Haute Route E-MTB Trip: Pedal Your Way to Zermatt

Included:

• • An experienced MTB guide with extensive local knowledge of the area
  • Accommodation for 4 or 6 nights in hotels based on double occupancy (single rooms available for an additional fee)*
  • Private shuttle van transportation and all lifts
  • Six breakfasts, six lunches, six dinners (for the 7-day tour)
  • Four breakfasts and four dinners
  • Snacks for every day
  • Mechanical support during the adventure
  • Luggage transfers (choose lightweight luggage)

Add-ons (possible to add at checkout):

• • E-MTB rental — $720 for the 7-day version, $510 for the 5-day version
  • Single supplement — $1,050 for the 7-day version, $670 for the 5-day version
  • E-bike insurance — $160 for the 7-day version, $115 for the 5-day version

Not included:

• • Transportation to and from Chamonix
  • Airport transfers — we recommend Mountain Drop-Offs
  • Accommodation on Day 0 and after the adventure
  • Any personal expenses
  • Personal equipment
  • Spare parts
  • E-mountain bike rental (available for an additional fee)
  • Guide gratuities — optional
  • Travel and medical insurance — strongly recommended

*Trips that run from Monday through Sunday will feature some hut accommodations. Please see the itinerary for details.

For this Haute Route guided e-MTB tour, you must be in very good physical shape and have at least 5 years of mountain biking experience. You will need to be able to bike between four and six hours for 6 consecutive days, crossing up to 30 miles (50 km) each day. You should be an active person and exercise three days a week for at least 30 minutes. What is also necessary for this trip is that you have MTB experience and have some technical abilities (more on this can be found in the answer to the following question).

If you’re looking for something that requires less experience and similar landscapes, check out this e-MTB tour in the Slovenian Alps.

On the other hand, if you want to experience something more challenging, check out this Tour du Mont Blanc MTB adventure.

For this Haute Route e-MTB guided adventure, you need to have at least five years of mountain biking experience. You should be able to go up and down on gentle singletrack trails and over rocks and tree roots. Controlling your bike on steep, flowing singletrack trails shouldn’t be a problem for you. During this adventure, you will ride on slightly exposed trails from time to time. You should also be able to determine when to stop riding and walk through a difficult section.

Though riding an e-bike will help you tremendously, riding will get difficult and require some technical abilities. Keep in mind that you will always have a guide by your side who will observe your technique, motivate you, and make the riding less strenuous if it gets too difficult for you. If at some point you won’t be able to finish a section for that day, there will also be an option to get transferred to your accommodation.

Around 85% of the singletrack is advanced terrain, featuring technical sections with rocks, roots, and steep descents. Riders should be confident navigating challenging features, maintaining control on varied surfaces, and handling technical climbs and descents.

Personal equipment:

• • Mountain bike-specific helmet
  • Mountain bike-specific shoes (can also work as hiking shoes)
  • Bike gloves and glasses
  • Knee and elbow pads
  • Waterproof jacket
  • Biking shorts (at least 2 pairs)
  • Long-sleeved base layers (merino wool ideal)
  • Short-sleeved and long-sleeved biking tops
  • Socks (at least 4 pairs)
  • Buff (neck gaiter)
  • Warm down jacket for evenings
  • Hat and gloves
  • Sunscreen
  • Hydration system (Camelback ideal)
  • 20L (minimum) daypack with rain cover
  • A towel
  • A swimsuit
  • Your toiletry bag (including SPF)

Bike essentials (if you rent the bike with your guides, they will take care of all the equipment):

• • Bike-specific brake pads (x2 sets)
  • If you use tubeless tires, bring everything needed for repairs
  • Tire repair kit, inner tubes (min. 2), and small pump
  • Chain-specific ‘quick link’
  • Additional derailleur hanger
  • Spare parts unique to your bike (if applicable)
  • Full service, including suspension, must be undertaken prior to the trip
  • Extra battery for the bike
  • Battery charger

If you’re bringing your own bike, make sure it is full suspension and serviced for maximum enjoyment during the adventure. A second battery is also necessary as the trip stages are long and the Alps are steep!

Keep in mind that this Haute Route guided e-MTB tour occurs in the mountains, where the weather is unpredictable. Therefore, it’s important to have enough warm clothes and some waterproof layers—there’s no bad weather, only bad clothes!

Your guides propose FLYER bikes, usually the model Uproc EVO X 6.10. This is a well-known Swiss brand, and your guides are sure you’ll love the! They’re equipped with a dropper post and 29-inch front and 27.5-inch rear wheels, making them versatile.

These e-bikes are equipped with flat pedals. You can bring clipless pedals if you wish, but your guides strongly recommend using flat pedals to avoid any issues when unclipping.

Protective gear is essential for this trip. Over a week, you may fall at least once, and even a single fall can lead to injury. Elbow and knee pads are strongly recommended to help prevent potential harm!

If you’re bringing your own bike, make sure it is full suspension and serviced for maximum enjoyment during the adventure. A second battery is also necessary as the trip stages are long and the Alps are steep!

Group sizes and prices:

• • The group size for this group tour is usually between 5 to 10 people. There will be 1 guide for up to 5 people, i.e., 2 guides for 6-10 people.
  • It takes a minimum of 5 people for this tour to operate.
  • It’s possible to organize private adventures—the minimum number of people is set at 5 participants, and maximum at 10-11. Trips can be customized to your group.
  • If you’d like to have a room to yourself, you can add a single supplement to your booking. If you’re traveling solo and don’t select this option, you agree to share a room with another cyclist. However, if the guide is unable to find a suitable roommate, a single supplement will be forced.
  • Please note that trips running from Monday to Friday will use a hut accommodation. See the itinerary for details.

E-mountain biking along the Haute Route can be arranged for bigger groups. Contact us prior to booking.

Min. age requirements:

• • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  • If you have people older than 60 in your group, please contact us beforehand.
  • Children as young as 14 are able to go on trips. That said, if you have a young rider in your group strong enough to handle sustained climbs (either riding or walking their bike) of hundreds of feet, and rough terrain, then they can participate in the presence of a parent or a legal guardian. Please keep in mind that e-bikes might weigh up to 24 kg (53 lbs).

If your group has riders under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

Your adventure either starts in Chamonix (7-day) or Verbier (5-day).

To get to Chamonix, most people fly into Geneva International Airport (GVA), one hour away. Once you arrive, there are several ways to reach your destination, including public transport. Looking to make airport transfers hassle-free? Check out Mountain Drop Offs—they provide door-to-door service in their comfy and spacious shuttles. Use the code 57HCHX to get a 5% discount! If you’re arriving by car, the guides will meet you at a free parking spot in Chamonix—they’ve never experienced any issues with this solution.

To get to Verbier, most people fly into Geneva International Airport (GVA). From there, it takes anywhere between 2 to 3 hours to reach Verbier, depending on whether you rent a car, take a shuttle service, or use public transport.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, usually somewhere in town in the morning. We suggest you arrive one day before the start of the e-MTB Haute Route guided trip and stay in Chamonix.

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!

Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!