I am in the infancy of planning the trip but I'm looking for some help. My wife and I are planning our 15th anniversary trip and we want to spend a week or so hiking the alps. We would love to go from hut to hut and are hoping each huts serve dinner/drinks. We would love suggestions and/or routes people have taken. If it helps, we are in fine shape. We do our share of hiking in Colorado but do not have any real experience rock climbing. Thanks
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5835 posts
Haven't done it but Swiss friend was interested in walking the Monte Rosa Circuit:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Rosa_tour
The Monte Rosa Tour is a circular hiking trail through the Swiss & Italian Alps around Monte Rosa (4634m). The tour also encircles the Dom (4,545 m) in the Mischabel range.
Tour path - Typical overnight stops are:
Zermatt
Theodulpass (highest point: 3,301 m)
St-Jacques in the Ayas valley
Gressoney-La-Trinité
Alagna Valsesia
Macugnaga-Staffa
Saas-Fee
Grächen
Europahütte
Posted by
Bern, Switzerland
977 posts
Here is another one that might be of interest: The Alpine Pass Route
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3391 posts
This page is a fairly comprehensive list of all the huts in Switzerland. Alpine Huts
If you click on a region on the map to the right, it will show you the huts just for that region of Switzerland.
Once you've clicked on a hut, you can click on that hut's website over to the right and see specifically what services they offer as well as loads of pictures. Many of them accept reservations via email but there are still some that don't; you may have to write or call.
I've not been to a hut in Switzerland that doesn't serve delicious homemade meals and plenty of beer! Many of them will also pack a lunch for you. There are no bad huts in Switzerland (that we've found) but we like the region of Valais in the south of Switzerland up against France and Italy...there are some spectacular huts and some fairly remote places that are less touristy than some of the traditional routes. Huts range from very nice to quite rustic!
Posted by
OP
Westminster
53 posts
This is great, thank you guys!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16241 posts
Putting together a through route using alpine huts is the challenge. Some SAC huts are climbers's huts at the end of a dead-end approach trail.
You could also consider the mountain inns as stops along the way. There is a guidebook to these, somewhat dated but still useful. It is "Switzerland's Mountain Inns" by Philip and Marcia Lieberman.
In a week, you could do a section of the Alpine Pass route ( link to the guidebook above).
Or maybe the Zermatt Hohenweg, a path linking huts and inns in the mountains and valleys above Zermatt.
https://www.zermatt.ch/en/Media/Planning-hikes-tours/Hoehenweg
Posted by
1 posts
These sites look awesome. I am looking to spend only a day or two hiking. We are trying to sandwich it in between arrival in Milan on a Friday and departure from Zurich on Tue morning. Any suggestions? We plan to travel by train, but could rent a car. This will be late Oct with an overnight (perhaps at Lake Como. Thanks.
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3391 posts
One more thing to think about...some of the huts will provide bedding for an extra fee. Others don't have a plentiful water supply and can't do laundry so require you to bring your own. Make sure that you pay attention to that detail when you book otherwise you could have a cold, uncomfortable night!