Cabane des Dix, Walker's Haute Route

Gear List for the Walker’s Haute Route (French & Swiss Alps)

Trip Date: July 12 – 24, 2023

Trekking Gear, Footwear & Clothing
Mountain Hut Gear & Clothing
Foreign Travel Essentials
Trekking Food & Beverages

Our Packing List for the Walker’s Haute Route

The Walker’s Haute Route is a classic sub-alpine and alpine trail traverse that extends in a generally west-east direction through the Graian Alps of eastern France and the Pennine Alps of southwestern Switzerland. Over the course of approximately 130 miles / 210 kilometers, it gains and loses about 47,000 vertical feet / 14,000 vertical meters, although there are numerous gondolas, trains, and buses that can be employed to reduce these statistics. The trail elevation ranges from about 3000 feet / 1000 meters to about 10.000 feet / 3000 meters, making this a moderate-altitude trek. Countless hotels and more than a dozen mountain huts are located along the trail to accommodate trekkers traveling in either direction.

In 2023, my wife (Eileen) completed the traverse from Chamonix, France, to Zermatt, Switzerland, along with six friends. Their trek consumed a total of 13 days and 12 nights, including one layover day near the beginning. My daughter (Brooke) joined them for the second half of the traverse. Although I had planned to do the entire traverse, a serious injury shortly before the trip took me out of commission. For a written description and photos of the entire trek, see Eileen’s trip report here:

>>> Walker’s Haute Route, Switzerland, Chamonix to Zermatt (eileensadventures.com)

Despite having many years of backpacking experience, Eileen and I found it necessary to modify our standard packing list in order to accommodate the specialized nature of this trek. You can view our customized packing list here:

>>> Download a one-page PDF of our Walker’s Haute Route packing list.

Traversing on Day 3 of the Walker’s Haute Route

Col de Riedmatten Signage above Cabane des Dix

Affiliate Disclosure: My gear list contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something that I’ve linked to, I might get a small commission at no additional cost to you. Be assured, though, that my list contains only gear that I (or a mountain partner) have used extensively.

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Our Strategy for the Walker’s Haute Route

The gear that you will need for Walker’s Haute Route is greatly dictated by your overall strategy. Here is a summary of the strategy that Eileen employed for her trek in 2023 (and that I would have employed, if not for a serious injury). In case your own strategy is significantly different, you might need to make some adjustments to the packing list presented above.

Accommodation Considerations

There are different ways to hike the Walker’s Haute Route through the French and Swiss Alps. Eileen opted to stay in hotels and huts every night, as well as to eat breakfast and dinner at the facilities. This allowed her to lighten her load immensely by carrying only clothes, basic gear, emergency gear, and some snack food. If you are planning to camp in a tent instead of staying in huts, our Patagonia “O” Trek Gear List will be more applicable to you.

Schedule Considerations

Eileen started the traverse in mid-July in order to avoid the larger crowds of August (Europeans traditionally take their summer vacations in August) while enjoying typically good weather (July tends to have fewer thunderstorms than August). This strategy worked pretty well; after getting past Mont Blanc, the trails were not particularly busy, and she encountered only two day of serious rain and two other days of light rain. Nonetheless, temperatures ranged from very cold on the high ridges to very warm in the valleys. As such, she and everyone else in her group needed a full kit of mountain clothing to handle the weather.

Luggage Considerations

Because Eileen and everyone else in her group planned to continue traveling after the end of the traverse, they found it advantageous send ship certain items of clothing, gear, electronics, and snack food from Geneva or Chamonix to Zermatt. This eliminated the need for carrying unnecessary weight throughout the trek. They considered three different options for executing this shipping operation.

Car Rental: It is possible to rent a car in Geneva or Chamonix for one day and drive extra luggage over to Zermatt. The luggage can be stashed at the hotel that you have reserved in Zermatt (this appears to be a common practice at most hotels there). The cost of renting a small car for one day was approximately US$150 to US$200. The round-trip driving time from Geneva and from Chamonix is on the order of 5 hours and 7 hours, respectively.
Special Courier: Extra luggage can be shipped from any city to Zermatt by arranging for a courier. Eileen’s group of seven people used SendMyBag.com to ship their luggage from Chamonix to Zermatt A courier picked up at their Chamonix hotel and delivered it to their Zermatt hotel for a cost of approximately US$200. Although convenient, this option had the significant disadvantage of severe restrictions on the type of items being transported from one country to another. Prohibited items include any food, any pharmaceuticals, and more than one lithium battery within the entire shipment.
Swiss Rail Transport: One person in Eileen’s group shipped her extra luggage from Geneva to Zermatt via Swiss Rail. She was able to collect her luggage at the train depot in Zermatt a week later. This option is not only relatively inexpensive but has few restrictions on the type of items being transported. For any trekkers passing through Geneva before embarking on the Haute Route, this is a highly recommended option.

