Snowshoeing in the French Alps
| country: | France |
| location: | French Alps |
| departures: | This trip can be tailor made anytime between mid Dec - mid Apr and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary |
| price: | From €293 - €355 (5-8 days) excluding flights. |
| more info: | Price depends on number of people in group, accommodation and board options. Minimum age, 6 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Listen to the satisfying crunch of snow beneath your feet as you trek through the pristine winter wildernesses under deep blue skies and sunshine! Snowshoeing has to be one of the best ways to explore the mountains in winter. Anyone can do it and as all our holidays are tailor made to suit you we can make the walks as demanding or easy as you like.
All the guides we use are qualified accompagnateurs en montagne or UIAGM high mountain guides (depending on level of route) and will make your safety and enjoyment their top priority as well as giving you an insight into the flora and fauna of this harsh but fragile winter alpine environment.
There are hundreds of beautiful snowshoe walks to choose from and our guides will choose the most suitable one for the conditions of the day and you. You can walk through forests, over frozen lakes, across open snow meadows, up to a summit, over a col or along the valley floor with the mountains in all their winter glory towering over you. You can even go out for an evening snowshoe in the moonlight.
Price includes:4 nights (for long weekend breaks) or 7 nights accommodation with a choice of bed and breakfast, self catering, half board or full board accommodation. Guided snowshoeing - for a weeks holiday this is usually 4 half days and 2 full days guided snowshoeing and for the long weekend it is usually 2 half days and 1 full day. (see individual holiday offers for detail) Snowshoes and poles
Transport and getting here:
We highly recommend you self drive rather than let us drive you to and from the snowshoe walks for this holiday as the area has so much to offer and for you to explore in your free time. However, if you would like a quote for a transport included holiday, please just let us know when you make your enquiry. For large groups of 6 or more people it can work out more cost effective and practical for us to arrange your transport so it is worth asking.
We can organise a hire car for you from any airport or train station. The nearest airports are Marseille and Grenoble and the nearest TGV stations are Grenoble and Aix-en-Provence. Gap is the nearest local train station. When you arrive at your accommodation we will meet you to explain the week and give you maps and directions for getting to the guided snowshoe walks as well as suggestions of self guided snowshoe walks and things to do in your free time. They are all easy to find so don't worry about getting lost!
If you would like to mix and match your snowshoeing holiday with other winter activities, please let us know when you make your enquiry and we'll tailor make you a perfect winter activity holiday.
All the guides we use are qualified accompagnateurs en montagne or UIAGM high mountain guides (depending on level of route) and will make your safety and enjoyment their top priority as well as giving you an insight into the flora and fauna of this harsh but fragile winter alpine environment.
There are hundreds of beautiful snowshoe walks to choose from and our guides will choose the most suitable one for the conditions of the day and you. You can walk through forests, over frozen lakes, across open snow meadows, up to a summit, over a col or along the valley floor with the mountains in all their winter glory towering over you. You can even go out for an evening snowshoe in the moonlight.
Price includes:
Transport and getting here:
We highly recommend you self drive rather than let us drive you to and from the snowshoe walks for this holiday as the area has so much to offer and for you to explore in your free time. However, if you would like a quote for a transport included holiday, please just let us know when you make your enquiry. For large groups of 6 or more people it can work out more cost effective and practical for us to arrange your transport so it is worth asking.
We can organise a hire car for you from any airport or train station. The nearest airports are Marseille and Grenoble and the nearest TGV stations are Grenoble and Aix-en-Provence. Gap is the nearest local train station. When you arrive at your accommodation we will meet you to explain the week and give you maps and directions for getting to the guided snowshoe walks as well as suggestions of self guided snowshoe walks and things to do in your free time. They are all easy to find so don't worry about getting lost!
If you would like to mix and match your snowshoeing holiday with other winter activities, please let us know when you make your enquiry and we'll tailor make you a perfect winter activity holiday.
day-by-day itinerary
The Champsaur and Valgaudemar valleys are situated just on the edge of the Ecrins National Park and are rarely visited, remaining one of the true winter wildernesses and wildlife refuges of the Alps. There are numerous possibilities for snow shoeing in and around the area and this itinerary is just an example. In reality when you are here, the guides will decide where to go to make the most of the conditions of the day.
Below is a sample 8 day itinerary – the long weekend itinerary would be a shorter version of this.
We also have the best sun record in the Alps here so no matter when you come, you should be greeted with beautiful blue skies! In general the snow starts to fall in November and settle in December. By January it is well established and will last until mid April. The temperatures are at their coolest in January - it can get down to – 15 or – 20 degrees centigrade but the sun does take the chill off and it is a dry cold – nothing like a UK wet humid damp cold! As the days get longer in March, the temperatures increase.
The other factors to bear in mind as we are in France are the French school holidays. The majority of tourists who come here are local French tourists and it can get reasonably busy (still seems very quiet when you compare it to a big well known resort or even the Lake District though!) and more expensive in the school holidays. The Christmas holidays are the same as UK but in February the holidays stretch from 6th February through to the 6th March. So if you want to avoid the holiday period it is best to come in January or March.
Below is a sample 8 day itinerary – the long weekend itinerary would be a shorter version of this.
| Day 1: | Arrive and welcome. We'll welcome you at your accommodation and go through the week with you and bring your snow shoes to try on! Depending on what time you arrive you can go for a short walk around the area, visit the local village or just relax in your accommodation and drink in the views! |
| Day 2: | Wildlife Spotting in the Champoleon Valley. Half day introduction to snowshoeing, winter wildlife and snow safety. The Champoleon valley is a wild winter wilderness frequented by chamois and ibex. It is walled by 3000 metre peaks with a river along the valley bottom, a scattering of traditional alpine villages, trees and cliffs. There are several walks to be done in this valley and you'll spend half a day walking along the valley looking out for signs of wildlife and if you're lucky you'll get to see the chamois frolicking in the snow. This will be a gentle start to your week, to help you get used to wearing snowshoes and warm up your walking legs. The guide will also explain the safety of the mountains in winter - useful knowledge to have! |
| Day 3: | Through the larches in St Leger Les Melezes. Half day snowshoe walk through forest ending up at a high altitude chalet for mulled wine. St Leger Les Melezes is a beautiful little ski village situated half way up the mountain in a forest of larch trees (melezes - is larch in french). There is a whole network of forest tracks and trails criss crossing the mountain side with magnificent views over the Champsaur valley and of the Vieux Chaillol mountain (Champsaur's highest mountain). This walk can be as strenuous or relaxing as you like - it is very easily adaptable. There are steep paths going all the way up to the summit of La Cuchon or gentle traverses of the forest - you can decide on the day! It's best to do this walk as an afternoon.... and finish it in the high altitude chalet hidden away in the forest! After a few hours of fresh air and exercise a glass of mulled wine or cup of steaming hot chocolate will be just the ticket! |
| Day 4: | Summit of La Piolit. Full day snowshoe with picnic on the col (6 - 7 hrs). This is a big but very rewarding day out up to the summit of La Piolit at 2484m. This snow shoe walk starts off following the beautiful Rouanne valley from Ancelle. Then about half way up you start to climb, zig zagging through beautiful mixed forest with a view of a dramatic cliff face (Le Lauterat) across the valley. Then as the woods start to thin you walk out on to open snow fields with magnificent views all around you. There are different routes to get to the summit, but the most popular is to go up to the col de la Pourachrere at 2173m. As well as being a great picnic spot, this is also a good opt out point if anyone doesn't fancy going up to the top. You can sit and wait in the sunshine and enjoy the amazing views right over the Gapencais and Champsaur valleys. Those who get to the summit will also see the Lac du Serre Poncon (biggest damned lake in Europe) in all its winer glory! Then it is all down hill and on snow shoes you can slide, run, jump and generally have lots of fun getting down the mountain - the snow is very forgiving! |
| Day 5: | Lac de Barbeyroux. Half day walk through mixed forest and alpine snow meadows to a frozen lake. On a day of fresh new snow - this is one of my favourite winter snow shoe walks in the whole of the Champsaur valley. Walking along the south facing side of the valley, the sun is with you all the way, sparkling off the snow. The beech woods, with a layer of snow delicately balanced over their leafless tangled branches, the pine trees laden down with snow blankets just waiting to be pinged, the open meadows of virgin snow crying out for you to be the first to mark your tracks and finally the lake itself with its unique crystal formations, icicles and ice patterns.... all extremely beautiful and breathtaking! Again there are several options for getting tot he lake, some involve a bit of a climb and some involve a simple traverse - we can decide on the day what you fancy! |
| Day 6: | Discover the remote alpine village of Prapic. Half day snowshoe through a classic alpine village and in to the Ecrins National Park. Starting in Prapic, an ancient farming village, still habited all year round by about four families, with classic alpine architecture and village lay out - very pretty. After the village you walk in to the Ecrins National Park through a beautiful classic u shaped valley. There are choices for exactly where you go - up on to a plateau or following the river, but which ever way you choose you'll be rewarded with stunning scenery. At the top of the valley there is a waterfall (usually frozen in winter) called the Saut du Laire which means 'jump of the thief' - it has an interesting little folk tale associated with it that your guide will be only too pleased to tell! The way back passes a quaint little chapel situated all on it's own in the winter wilderness - a reminder of the religious heritage of this valley! |
| Day 7: | The highest mountain of the Champsaur Valley – the Vieux Chaillol Summit. Full days snowshoe to the summit of the Vieux Chaillol at 3163 m - a big day out (about 8 - 9 hrs) This is the last day challenge to put your snow shoe legs to the test! The Vieux Chaillol is the highest peak of the Champsaur valley- it's the mountain on our logo in fact! It's a stunning walk starting at 1600m in the ski village of Chaillol - it's not cheating to take the chair lift up to gain a bit of height - so generally we do that if we can! After the chair lift the route takes you through mixed woodlands up to Col de La Pisse, where in summer you can see the ruins of the Canal du Malcros - an engineering feat of Napoleon and his men to divert water from the malcros glacier in to the Champsaur valley. From the col you have amazing views over the Chamosaur valley and into the Molines valley - a very remote and uninhabited wilderness! This is also your first get out point if you think you have gone high enough! You follow the canal route up to the col de Cote Longue where the workers' cabin has been carefully restored and from where you can see into the Champoleon valley - another wild place! After that, you can either go back down or complete the challenge to the summit. From the col it is a reasonably steep walk up to the summit over an open snow field, where you will be rewarded with views over the dramatic Ecrins Massif. Surrounded by so many wild habitats it is not unusual to see chamois and ibex on this snow shoe walk so keep your eyes peeled! After you have patted yourselves on the back for reaching the summit, it is all down hill for nearly 1200m! lots of fun!! There are several 'get out' points, though so don't worry if you aren't up for it! |
| Day 8: | Return Home. This is the sad day when we have to say goodbye :( but hopefully it will be more a bientot than aurevoir! |
best time to go
The winter season starts in December and continues through until mid April. Snowshoeing is great as we are totally flexible on where we go and will tailor make the itinerary to suit you and the conditions on the day so whilst we can’t predict the weather we can certainly make the most of it! We also have the best sun record in the Alps here so no matter when you come, you should be greeted with beautiful blue skies! In general the snow starts to fall in November and settle in December. By January it is well established and will last until mid April. The temperatures are at their coolest in January - it can get down to – 15 or – 20 degrees centigrade but the sun does take the chill off and it is a dry cold – nothing like a UK wet humid damp cold! As the days get longer in March, the temperatures increase.
The other factors to bear in mind as we are in France are the French school holidays. The majority of tourists who come here are local French tourists and it can get reasonably busy (still seems very quiet when you compare it to a big well known resort or even the Lake District though!) and more expensive in the school holidays. The Christmas holidays are the same as UK but in February the holidays stretch from 6th February through to the 6th March. So if you want to avoid the holiday period it is best to come in January or March.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
Snowshoeing is a very environmentally friendly way of exploring the mountains. No mechanised equipment is used or needed and with simple snowshoes strapped to your feet, you can gain access to otherwise inaccessible winter wildernesses. On the walks our guides will explain the habitat of this harsh and fragile environment and show you the tracks and signs of the wildlife that survive here. You will get to know the difference between a wild boar print and a chamois and suss out if they were running, being chased or just chilling out in the snow! Some of our snowshoe walks go into the Ecrins National Park which is a protected area for wildlife and there have been several projects to reintroduce animals such as the ibex and safeguard other species from the erosion of development elsewhere. Snowshoeing in these special habitats will give you a good appreciation and respect for the work and it’s importance globally. We have a range of accommodation on offer and all the hotels, bed and breakfasts and self catering chalets and apartments that we use are vetted by us. We favour family run local establishments over large commercial chains and are always on the look out for ecologically friendly buildings and environmentally conscious proprietors! We have a number of eco-gites on our books and a lot of our suppliers use solar power for hot water due to the climate here. Our office policy is to be as paperless as possible, to use recycled paper where necessary and re-use envelopes and jiffy bags where possible. We try and promote train travel wherever possible when discussing ‘getting here’ options with clients as in general it is a far more pleasant and practical experience as well as being better for the environment. Local community: The local economy of the Alps in winter is predominantly supported by the ski industry, which other than providing an income for local people is not the most responsible holiday activity for the environment! However it is often the only way local people can earn a living. The mountains in winter are truly at their most magnificent and there are so many other ways to explore and discover them without having to strap a pair of skis to your feet. Snowshoeing is a great activity that you can do outside of the big resorts, giving you access to some of the most beautiful scenery in the Alps. Our snowshoeing holidays provide an alternative means of making a living for the local people so they aren’t only reliant on the ski resorts. For example, we have one ski instructor and high mountain guide who has reduced his contract with the ski school in order to have more time to lead ice climbing and snowshoeing trips for us which we are very pleased about! We always use local guides and instructors and rather than bringing over foreign guides. Because our snowshoe walks often pass through remote villages, we will try to plan a lunch stop or drink in order to support the local community there. |
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. |