Mercredi 25 avril, Graham et moi commençont un Speed Haute Route. On avait l'intention d'effectuer cette grande classique en trois jours avec une rentrée de Chamonix par vélo.
Graham and I were inspired to do something different and with the Patrouille des Glaciers ski touring race coming up, I concocted the idea for a speed Huate Route with return by bicycle,
using the Swiss Train system to send the bikes and skis back and forth and remain carbon neutral! The weather wasn't perfect, the days were long, but we proved that this itinerary can become a
classic!
Jour 1: Chamonix--Verbier. Il ne faisait pas très beau, mais on a commencé quand même. Beaucoup de Foehn et le "top" des Grands Montets resté fermé toute la journée. On a été obligé de
partir depuis Lognan en peaux. Vers le bas du couloir du Passon, la seule autre equipe qui nous suivait à fait un demi tour ! Heuresement le couloir était balayé par le vent et le risque
d'avalanche étais minimal, on a pu continuer. Col de Tour Superior, descente glacier du Trient, col des Ecandies, et grand descente a 17 h dans le Val d'Arpette vers Champex (on a commencé a 11
h, a cause de téléférique au Grands Montets). Taxi, et on a arrive à Verbier pour un bon et bien mérité repas ! Le lendemain on part à 4 heure ...mais dans les télécabines de Verbier,
exceptionelle ouverture au cause de Patrouille des Glaciers.
Day 1: Chamonix--Verbier. With a slow start due to the tram at the Grand Montets pretending they would open for a couple hours we finally started skinning from the mid station at 11 am. The
weather was not good, but we pressed on towards the Col du Passon, climbed the couloir which despite (actually because of) the Foehn wind was NOT dangerous or loaded with snow. On the contrary
the southern wind had scoured the snow from the south facing couloir. Then we crossed the Tour Glacier, and the Trient Glacier descended to Champex where a taxi waited to wisk us to Verbier. A
nice dinner and hotel in Verbier awaited us and an early sleep as the next day was the earliest start of the trip, 4 am.
Jour 2: Verbier-Arolla.Les télécabines, un petit traverse, et puis montée jusqu'au col de la Chaux. Descente, montée col de Momin, et longue montée pas trop raide sur le Grand Désert à la
Rosablanche ! Mais le vent de Foehn ! On a presque décolé avec le vent très for t! Finalement on est arriver au col de Rosablanche à coté du couloir où les 400 coureuses montent pour la
Patrouille des Glacier (compétion en ski alpinisme de Zermatt à Verbier le même jour que notre jour 2). On a descendu le couloir, traverser le lac de Dix, monté le Pas du Chat et finalement monté
les échelles de Pas de Chèvre... une grande descente sur les piste d'Arolla, neige de printemps extraordinaire et à deux pas de la piste, on a trouvé notre deuxième hotel, l'hôtel des
Glaciers.
Day 2. Verbier---Arolla. The Verbier gondola opened up at 4 am to bring spectators up high to watch the Patrouille des Glaciers ski mountaineering race from Zermatt to Verbier. So, that
helped us get up high and make it just a short skin to the Col de la Chaux, the Col de Mormin, and then up the very windy Grand Desert towards Rosablanche. Spectators gather there at the Col de
Rosablanche to watch the racer hump up the last big climb towards Verbier with their skis on the backs. Supporters are also allowed to feed racers at this point. But we were going the other
direction and eager to get across the traverse of the Lac Dix before the snow got too warm. A lot of pushing later we were across and skinning up the Pas De Chat and then up and over the ladders
of the Pas de Chevre. In no time we had skied down the Pistes of the Arolla Ski area and were walking into the tiny lost village of Arolla, Switzerland. Arrival at 1:30 pm allowed for pleanty of
time for a big meal in the hotel restaurant, a beer and a nap!
Jour 3: Arolla--Zermatt. Plus raisonnable, on a commencé à 6 heure pour monter la vallée d'Arolla jusqu'au pied de Mt. Collon. Après vers les Plans de Bertol et la dernière bonne montee au col de
Bertol et cabane de Bertol. Mais on a continué vers la Tete Blanche. Froid et fatigue, il y a que une grande descente jusq'au Zermatt. Plus long que la Vallée Blanche! Assez de neige et on a
skier jusqu'au village! Et c'était la même journée que ma femme, Nina Silitch était prête à partir à minuit sur le deuxieme départ pour la Patrouille des Glacier! En arrivant à l'hôtel, en face
de la Gare, on est allé chercher nos vélos qui nous attendaient à la gare!
