French Pyrenees family activity holiday
| country: | France |
| location: | French Pyrenees |
| departures: | 2010: 18 Jul |
| price: | From £1145 (8 days) including flights from the UK. Price includes accommodation, 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners, airport transfers, all equipment, activities and qualified instructors. Min age 14 years |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
"Where do we go from here?" was a popular question at last year's farewell meals on our Pyrenees Active Adventure. Well, some of you asked for a tougher challenge and we listened; the result is our new Pyrenees Orientales Extreme itinerary, our most demanding holiday yet!
Accommodation: Hotel Grand Tetras
The base for this holiday is the 3-star Hotel Grand Tetras in the small town of Font Romeu, a popular ski resort in winter. In summer it provides a convenient holiday base with easy access to the starting points for a host of adventure sports.
The hotel is located in the town centre and has 36 en-suite twin, double, triple and family rooms. Facilities include a small indoor pool with panoramic views over the local countryside as well as a sauna, jacuzzi and bar.
Accommodation: Hotel Grand Tetras
The base for this holiday is the 3-star Hotel Grand Tetras in the small town of Font Romeu, a popular ski resort in winter. In summer it provides a convenient holiday base with easy access to the starting points for a host of adventure sports.
The hotel is located in the town centre and has 36 en-suite twin, double, triple and family rooms. Facilities include a small indoor pool with panoramic views over the local countryside as well as a sauna, jacuzzi and bar.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flights, arrivals and transfers. You will be met at Barcelona Airport from where the transfer takes us to our hotel in Font Romeu. (Please note that if you want to make your own travel arrangements then a flight exclusive discount applies). In the evening there will be a welcome meal and an introductory meeting hosted by our head guide. |
| Day 2: | Mountain biking. Today we set out on a fantastic 40 kilometre mountain bike ride through some truly fantastic scenery. We start in the small ski resort of Pyrenees 2000 from where it's a great cross country ride over the Col de la Llose (1861m). Here we will take a picnic lunch before starting a thrilling 22 kilometre descent over mixed terrain to Olette, losing over 1300ms of altitude! |
| Day 3: | AM Hydrospeeding PM Canoe rafting. Today it's all about water! In the morning we plunge down the Grade 4 River Aude on hydrospeeds, be prepared to get very close to the rapids! This afternoon we take to the river again and after some white water training we set off in our canoe rafts for a thrilling descent. |
| Day 4-5: | Pic Carlit overnight hike and rock climbing. We leave our hotel and head on foot for the summit of Pic Carlit (2921m), the highest mountain in the Eastern Pyrenees. We should top out around lunch time so we will have plenty of time to enjoy our sandwiches whilst enjoying the absolutely stunning panorama. After lunch we traverse the broad northern ridge from Carlit, over the Puig de Sobirans and on to the traditional mountain refuge of Camporells. We will spend the night in front of the lake with the silhouette of the Perics above. Simply beautiful. A hearty three course evening meal is provided and wine can be bought on site. On Wednesday morning we wake up to a simple breakfast at the lakeside and then head off on foot to the Lac de Balcere where we will take lunch and be met by our climbing instructor for an afternoon on the crags. There are routes from 4B to 7B so there is something for novice and serious climbers alike. Afterwards it's back to base for a welcome shower and an early night! |
| Day 6: | Canyoning. Today we head down on to the flanks of Canigou (2785m) to the famous Llech canyon. Not for novices, this is really a great canyoning experience with wonderful long slides, abseils and jumps. |
| Day 7: | Via ferrata and thermal spa. After a lie in we head over to the pretty village of Llo for an ascent of the via ferrata. Via ferrata was developed as a sport after World War One using the ladders and protection placed by resistance fighters to scale the Southern Alps. The 'Iron Way' is now a popular pastime. With an Alpine Grade of D+ this is a great way to get the feel of a big multi pitch climb without needing any experience. A head for heights is a must though! Afterwards we will visit the thermal spa and hamman for a well deserved dip before heading back for our farewell meal. |
| Day 8: | Depart or extend your stay. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
Our holidays are based in the newly formed Parc Natural which is made up of thousands of acres of existing conservation area. It is home to a number of rare and endangered fauna species including Lynx, Brown bears and the tiny Desman. To promote responsible tourism we try to keep to small sized groups, as we believe that the growth of adventure tourism can lead to the over commercialism and over crowding of these sensitive areas. With small groups participating in carefully chosen locations, or walking on established marked out trails, we can introduce our clients to this spectacular area without compromising the environment and the finely balanced eco system. When out on a walk we will always discuss the impact that the increased footpath traffic is having on the environment, and our guides will lead by example in collecting litter left by less well informed parties along the way, and our clients are encouraged to do the same. We also try, wherever possible, to avoid tourist bottlenecks at peak times and a trip with us gets you away from the main GR hordes. During the holiday all clients are briefed fully on the correct procedures for taking their ablutions whilst in the wilderness, and are educated in the devastating implications of the incorrect disposal of waste. Community Our hotel is privately owned with as much purchasing as possible from local suppliers and where possible local agricultural produce and local market stall holders rather than supermarket chains. The majority of cheese used comes from the excellent local fromagerie. All house hold waste that can be re-cycled, is, through the local commune scheme. In introducing this area to the UK market we can help local economies that normally would not have a chance to benefit from this sector, in what has traditionally been a subsistence level farming community. This has allowed for greater opportunities and increased wages for younger people who now do not need to leave the mountains to search for careers, which means that the population of the villages are now actually increasing for the first time in over 100 years and the future of local schools and medical services are safe guarded. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |