by Pieter@Overseashiker | Jan 16, 2021 | Haute Route, Switzerland, Thru-hike
Day 8 on the Haute Route was a hot and very tough day. From the Meidsee down to Gruben, ascending again to the Augustbordpass and then all the way down to the village of Sankt Niklaus. A total of more than 2.600 meters of exhausting descent. Haute Route 8: Meidsee to...
by Pieter@Overseashiker | Dec 26, 2020 | Haute Route, Switzerland, Thru-hike
A long and spectacular day 7 of the Haute Route brought a view of Val d’Anniviers with the Bernese Alps in the distance. Then the first view of the Matterhorn peak and excellent wild camping at the Meidsee at the end of the day. Haute Route 7: Zinal to Meidpass and...
by Pieter@Overseashiker | Dec 8, 2020 | Gear, Thru-hike
I have been buying different brands of trail food breakfasts for a few years. But once I became aware that these expensive meals were not much different from what I make myself for breakfast at home, I started preparing my own hiker’s breakfast. Hiker’s Breakfast...
by Pieter@Overseashiker | Nov 30, 2020 | Haute Route, Switzerland, Thru-hike
A sunny sixth day on the Haute Route: I hiked along an incredibly blue lake to Col de Sorebois. Leaving the amazing view of the mountain range east I decended to the village of Zinal, where I found the first campsite of my thru hike. Haute Route 6: Cabane de Moiry to...
by Pieter@Overseashiker | Nov 30, 2020 | Haute Route, Switzerland, Thru-hike
Day 5 on the Haute route was a day of rain, snow and mist. And because of poor visibility quite demanding. Especially the climb up to Cabane de Moiry on a rocky zig zag path with 29 turns in complete mist was exhausting – but beautiful. Haute Route 5: Les Haudères to...
by Pieter@Overseashiker | Nov 6, 2020 | Haute Route, Switzerland, Thru-hike
A demanding fourth day on the Haute Route. After an easy stroll along Lac des Dix, a steep ascent took me to rough and misty terrain full of rocks, under heavy clouds – with sometimes no trail at all. Halfway I encountered the challenging ladder section at Pas de...
by Pieter@Overseashiker | Oct 6, 2020 | Haute Route, Switzerland, Thru-hike
An amazing third day on the Haute Route. I climbed four mountain passes, sled down a snowfield and crossed glacial waters. On the way there were turquoise lakes, a herd of ibex and I reached the highest elevation of the entire Haute Route. Haute Route 3: Cab. du Mont...
by Pieter@Overseashiker | Sep 28, 2020 | Haute Route, Switzerland, Thru-hike
My second day on the Haute Route was a full day of ascending, with exciting views of the Massif du Mont Blanc and the snowy peak of Le Grand Combin. Gaining more than 1.600 meter in elevation, I reached Cabane du Mont Fort early in the afternoon. Haute Route 2:...
by Pieter@Overseashiker | Sep 15, 2020 | Haute Route, Switzerland, Thru-hike
The Haute Route, also known as the Chamonix-Zermatt Trail, shares the first 3 sections with the Tour du Mont Blanc, but then continues east into the high mountains. I started my thru-hike in a lovely quiet and green valley as a prologue to another 10 days of desolate...
by Pieter@Overseashiker | Sep 13, 2020 | Gear, Haute Route, Thru-hike
When I first started backpacking, I had a heavy Fjalräven backpack and a total weight of about 25 kg (55 Lbs) on my back. Especially since my first major thru-hike in the High Sierra in 2018, I have been lowering my pack weight significantly. For my last thru-hike on...