Day 3. Arolla--Zermatt. The last ski day, and the Haute Route was already 2/3's fininshed! A reasonable start of 6 am lead to a pretty hike on foot, then on ski up the Arolla Valley to the
foot of the massive Mt. Collon which looms at the head of the valley. A short skin to the Plains of Bertol, then a pretty steep and long climb up the col de Bertol and the cabin. But we didnt
stop at the cabin, we pressed onwards and upwards up to Tete Blanche. They we finally ripped our climbing skins off for the last time! Zermatt here we come. With the Matterhorn staring us in the
face, we started our last down hill run to town, which would last almost three hours! Always the Matterhorn over our right shoulder, until we skied by it and were literally straight up it's giant
north face from its beginnings. Finally we made it to town and were happily able to ski all the way to town with no walking! We arrived the same day as my my wife's start of the second wave of
the Patrouille des Glaciers at Midnight, which we stayed up to watch.
Jour 4: Zermatt-Sion. Les premiers 30 km étaient en descente et même pas trop foid. C'était excellent de rouler comme ça pour les jambes après toute la marche en ski ! Bientôt à Visp, une petite
pause pour manger. On roule sur les petits chemins à coté du Rhone. Avec le vent dans le dos on a roulé jusqu'à Sion sans efforts ! C'était un vent très fort, le même qui a enlevé tout les toits
à Chamonix ! En arrivant, il y avait un étape Pro Tour du Tour de Romandie et en discussion avec un mécanicien de l'equipe Liquigas, il a travailler sur mon vélo ! Il était très sympa!
Day 4. Zermatt---Sion. We had picked up our bikes the night before which were conveniently waiting for us at the train station and had shipped back our skis, keeping the trip carbon neutral by
not having cars come exclusively for shuttling our gear. That way as we set off for our two day cycle tour home, we had only a toothbrush and credit card to way us down. The first 30 km are
downhill. We arrived in Visp mid morning and found a tail wind that would blow us all the way to Sion that afternoon. Following bike paths and we swept through fields of flowers, cows, goats, and
grapes, we felt free and liberated as we spun our legs in shorts in the warm springtime temps. What a difference from the last three days in the high mountains and full winter conditions! Upon
arriving in Sion we stumbled across the Tour de Romndie, a Pro Tour stage race with all the top racers including Cadel Evans, winner of last years Tour de France. In chatting to a Liquigas Team
mechanic, he generously offered to look at my SRAM Red titanium front derailleur, which sould throw the chain sometimes. He said it was adjusted fine--I was worried about its angle and height off
the chainring, but then proceeded to give my bike a full tune up--wheel true, front and rear derailluer tune up, cable end stops, etc. What a generous act from a busy man in charge of the whole
team's bikes.
Jour 5: Sion-Chamonix. Tourjours le vent, mais c'était toujours dans le dos ! Jusqu'à Matigny. On a roulé dans les vignobles! Dimanche matin, le soleil, les fleurs, le printemps, vraiment
différent des premier jours à ski dans les hautes montagnes! Après Martigny, les derniers deux cols du voyage : Forclaz et Montets ! Mais toujours pas de pluie. On était contents, et même pas
trop fatigué ! On arrivant à Chamonix, très contents du voyage et des jolies vues du Glacier des Bossons, même si le Mont Blanc était dans le nuage.
Day 5. Sion--Chamonix. Our last day! We were accomplishing our dream! We set off from the small town of Sion early Sunday morning along the walking streets where there were only a few people
strolling around or sitting at the outdoor cafes reading their papers and sipping their coffees. We rolled out of town along quiet roads through vignards and a warming sun shining on us. And the
wind, but still at our backs! Soon we stopped in Martigny for a few sports drinks to fill our bottles and snacks for the last two climbs of the whole trip, the Cols de Forclaz and Montets. The
Forclaz climb is long out of Martigny and with only 2-3 little breaks on the way up and with a fast clip it still took almost two hours to make it up! A nice lunch stop at the top, then over the
last col and a descent all the way back to Chamonix! The weather stayed ok--no rain and we got a good view of the Bossons Glacier upon arrival, but the Mont Blanc summit was buried in clouds. We
were tired but excited to be home!
Michael Sillitch, guide de haute montagne.
Chamonix Zermatt classique avec la Compagnie des Guide s de Chamonix.
Le ski de raid dans le blog.