Ski touring holiday in the French Pyrenees

We are a small business based in the high mountain village of Bareges in the Haute Pyrenees. Bareges is a traditional thermal spa and ski village, nestling just on the edge of the Neouvielle Nature Reserve and the Pyrenees National Park. Although the Pyrenees have a successful “Alpine” ski industry, ski touring is little-practiced, and few people take the opportunity to get away from the ski resorts and into the National Park and Reserve where the mountains are totally untouched and unspoiled. Our aim is to provide active holidays and promote awareness of the mountain environment (geology, geography, climate, winter fauna), to support the local people and community (history, culture, language and traditional way of life) and allow you to discover the beauty of the Pyrenees without upsetting their delicate natural balance.

We practice a “tread lightly” policy in the mountains. Ski touring relies purely on manpower. It is wonderful to get away from the ski lifts and noisy hubbub of the resort – to visit the most wild and beautiful places, but to leave no trace of our passing. On a ski touring trip, we carry all of our own equipment and supplies, and leave nothing behind (except some very temporary ski tracks!). Group sizes are small – between four and twelve people – to minimise our impact on the fragile mountain environment, and maximise the enjoyment for our clients.

For most of our ski tours we can depart directly from the village, or from the ski resort (a five minute ride on the public bus). Where transport is necessary, we have a single company minibus and offer transfers to reduce the need for guests to hire multiple vehicles at the airport. We promote travel to the Pyrenees by public transport (Eurostar to Paris, TGV train to Lourdes, local bus service to Bareges). Alternatively, guests can bring their own car on the ferry to Spain, thus avoiding short haul flights. Virtually all of our business is conducted over the internet, and we cut down on paper-consumption and airmail miles by posting all of our information on our website and communicating with our customers by email.

Our holidays are based from a traditional house in a high mountain village. We spent two years restoring the house to its former glory, maintaining the original features and using local craftsmen whilst taking steps to improve the energy-efficiency of the house. Our work has encouraged a general "facelift" of the village. The house is now gas centrally-heated, by a very efficient, modern, on-demand boiler. Heating is supplemented with a wood-stove burning wood from managed, sustainable forest (with zero carbon debt). We encourage our guests to close their shutters at night to conserve heating energy. The roof and all exterior walls are fully-insulated. Washrooms are fitted with showers rather than baths, and the toilets have an eco-flush option to reduce water consumption. We use eco-friendly A-rated appliances, wash our own bedding and line-dry our linen outside in the mountain air whenever possible. Around half of our household waste is recycled, including glass bottles, tins and cans, paper/cardboard and plastic bottles.

On our overnight ski trips, we stay at an isolated mountain refuge. These are powered by solar panels or gas bottles and all supplies are carried in, and the waste carried back out by the guardians. The price of our stay contributes to the upkeep and maintenance of the refuge and the summer walking paths in the Nature Reserve and National Park. The huts are clean but very basic - an essential refuge for man in the mountains, where nature is still very much in control.

We live and work in the Pyrenees year round and operate as a French company, paying local taxes and using local activity guides, instructors, craftsmen and tradesmen. In opening up the British market, and promoting this beautiful area through the internet, we hope to bring much-needed custom to the people of the valley and to strengthen the village community. The foreign market is becoming increasingly important now, as the number of French tourists travelling within their own country is generally on the decline.

We encourage our guests to shop and hire equipment in the village and support the small traders. All of our food is home-cooked with a French theme, and includes seasonal vegetables and locally-produced meats purchased from the village butcher – Monsieur Sabathie. Specialities include the Bareges-Gavarnie AOC lamb which never leaves our valley, delicious dry-cured mountain sausages, hams and pates. We introduce our guests to local honey, mountain sheeps' cheeses, confit duck and Tarbais beans produced in the SW of France. The house bar is stocked with local wines and spirits, and guests are encouraged to try local dishes at a mountain restaurant on our night off.