing dinner. Theee helpings of butternut shop. Four helpings of chicken curry. Cardamom yogurt.

Bob is in a tent under the refuge. Someone offers to buy him a night. he politely declines.

Early bed. Long day tomorrow. It’s raining in the morning so we see how early we leave.

Photo of the glacier in 1940.

Rivella milk drink

Day 6

Slept alright. Gooten morgen alarm at 6:10, doesn’t stir when I touch his foot. Goes back to bed and wakes on the second time after the snooze.

Millie start singing Rudolph, the rednosed reindeer and SpongeBob SquarePants and Natasha Benningfield

Wake bob in the tent. Instant coffee and hot chocolate. Overnight oats. Meet Benny the Dutch guy doing it super fast. He did our last two days yesterday.

Rain pants on. Ready to go.

Help Bob pack up his tent and then the snow started just a little bit of snow. We’re all get up and ready to go.

We chatted with a guy called Dani at breakfast. He is Dutch and he did our last two days and one yesterday and was a bit of a beast and a hilarious human so we all left together and I was feeling so strong. I think my body actually felt like the first day again and the little bit running even downhill and then it was a long long time Bull infested green hill to the top, took the gun to the down and then bought me some pink poles in the town I had a coffee and now we’re gonna start accent

Earlier we had lunch in the car park of a restaurant now we’re going up the hill that is so unbelievably steep. Many poles are vital and also these details are so stupid that you have to take breaks but it’s a good thing. It’s so beautiful so you can just kind of take it all in while you wait.

Climb it was just a beautiful Kahn tour in the grassy Hills Had to run a few few sections and so stunning just really incredible

Massive climb feel like we’re so high up at the airplane passing overhead feel like they’re just 100 meters above us so loud at the top beautiful day

Made it to the top. 2874m.

Long slow descent on autopilot walked along the main road to the hiking hotel had a shower beer and dinner. Say goodbye to Danny and he went off into the night then say goodbye to Ben to Bob and just a little piece about how beautifully he moved sideways up the mountain.

Lots of older people in the hikers hotel dormitory. Millie and I sit on the steps using the massage ball and stretching. The other people come up and down the stairs near us.

A German man asks where we’re from and I say South Africa. He gets talking about a glider trip he took there. The conversation switches to the hike. He hikes with his daughter. And she was meant to be on the trip - she booked it. But is having a baby. We speak about parenthood and he starts to freely cry with happiness. Being a father was the most importnant moment of his life. And he’s so excited to become a grandfather.

In a dorm in the attatic with what feels like 12 other older hikers. On Christmas beds on the floor. Both Millie and I have tried to get the window opened. That single window. Farts have started, snores will soon follow. Let’s hope that window stays open. Noise cancellation and an eye mask. I hope it ensures some sleep. I can see why people choose to bring a tent.

Day 7

Just a note about how fantastic a hiking partner Millie is never have to worry about her on the fall and die sections and absolutely self-sufficient

Slo breakfast slept pretty well despite the massive dorm. The window remained open the climb which is literally right out the front door so no warm me up for it and then spotted Bob’s tent. He woke up great to see that he didn’t power with Knight and we’re away.

Many absolutely send it have the only client for today at the top, which is the path briefly for the second time the whole hike we have a coffee

I’ve never felt so strong in my life and foot and I think that this will definitely marker before and after heart rate in my life by way of what I feel as possible

Long, very technical rock section, but the downhill going very nice and gently and slowly

No blisters go ultras and toe socks, and also know about massive bio, kinetic failures really proud of my body

So many little white concrete shrines with stone roofs with a little statues of Christianity and flower or two along the descent, very tired, but we have made it. Can I go to the supermarket and then make dinner for the first time in ages at our little Airbnb?

The descent is long and gets steeper. We make it to the bottom. Road works cause us to double back. Supermarket. Airbnb. Shower. Wash clothes - very dirty. weird delicious rice dinner with salami, olives, chickpeas and nuts.

Bed before 8. Tired.

Day 8

A lot of flies not to be able to have a night with no disturbances in sleep but and overnight oats was amazing and we are going to stroll to Zermatt now

Start the day walk and debrief.

Best sleep: wonky hotel

Best accommodation: Moiry

Worst sleep: pafluri

Best meal: chicken curry and Moiry

Favorite person: bob

Worst people: Dutch runners

Best climb: either after verbier or after col de balme

Hardest moment: Imwhen Millie got to the wonky hotel she didn’t think she would make it. For me at the supermarket yesterday trying to choose food.

Best view: top of day 2.

Best run: down to pafluri

Best animal: pack of five wolves

Met up with Andrew, who is still on the climb yesterday and had a coffee with him and Rhonda. He is such a wonderful human born in the south of England now living in Sidney the management consultant turned undergraduate student in art. History and philosophy has such a vibrant to him and excitement for life. We spoke about studying and things and he’s off to Europa Hutt and we’re now walking onto Zuma.

All the different language changes over this trip and kind of try to double down and learning Portuguese, but before long it was Spanish and then now German quite unsure how a great people

They take a little trail along the side of the mountain and then so Matt comes to view as well as the absolutely enormous matter in the distance with it seems like smoke coming off it and the insight maybe like 10 or 15 minutes to the to the church and then this adventure is done

Got a lasagna and only Gary had an orange juice at the supermarket made it to the church very surreal. It’s amazing and quiet without cars in the center of Matt and as we arrived at the church at midday, Bell‘s chimed right on cue.

We sit in the church in silence. Looking up at the mural on the ceiling that we overheard the tour operator talking about, letting it all sink in.

We drink a beer and glass of wine opposite the church and reflect. Then bob arrives to finish it! He joins us and we celebrate.