Food Considerations

Every hotel and hut along the Haute Route provides a “half-board” (breakfast and dinner) meal plan. Breakfasts tend to range from fair to very good, and dinners tend to be consistently very good. Because the trail passes through a town or village nearly every day, snacks and lunch foods are widely available, although prices range from moderate to high. Many huts will sell you a sack lunch, but these are usually uninspired and not worth the money.

The trail goes through towns almost every day, making it easy to restock snack food regularly. Given the availability of trail food, Eileen left home with about five days worth of critical snack food, including protein bars, meat sticks, nut mixes, electrolyte supplements, recovery powders. This meant that she had to start out with several pounds of trail food, but it ensured that she would always have appealing food with her.

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Packs & Accessories

Rather than checking her backpack on the trans-Atlantic flight, Eileen carried it on board to prevent any chance of lost luggage affecting her trek. She wore her trail boots on board and use her summit pack as a small personal carry-on bag.

Backpacks & Summit Packs

Without needing to carry camping gear and lots of food, Eileen was able to do the Haute Route traverse with a 38L backpack. Her backpack was adequately large to accommodate all of her trekking gear and clothes but still small enough to fit into the overhead compartment on an airplane. She took a small summit pack to use as a carry-on flight bag and to use as a rucksack when touring towns and taking side trips during the trek.

The table below shows the specific backpacks and summit packs (or an equivalent substitute) that she took and I would have taken on the Haute Route. Obviously, these items are a matter of personal preference; there are many other brands and models that would perform the same function.

	Osprey Kestrel 38L Men’s Backpack Provides a good balance between weight, durability, and comfort.
	Osprey Eja 38L Women’s Backpack Very lightweight and very comfortable.
	Osprey Ultralight Rain Cover – Medium Most backpacks of this size come with rain covers, but this is a good option if not.
	REI Co-op Flash 18 Rucksack A simple, versatile, and economical rucksack for both urban traveling and mountain trekking.
	Livingstone Alberta 25L Rucksack An ultra-light and compressible rucksack with many nice features.

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Packing Aids & Travel Organizers

We use a variety of gear organizers when traveling and staying in huts or hotels. These items make it much easier to keep organized, and they even make trips to the bathroom more convenient. When checking our backpacks on an airplane or train, we also use flight duffels to keep things streamlined. Many of our favorite packing and travel accessories are shown below.

	REI Co-op Expandable Packing Cube Set – Small/Medium/Large Excellent for organizing both travel clothes and hiking clothes.
	Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Packing Cube Set – XSmall/Small/Medium Excellent for organizing both travel clothes and hiking clothes.
	Osprey Airporter LZ Backpack Flight Duffel Keeps all backpack straps safely sequestered and provides extra room for other gear. (See my post on Packing a Flight Duffel for Air Travel for tips on packing trail boots and trekking poles.)
	REI Co-op Roadtripper Zippered Pod – Small A durable pouch for keeping several days’ worth of snacks easily accessible.
	Granite Gear Air Zipsack Zippered Pouch – 5L A lightweight pouch for keeping several days’ worth of snacks easily accessible.
	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Quick-Trip Toiletry Organizer A streamlined pouch for keeping all of your hygiene products organized.
	Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Travel Bag Set – XS/S/M Simple and lightweight pouches for miscellaneous small items.

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Basic Trekking Gear

The table below shows the basic trekking gear that we believe to be most useful. Most of these are personal items, but a few could be treated as group gear. For instance, our group of eight trekkers had three texters, which helped us keep track of everyone throughout a day on the trail.

It should be mentioned that we all purchased eSIM cards, so everyone had google maps, texting ability, and bus schedules available most of the time. We purchase eSim cards from Airalo. This was a much more economical option than using our cell phone carrier’s international plans.

