New record set for Haute Route from Chamonix-Zermatt

Thu, 9 Apr 2026 05:37:45 GMT

Trail and ski mountaineering athletes Hillary Gerardi and Valentine Fabre have set a new women's speed record on the legendary Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt, completing the crossing in just 22 hours, 35 minutes and 20 seconds.

The pair linked Chamonix in France to Zermatt in Switzerland in a single, continuous push - an achievement that typically takes regular ski tourers five to seven days.

Setting off from the church in Chamonix on Tuesday morning, Gerardi and Fabre combined running and ski mountaineering across 107km of high-alpine terrain, and 8,100 metres of elevation gain, before reaching Zermatt the following day.

The team benefited from favourable snow conditions, with consistent coverage at lower altitudes and manageable conditions higher up.

This reduced the need to remove skis or switch frequently to running, both key factors in shaving time off the record.

Their performance improves the previous women's record by more than an hour. That mark had been set in 2025 by Swiss athletes Gaelle Perrier and Clara Masserey, who completed the route in 23 hours and 36 minutes.

In 2021, Gerardi and Fabre became the first women to complete the traverse non-stop, establishing an early benchmark for female teams. This latest effort cements their status among the leading figures in endurance ski mountaineering.

The men team record was broken earlier this month by Matheo Jacquemoud and William Boffelli, recording the 13 hours and 27 minutes for the route.

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New record set for Haute Route from Chamonix-Zermatt