4 m away
Haute Route Imperiale: Col Durand Traverse
Day 5: Traverse of Col Durand and descent to Zermatt.
Severe Ski Touring
- Distance
- 21 km
- Ascent
- 1.2 km
- Descent
- 2.5 km
This is well known as one of the best high summits in the Alps to do as a ski mountaineering traverse, with significant exposure on the E ridge.
Ski Touring Difficult
This is a truly amazing day- fabulous scenery, wild isolation, exposed terrain and fantastic skiing. The ascent begins right behind the hut. Take the gentle slopes to the NE, rising up under le Mammouth. After a short steeper section, crossing the moraine, you pass imperceptibly onto the glacier at about 3200m. Continue easily up here, under your summit, the Blanc de Moming, then under the ridge you will be subsequently climbing along. At about 3730m you gain the ridge above you, to the L, putting skis on your packs. This is the E Ridge of the Blanc de Moming, known locally as the Arete du Blanc. If you are first here, with no track, it will feel extremely exposed and committing, as it will in windy conditions, as your pack with skis on may feel like a sail. However on a fine sunny day in the spring with little wind and a track in, it is a delight. You stick to the ridge crest itself, as far as possible, and, apart from the exposure, it is not particularly difficult. Initially you descend to the W, then a small climb over a minor top on the ridge, followed by a final descent to a saddle. Here it becomes less exposed as it climbs up to your summit, the Blanc de Moming at 3657m. The descent is often a delight, on N facing powder. Descend down and R onto a flat glacial plateau, then traverse L under Besso. If conditions are good- check with the guardian of the Mountet Hut- you can descend to about 3000m, before traversing off down and R, taking complicated terrain between crevasses. (In poorer conditions you can continue your descent much lower, down to about 2200m, before reascending to the hut). On the traverse go no lower than 2800m, as there are ice cliffs below you. Undulating terrain leads you off the glacier at an obvious lateral moraine, before traversing without difficulty to the Arpitettaz Hut at 2780m.
Difficult
Serious gradient of 30-38 degrees where a real risk of slipping exists.
4 m away
Day 5: Traverse of Col Durand and descent to Zermatt.
Severe Ski Touring
5 km away
Day 4: Traverse of Blanc de Moming then to the Mountet Hut
Severe Ski Touring
5 km away
A relatively easy day after the previous two, but every bit as spectacular.
Difficult Ski Touring
6.7 km away
Starting with an amazing backdrop of the Matterhorn in the morning light this unforgettable traverse takes you over a high pass into remote mountain wilderness to the N.
Difficult Ski Touring
6.7 km away
A huge climb to a 4000m peak then a 2500m descent!
Difficult Ski Touring
6.8 km away
A warm up day that can be lift assisted, travelling under the awe inspiring N face of the Matterhorn to the traditional Schonbiel Hut, well off the beaten track.
Difficult Ski Touring
8 km away
Well acclimatised now you can relish this ascent of one of the highest peaks in the Alps you can get to on skins.
Difficult Ski Touring
8.1 km away
Day 3: Our high point of the week, the Bishorn at 4153m, followed by descent and one reascent to the Arpitettaz Hut at 2786m
Severe Ski Touring
5 routes · Ski Touring
5 routes · Ski Touring