	Garmin InReach Mini Cell phones do not work everywhere but satellite texters do. Great for communicating with your group enroute or maintaining contact with people back home.
	Petzl Tikka Headlamp Something simple for emergencies on the trail and for use in the huts at night.
	Fox 40 Classic Safety Whistle The loud signal is useful not only for emergency use but also for getting the attention of a partner on the trail.
	Therm-a-Rest Z Seat Cushioned Sitting Pad Provides a comfortable and clean to sit during lunch on the trail.
	Platypus Big Zip EVO 3L Reservoir We started every day with 3 liters of water, and these have become our favorite type of bladder. The large slider opening makes them easy to fill and easy to clean.
	CamelBak Chute Mag Renew Water Bottle – 25 fl. oz. Nice to have for extra water on the trail and in the huts.
	Katadyn BeFree 0.6 L Water Filter Bottle For emergency use on the trail. It only weighs 2.3 oz.
	RESTOP™ Leak-Proof Waste Bag All huts have toilet paper and indoor toilets, but these are nice to have for gastric emergencies on the trail.
	Kula Cloth Reusable Antimicrobial Pee Cloth For women only. A stylish and hygienic way to deal with “pee stops” on the trail.
	Bandana My wife insists on having at least one with her. They have many uses.
	Trouble Kit We took our standard backcountry “trouble kit” containing a variety of first-aid supplies, medications, and gear repair items.

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Trekking Footwear & Transit Aids

The choice of footwear is very much a matter of personal taste and foot anatomy. My wife prefers ultra-light boots with a soft sole and wide toebox, whereas I prefer a sturdier backpacking boot with a narrower toebox, and our daughter prefers a lightweight mountaineering boot with lots of ankle support. Despite our boot differences, we all use trekking poles to ease the discomfort of scree fields and long descents. In addition, we take micro-spike crampons when there is a chance of encountering steep, hard snowslopes on the trail.

	Vasque Men’s Breeze Hiking Boots A good balance between weight, support, snugness, and comfort.
	Altra Women’s Lone Peak Mid Trail Shoe Very light and very cushy, with a large toebox.
	REI Co-op Traverse Aluminum Trekking Poles – Mens/Womens Economical but well-made three-section poles with comfortable cork handles. We prefer aluminum rather than carbon-fiber due to its greater durability.
	Kahtoola Microspikes Traction System A snug-fitting rubber harness combined with durable stainless-steel spikes.

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Trekking Clothes

Trekking the Haute Route necessitates a combination of base-layer, mid-layer, and outer-layer hiking clothes to handle a wide range of weather conditions. This section presents many of clothes that my wife and I will be using during our trek. Note: Some of the clothing we used has been discontinued. In those cases, we either recommend an equivalent item or group of items.

Base-Layer Clothing

Base-layer clothing must provide next-to-skin comfort for multiple days on the trail. The key feature is that all items should be synthetic or wool, not cotton. Most items require some duplication depending on how long you can tolerate the accumulating odor. We will be on the Haute Route for 13 days and plan to do laundry only once enroute, so we will take two or three pieces of each item. This means that we never have to wear the same item more than three times before washing. If you don’t plan to do laundry at all, you might want to add another piece or two. These items are light and take up a small amount of room.

Men’s Base Layers

	Short Sleeve Hiking Shirt / Base Layer (x3) I like a simple, colorful, trim-fitting crew neck undershirt.
	Long Sleeve Shirt / Jersey (x1) I always take a long-sleeve jersey to wear over my undershirt during cool days on the trail. The undershirt keeps it relatively clean.
	Hiking Boxer Briefs (x3) I like a boxer-brief because it doubles as a shower short and a swimsuit.
	Moisture Wicking Men’s Hiking Socks (x3) I use mid-weight hiking socks as my liner socks for extra cushioning.
	REI Co-op Merino Wool Expedition Hiking Crew Socks (x2) I like a thick wool outer sock for maximum cushioning. These also keep dirt and mud off my liner socks.

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Women’s Base Layers

	Short Sleeve Hiking Shirt / Base Layer (x3) My wife likes a simple, colorful, trim-fitting crew-neck or V-neck undershirt.
	Half-Zip, Long Sleeve Shirt / Jersey (x1) My wife loves the older Arc’teryx Taema zip-neck jersey. The new Arc’teryx Taema is a hoody style that has become very popular lately.
	Women’s Active Briefs (x4) Be sure to get something that feels comfortable under a backpack hipbelt.
	Beyond Yoga Spacedye Lift Your Spirits Bra (x2) My wife’s favorite by far, due to the support and comfortably soft fabric.
	Injinji Liner Crew Synthetic Socks (x2) My wife loves toe socks because they keep her toes from rubbing against each other.
	Injinji Liner Crew NuWool Socks (x2) Toe socks for those who prefer wool fabric.
	Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks – Women’s (x2) Comfortable and durable but pricey.

