Haute Route: 120 Miles, One Day, Unassisted

© Nickinthescottishmountains
At 1 a.m. on May 2, 2008, French Alpine Club ski mountaineers Stephan Brosse, Lionel Bonnel and Laurent Fabre left from a church in down town Chamonix to ski the famed Haute Route to Zermatt. Their objective was to cover the 28,220 feet of elevation gain and 120-mile, partially glaciated traverse in fewer than twenty-four hours, without using any technical assistance. Loaded with the appropriate gear, the trio ran to the Argentiere Glacier, where the Haute Route normally begins. Twenty-one hours and eleven minutes later, Brosse and Bonnel were celebrating success in front of a church in Zermatt. Overcome with exhaustion, Fabre had abandoned the challenge that afternoon.

They nearly claimed defeat on three occasions. Early on, between the col du Chardonnet and that of the Grande Lui, bad weather and fresh snow forced the team to break trail, slowing their pace. When Fabre gave in to fatigue before the Col du Sonadon, Brosse and Blonnel questioned if they should descend with him.

Read The Full Report by Caroline George on the Alpinist Website

Read The UKC Haute Route Article by 'Nickinthescottishmountains' HERE


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23 Jun, 2008
That's a proper day on the hills. Chapeau.
23 Jun, 2008
My word, that's insane. It was hard work when I was fit as a fiddle and did it in 5 days! Mind you that wasn't with skis...
24 Jun, 2008
Are theswe the guys that won the Patrouille des Glaciers?
24 Jun, 2008
great acheivement and not knocking them but haven't quite a few people done it in similar style?
24 Jun, 2008
No.
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