Swiss Alps | Valais | Switzerland
The Walker's Haute Route for teens, from Arolla to Zermatt and the Matterhorn
Activities Hiking
01 / 08 · About the trip
Watch before you book
The Walker's Haute Route links Chamonix to Zermatt, two great mountain towns of the Alps. On this camp, teens aged 13 to 17 walk its eastern half, from Arolla to Zermatt: four passes between 2,790 and 2,916 m, about 68 km and 4,800 m of climbing in one week, and the Matterhorn at the finish.
It is the next step after the Tour of Mont Blanc Camp: longer days, higher passes and new ground in the Valais. A certified mountain leader leads every pass day, a support van carries the tents and big bags, and a bus or a lift is within reach of every stage. From Sunday to Saturday, the group sleeps in three campsites and two mountain hotels.
13-year-olds are welcome if they are particularly fit and have already walked long distances, several days in a row (for example the Tour of Mont Blanc Camp).
02 / 08 · Day by day
The weekly programme.
Day 1
The group meets at Lausanne station (Swiss participants) or Geneva Airport (international participants) and travels by train to Sion, then by PostBus up to Arolla (2,006 m). An easy first walk, mostly downhill: Lac Bleu for the picnic, the hamlet of La Gouille, then Les Haudères (1,450 m), the classic Haute Route village of dark wooden chalets. Night at Camping Molignon.
Hiking
Day 2
The big day. The PostBus takes us to Villa (1,740 m), saving 300 m of climbing, and we start early for Col de Torrent (2,916 m), the highest pass of the week. Lunch at the col, with the Dent Blanche behind and the turquoise water of Lac de Moiry below. We walk down to the Moiry dam (2,250 m) and take the PostBus via Grimentz to Zinal, our base for two nights.
Hiking
Day 3
A short day on purpose, to recover after Col de Torrent. The PostBus takes us back up to the dam and we climb from Lac de Moiry to Col de Sorebois (2,835 m), looking down into the Val de Zinal. The gondola from Sorebois saves a steep 1,100 m descent to Zinal. The afternoon is free: the river, games and a kit check before the two hotel nights.
Hiking
Day 4
From Zinal we climb past the Barneuza alp to the Hôtel Weisshorn (2,337 m), an 1882 hotel standing alone on its balcony above the Val d'Anniviers, facing the Weisshorn and Zinal's crown of 4,000 m peaks. No road traffic reaches it: this is the highlight night of the week. If the group is tired or the weather turns, there is a gentler way up: the PostBus to St-Luc, the funicular to Tignousa and the flat Planets trail to the hotel.
Hiking
Day 5
From the hotel we walk to the Meidsee lakes for a rest below the pass, then over the Meidpass (2,790 m) into the German-speaking Valais. The path drops to Gruben (1,822 m), a hamlet with a single hotel in the Turtmann valley. Night at the Hotel Schwarzhorn.
Hiking
Day 6
The longest day, and the last climb. From Gruben we go up to the Augstbordpass (2,894 m), where the Mattertal opens up with the Weisshorn and the Mischabel peaks. We walk down to Jungen (1,955 m) and ride the small cable car down to St. Niklaus in several runs, saving an 850 m descent, then take the train to Täsch. Night at Camping Alphubel.
Hiking
Day 7
We arrive in Zermatt on foot, like the Haute Route walkers, on the valley path from Täsch (or by the shuttle train). The Sunnegga funicular takes us up to the Leisee for lunch and the classic Matterhorn photo. Certificates, then the train from Zermatt in the early afternoon, via Visp, back to Lausanne and Geneva Airport.
Hiking
02 / 08 · The club in action
Short videos from our YouTube channel: days out with the club.
03 / 08 · Trip in depth details
Not included: travel to and from the meeting point, and personal equipment: hiking boots, a sleeping bag (contact us if you need one), clothing and other personal expenses.
The Haute Route Camp is one step above the Tour of Mont Blanc Camp. Over the week the group walks about 68 km with 4,800 m of climbing and crosses four passes between 2,790 and 2,916 m. Most days are 4 to 6 hours of walking, and two days climb about 1,100 to 1,200 m.
Teens should be fit, enjoy long days outdoors and be able to walk several days in a row. 13-year-olds are welcome if they are particularly fit and have already walked long distances, several days in a row (for example the Tour of Mont Blanc Camp). No climbing skills are needed: there are no ladders and no glaciers to cross.
The camp is for teens aged 13 to 17. 13-year-olds are welcome if they are particularly fit and have already walked long distances, several days in a row (for example the Tour of Mont Blanc Camp).
Our participant to staff ratio is 5:1, and a certified mountain leader leads every pass day.