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Mid-Layer & Outer-Layer Clothing

Mountain weather forecasts become very unreliable beyond three or four days, so you have to expect cold and/or wet weather at some point on the Haute Route. A good layered clothing system is essential to stay comfortable day after day. Our standard system comprises a versatile mid-layer, an insulated outer layer, and a waterproof outer (shell) layer.

For mid-layer clothes, we like softshell fabrics due to their combination of stretchiness, warmth, wind-resistance, and quick-drying properties. For insulated outer-layer clothing, we prefer synthetic “puffies” because they can tolerate a considerable amount of moisture and rough use. For waterproof outer-layer clothing, we have generally experienced better performance with Gore-Tex fabrics than with any of the other “waterproof-breathable” fabrics currently available.

As with footwear, the choice of mid-layer and outer-layer clothing is very much a matter of personal preference and body shape. My wife and I have found that Arcteryx clothing fits us very well, in addition to being extremely well-made. Some of our favorite items are shown below. Many other brands, such as Patagonia, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, Black Diamond, and REI, also offer excellent and popular clothing items.

Jackets & Pants

	Arc’teryx Gamma MX Softshell Jacket I use an old Arc’teryx Gamma AR, and my wife uses an old Arc’teryx Epsilon LT, but neither is made anymore. The Arc’teryx Gamma MX is a good substitute.
	Arc’teryx Atom LT Hoody An excellent and lightweight synthetic outer-layer “puffy” coat.
	Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody A very light but full-featured windbreaker. Small enough to pack in an outside pocket for easy access.
	Arc’teryx Beta LT Shell Jacket A Gore-Tex shell jacket that provides a good balance between low weight and durability.
	KUHL Renegade Convertible Pants – Men’s These convertible pants have lots of pockets and are incredibly durable.
	REI Co-op Sahara Guide Convertible Pants – Women’s These are the first women’s convertible pants that offers feminine-looking shorts when the legs are zipped off.
	Arc’teryx Beta AR Shell Pants A Gore-Tex shell pant that provides a good balance between low weight and durability. I like the 3/4 side zippers because they provide easy on and easy off, and they allow me access to my cargo pockets.

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Headwear & Handwear

	Running Cap We like running-style caps because they breathe well and have a bill for sun protection.
	Neck Cape / Solar Curtain I like my neck cape so much that I did a review of it at Summertime Comfort Accessories.
	Gorewear Windstopper Thermo Beanie I like a “skullcap” style tuque because it fits under my sun cap and climbing helmet. The windproof flaps help to keep my ears warm.
	Buff Ecostretch Tube My wife and daughter love their Buff because it provides extra warmth for almost no extra weight or bulk.
	Columbia Ascender Gloves An excellent softshell glove that sheds wind and light rain. It can be used with cell phones and other touch screens.
	REI Co-op Polartec Wind Pro Fleece Gloves 2.0 A simple softshell glove that offers good warmth and wind protection.
	REI Co-op Minimalist GTX Mittens 2.0 A super-simple and lightweight shell mitten to wear over other gloves or mittens in rainy weather.
	Outdoor Research Adrenaline Mitts I get cold hands easily, so I like this warm but very flexible mitten.

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Hut Gear & Clothes

Hut Footwear & Accessories

All mountain huts along the Haute Route require trekkers to bring some sort of clean footwear because trail boots are not allowed indoors. Also, blankets and pillows are provided in each hut, but a personal sleeping sack is required for hygienic reasons. Our other hut gear included a hygiene kit, a hand towel, and a bath towel (most huts have showers).

	Adidas Men’s Adilette Slide Sandals My wife likes these because they can be worn in the showers, as well as around the huts.
	Light-Weight Slip-On Loafer I like these loafers because they have a more supportive “sneaker” feel.
	PackTowl UltraLite Towel – S/M/L/XL Bathrooms in huts have soap but many do not have anything to dry your hands. I like having a small towel for handwashing and a large towel for showering.
	Flents Foam Ear Plugs Every hut has at least one loud snorer. If you are sensitive to noise when sleeping, take a supply of earplugs.
	Sleeping Mask If you are sensitive to ambient light when sleeping, take an eye mask or two.
	Sea to Summit Silk & Cotton Liner A lightweight, comfortable, and machine-washable rectangular sleeping sack. We found that some huts were so warm, this was all the cover we needed.