An early breakfast, then on the trail while the air is cool: 4 to 6 hours of walking with breaks and a picnic lunch by a lake or on a pass. In the afternoon the group reaches the night's campsite or mountain hotel, settles in, rests and plays games before dinner together. Tuesday is a short day, with a free afternoon in Zinal.
Everything to bring is on our material list. On this trek, good hiking boots that are already worn in matter most. For the two hotel nights the teens carry a light overnight bag; the support van carries the rest.
We provide the tents and the group's camping equipment, and the support van carries them with the big bags. Each teen brings their own hiking boots, a daypack big enough for a light overnight bag, a sleeping bag (contact us if you need one) and clothing for sun, rain and cold at 2,900 m.
Swiss participants meet the group at Lausanne train station; international participants are met at Geneva Airport. On Sunday the group travels by train to Sion and by PostBus up to Arolla. On Saturday the group takes the train from Zermatt in the early afternoon, via Visp, back to Lausanne and Geneva Airport.
A certified mountain leader (accompagnateur en montagne / Wanderleiter) leads every pass day, with our own trained leaders all week and someone responsible for first aid and crisis management always present.
The eastern half of the Haute Route has no ladders and no glaciers to cross, and a bus or a lift is within reach of every stage: if the weather turns or the group is tired, the day can be shortened. The camp runs only from early July to late August, when the passes are clear of snow and the summer buses and lifts are running.
The full Walker's Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt takes around two weeks. Its western half shares Col de Balme, Trient and Champex with the Tour of Mont Blanc Camp, and has the ladders of the Pas de Chèvres and nights only in huts.
The eastern half, from Arolla to Zermatt, is new ground for a teen who has walked the Tour of Mont Blanc. It has no ladders and no glaciers, a way out on every stage, and it ends at the Matterhorn. We also leave out the long Europaweg above the Mattertal, partly closed by rockfall, and take the train from St. Niklaus to Täsch instead.
Four weeks in summer 2027, each from Sunday to Saturday: 11–17 July, 25–31 July, 8–14 August and 22–28 August. The camp runs only from early July to late August, when the passes are free of snow and the mountain buses and lifts are running.
No: the route is the same every week, from Arolla to Zermatt. The Haute Route weeks fall between the weeks of the Tour of Mont Blanc Camp, so a teen can walk both in the same summer: the Tour of Mont Blanc first, then the Haute Route.
We believe in bringing together an international community, so the languages spoken at the camp are English and French. Mixing French and English speakers has shown us, year after year, how much both groups learn from each other.
The Haute Route is one of the great walks of the Alps, and few teens get to cross it. In one week you walk from valley to valley over four high passes, sleep under canvas and in old mountain hotels, and arrive in Zermatt on foot below the Matterhorn.
It is a real challenge, met as a team: you will come home fitter, more independent and proud of every pass, with friends from Switzerland and abroad.
We believe in human-to-human interaction: write to us via our contact methods and schedule a call or meeting with one of our team.
We will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Or find the list of all frequently asked questions on FAQs.
04 / 08 · Where we stay
This is a travel camp: the group moves on almost every day and sleeps in three campsites and two mountain hotels. A support van carries the tents and big bags between the campsites; for the two hotel nights the teens carry only a light overnight bag.
05 / 08 · Safety & philosophy
At Young Explorers Club, safety comes first in everything we do outdoors. On the Haute Route that means:
06 / 08 · Bilingual and International: English and French
The Young Explorers Club summer camp welcomes international and Swiss participants in a bilingual, multicultural group. Our activities take place mainly in English, with French woven in, so that every teen feels included.
Our team speaks several languages (English, French, German and others), whether your teen is fluent in English or just starting to learn it.
06 / 08 · The next step after the Tour of Mont Blanc Camp
The Tour of Mont Blanc Camp is our first trek; the Haute Route Camp is the next one. The western half of the Haute Route shares Col de Balme, Trient and Champex with the Tour of Mont Blanc, so this camp walks the eastern half instead, from Arolla to Zermatt: new valleys, higher passes and the Matterhorn at the end.
Two days climb about 1,100 to 1,200 m, more than any day of the Tour of Mont Blanc Camp. The camp is for teens aged 13 to 17 who love walking. 13-year-olds are welcome if they are particularly fit and have already walked long distances, several days in a row (for example the Tour of Mont Blanc Camp).
07 / 08 · What families say
Amazing Summer Experience!
My daughter (17 years old) had an unforgettable two weeks with Young Explorers Club — biking through the Alps and camping at Budoken. two weeks of pure adventure, growth, and joy! The Bike Through the Alps week was breathtaking. She came back stronger, more confident, and full of stories about stunning trails, supportive guides, and the thrill of conquering new terrain. It was the perfect blend of challenge and fun.
This is the best camp in Switzerland!! Real adventure and amazing places for the kids to explore!
vielen Dank, dass Sie dieses Sommercamp ermöglichen! Unsere Kinder sind voller neuer Eindrücke und Begeisterung nach Hause gekommen – gestärkt, gewachsen und mit vielen schönen Erinnerungen, die sie noch lange begleiten werden.
Ein ganz besonderes Dankeschön gilt Dominique, die unsere Kinder liebevoll getröstet hat, wenn es einmal schwierig war, und uns stets informiert hat, wenn etwas gewesen ist. Das hat uns sehr viel Sicherheit gegeben und war für die Kinder ein großer Halt.
My sons had the BEST time of their lives at Ylung Explorer Camp!
From the moment they arrived, it was non-stop adventure. They made tons of new friends, gained confidence, and genuinely didn’t want to leave they were begging to stay longer! As a parent, it was amazing to see them so energized, happy, and challenged in all the right ways. The staff were fantastic, super friendly, and clearly passionate about giving kids a summer they’ll never forget.
If you’re even thinking about sending your kids here DO IT. Worth every penny. We’re already signing up for next summer!
Nature, diversity, and adventure are what define this summer camp. Many of the parents agreed with us that most of the negative comments about this campus are due to some parents' inability to properly educate their children, leading them to become very dependent on their parents. It's a bit ironic that these same parents take their children to a place where they learn to be self-sufficient and yet still criticize, unaware that their child would have received a better education here than at home.
Je suis super content de tout ce que mon fils m’a raconté sur son expérience au Young Explorer Club. Il a adoré le camping et il m’a dit que la nourriture était très bonne. Il m’a raconté que la via ferrata, c’était génial, il s’est bien amusé à grimper et à admirer la vue.
Il m’a dit que les moniteurs sont tous très sympas, mais que Wally est spécial parce qu’il est très proche des enfants et toujours attentif à eux. Mon fils m’a dit que Wally les a beaucoup aidés et que grâce à lui tout était plus fun et sûr.
Quand ils sont rentrés à la maison ils étaient très contents. Mon fils m’a expliqué que cette expérience l’a beaucoup aidé à devenir plus responsable et à mieux s’organiser parce qu’ils sont très stricts avec les horaires, mais ça leur fait du bien.
Il m’a aussi raconté que le foot c’était incroyable, que Wally a organisé un tournoi qu’ils ont adoré et qu’il a marqué un but décisif dont il est très fier.
Sans aucun doute on referait l’expérience parce que c’est super positif et mon fils me demande déjà de ne pas rater ça l’année prochaine.
Everything in one PDF: the programme, what to pack, travel and practical details.
08 / 08 · Availability
Every week is the same programme, and each has its own price. Stay one week, or several in a row.
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From CHF 1'430 / week Swiss resident
From CHF 2'090 / week International participant
Nothing is charged here — the form comes next.
Every week is full. Join a week's waiting list below and we write to you if a place opens.
July 2027
August 2027
Les Diablerets |
27 Jun | 4 Jul | 11 Jul | 18 Jul | +5 more 10 places left
From CHF 1'280 / week | Swiss resident From CHF 1'580 / week | International participant
Champex-Lac → Chamonix |
4 Jul | 11 Jul 6 places left
From CHF 1'380 / week | Swiss resident From CHF 1'940 / week | International participant
Col des Montets → Courmayeur |
25 Jul | 1 Aug 6 places left
From CHF 1'380 / week | Swiss resident From CHF 1'940 / week | International participant
8+ yrs
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Champéry |
22 Aug Waiting list
From CHF 2'200 / week | Child (under 16) From CHF 2'700 / week | Adult (16+)
Les Diablerets |
27 Jun | 4 Jul | 11 Jul | 18 Jul | +5 more 5 places left
From CHF 1'180 / week | Swiss resident From CHF 1'480 / week | International participant
Les Diablerets |
27 Jun | 4 Jul | 11 Jul | 18 Jul | +5 more 11 places left
From CHF 1'430 / week | Swiss resident From CHF 1'730 / week | International participant
Les Diablerets |
27 Jun | 4 Jul | 11 Jul | 18 Jul | +5 more 5 places left
From CHF 1'180 / week | Swiss resident From CHF 1'480 / week | International participant
Les Diablerets |
27 Jun | 4 Jul | 11 Jul | 18 Jul | +5 more 15 places left
From CHF 1'180 / week | Swiss resident From CHF 1'480 / week | International participant
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Hello 👋 Any question about Haute Route Camp – Arolla to Zermatt? Dates, ages, what to pack: ask us here.
07 / 08 · Instagram & YouTube
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@youngexplorersclubcamp · 127 subscribers · 68 videos
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