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Hut Clothing

Although not required, it is very nice to have a clean set of hut clothing to put on every night. This typically includes a shirt, pants, socks, and perhaps a sweater or vest. Comfort is really the only goal here, so even cotton fabrics are OK.

	Men’s Casual Lightweight Pants Any type of casual pant, jogging pant, yoga pant, or training pant is suitable.
	Women’s Beyond Yoga Pants My wife really likes the cut and fabric of these pants.
	Men’s Lightweight Long Sleeve Crewneck Shirt I prefer a loose-fitting crewneck shirt for simplicity and comfort.
	Women’s Lightweight Long Sleeve, 1/4 Zip Shirt My wife prefers a zip-neck shirt for easier ventilation.
	Women’s Lightweight Down Vest My wife liked having a vest to wear in the huts so that she was comfortable not wearing her hiking bra.
	Anklets or Crew Socks Any type of sock is fine.

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Creative Bunk Room At Schluter/Genova Hut

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Foreign Travel Essentials

Because the Haute Route starts in France and ends in Switzerland, it is necessary to deal with two different currencies. France uses the Euro, whereas Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc. Several of the huts accept only cash, so plan on hitting a cash machine (ATM) when you arrive in the country.

Before leaving home, verify that your credit and debit cards do not get charged foreign transaction fees and that your bank will refund any fees charged by foreign parties. For more information on working with money in foreign countries, see my page entitled How to Deal with Foreign Currency when Traveling outside the U.S.

Electrical outlets are available in almost every mountain hut along the Haute Route, but France and Switzerland use different outlet styles. Therefore, you will need a power adapter for each country. Because outlets are very limited in many huts, we prefer an adapter with more than one USB port to allow recharging more than one electrical device at the same time.

Other travel essentials include paper maps of the route; digital maps loaded onto your cell phone; a paper and/or digital copy of all confirmation emails for hotel, hut, and car reservations; and paper and/or digital copies of any important route information that you have gathered. Obviously, many of these items can be shared among a group.

	National Geographic Haute Route Map A large-format, two-sided paper map with excellent detail.
	Digital Maps showing Haute Route GPS Track We use CalTopo for creating tracks prior to leaving home.
	Stay Connected using Airalo eSIM Data Plans Get US$3 off by using code JAMES6603 at signup or checkout. My post on Staying Connected details how we utilized our data plans.
	Hut Reservation and Deposit Confirmation Emails We use Microsoft OneNote to digitally store our documents, so they are all available offline. Brooke has an Instagram reel on using OneNote
	Route Beta We noted what grocery stores, laundromats, ATMs, bus stations, and other services were available in each town along the route.
	France Travel Power Adapter, Type E F Includes one USA/Canada input and two USB ports.
	Switzerland Travel Power Adapter, Type J Includes one USA/Canada input and two USB ports.
	Two Credit Cards & One Debit Card My post on Dealing with Foreign Currencies has detailed recommendations on paying for your trip overseas.
	Passport In addition to carrying your passport booklet, keep a photograph on your cell phone and make sure someone back home has a copy.

Our CalTopo GPS file is referenced and linked to in the table above. This file cannot be used in the field without a minimum subscription to CalTopo.

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Trekking Food & Beverages

We booked all our huts as “half board,” meaning that breakfast and dinner are included in the price. Most huts will sell you a sack lunch, but these are typically very disappointing, especially for the price. Instead, we preferred to eat snack food for a trail lunch, or to stop in a hut or restaurant enroute to get a hot, fresh meal.

Since the Haute Route goes directly through a town every two or three days at the most, it is very easy to restock snack foods. However, my wife has several dietary issues, so she is careful to bring energy bars from home to ensure that she has something good to eat every day. We will start the trek with four days of snack food, so we don’t have to worry about buying food the first few days.

It is important to stay hydrated with electrolyte drinks throughout the trek. We aren’t sure what electrolyte supplements will be available enroute, so we both will bring an ample supply from home. We also share a high-protein recovery drink at the end of each hiking day.

Here is a post on My Favorite Trail Foods & Beverages.