Winter activity holiday 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 €522 - €874 (8 days) excluding flights. |
| more info: | Price depends on accommodation and board choices. It is also possible to tailor make this trip to suit a different budget with more or less activities or different accommodation. Minimum age, 6 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A flexible winter multi activity holiday for people who want to enjoy the French Alps in winter without having to strap a pair of skis to their feet! Discover the magnificent mountains of the Southern French Alps in all their winter glory with a cocktail of activities.
We have a diverse range of activities to choose from...
Listen to the crunch of snow beneath your feet as you snowshoe through the winter wilderness, have a go at mushing your own team of huskies, explore the magical world of frozen waterfalls with an ice axe and crampons, discover the underwater world of a frozen lake, hurtle down Europe's largest tyrolean zip wire at speeds of up to 140mph head first, spend a romantic night in an igloo, have a go at off piste skiing or even go for a mountain summit and do a bit of mountaineering on skis.....paraglide, snow mountain bike or snowscoot and more!
And to cater for all budgets we have a choice of accommodation options for you to choose from … luxury chalet style hotels to wooden chalets or self catering apartments. In your free time, when you aren't on organised activities, there are lots of events, markets and other sightseeing opportunities such as the ice sculptures in Valgaudemar that you can visit. We'll give you up to date information when you arrive.
And you have your own snowshoes and poles for the week so you can explore the winter wonderland on foot. We will give you maps and route guidance on where is safe to go on your own.
Price includes:7 nights accommodation in a choice of, self catering, bed and breakfast or hotel accommodation. Please get in touch for more information on accommodation options. Up to 8 activities of your choice from the winter activity list below (to make eight points) Snowshoes and poles for 6 days Maps, Route Guidance and Advice for safe self guided snowshoe walks, local markets and events and other sightseeing opportunities.
Getting here and transport:
We highly recommend you self drive rather than let us drive you to and from the activities 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 lets us know when you make your enquiry.
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. We can organise a hire car for you from any airport or train station.
Green Activities are worth 1 point Blue Activities are worth 2 points Red Activities are worth 3 points
With this holiday you have eight points, so you can choose a mixture of activities from each colour to make up your eight points. You can choose 2 of the same activity - eg 2 half days guided snowshoeing
Green Activities - 1 point:
Moonlit Snowshoe - The glow of red and orange as the sun sets over the mountains is a truly beautiful scene. And what better way to enjoy it than in the peace and tranquility of the high mountain environment on snowshoes. This is a guided evening snowshoe walk looking at the sunset and / or the stars (depending on time of year) Find out more about snowshoeing
Snowshoeing - Half a day of guided snowshoeing. Choose from a list of themed snowshoes from Chamois spotting to snow security or just a straight forward walk! Listen to the crunch of snow beneath your feet as you snow-shoe through the alpine wilderness. Look out for chamois and Ibex.
Igloo Building - have a go at building your own igloo in the snow! There are several techniques to choose from to build a perfect igloo! And as you will see the end results vary - enormously! This is a guided 1/2 day activity and usually involves some snowshoeing to get to a good igloo site!
Cross Country Skiing - (without instructor) A days cross country ski hire and piste pass. Give your lungs and legs an aerobic workout as you explore the alpine winter landscapes. The Champsaur and Valgaudemar valleys have an extensive range of cross country skiing pistes including a high altitude circuit. This option gives you a piste pass and skis and boots for the day (either skating or traditional style). If you have never cross country skied before, you may want to choose the blue option with a lesson.
Blue Activities - 2 points:
Giant Tyrolean Zip Wire - Travel at speeds of up to 140km per hour head first through the Alps. An extreme adrenalin buzz on the largest tyrolean zip wire in Europe!
Snow Mountain Biking - Catch the last lift up in the ski resort of Orcieres with your specially adapted mountain bike and, after a few top tips from your instructor, ride down! A great fun activity to finish off the day. Minimum age is 8.
Husky Dog Sledding - A one hour sled with your own team of huskies across the alpine snow fields of the Southern French Alps.
Night In An Igloo - Wrap up warm and go 'eskimo' for the night. A truly memorable experience on a high Alpine plateau. Special mattresses and sleeping bags are provided and evening meal and breakfast is included. Minimum age is 3.
Cross Country Skiing Lesson - Your instructor will spend the morning with you giving you top tips on technique. Then you have the afternoon free to go off on your own and make the most of the extensive range of cross country skiing pistes in the region!
Ice Climbing (1/2 day) - Discover the magical world of icicles, ice sheets, snow gullies and other weird and wonderful snow and ice formations. This is a half day of ice climbing with a high mountain guide and all equipment included. Minimum age is 8.
Snowscoot - This is a unique sport and consists of a non-motorized scooter type contraption with a surf board instead of wheels. It is actually very easy to master and you'll be surprised how quickly you progress! Includes, lift pass, snowscoot hire and a lesson. You then have the option of keeping the snowscoot for the day.
Red Activities - 3 points:
Ice Diving - Explore the underwater world of a frozen high altitude lake. You will be one on one with an experienced diving instructor and will be kitted out in full dry suit and scuba diving kit. No previous diving experience is necessary. Minimum age is 16.
Ice Climbing (full day) - Discover the magical world of icicles, ice sheets, snow gullies and other weird and wonderful snow and ice formations. This is a day of ice climbing with a high mountain guide and all equipment included. Minimum age is 8.
Paragliding - Get the best view of the Alps as you fly above the mountains in the peace and quiet. This is a tandem flight with an experienced instructor. You will be in the air for approximately 10 - 15 minutes. Minimum age is 8
Husky Dog Sledding - A 1/2 day sled with your own team of huskies across the alpine snow fields of the Southern French Alps.
Please note that some activities are subject to minimum group numbers, weather conditions and availability. In the unlikely event we are unable to provide your first choice you will be offered an alternative
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.
We have a diverse range of activities to choose from...
Listen to the crunch of snow beneath your feet as you snowshoe through the winter wilderness, have a go at mushing your own team of huskies, explore the magical world of frozen waterfalls with an ice axe and crampons, discover the underwater world of a frozen lake, hurtle down Europe's largest tyrolean zip wire at speeds of up to 140mph head first, spend a romantic night in an igloo, have a go at off piste skiing or even go for a mountain summit and do a bit of mountaineering on skis.....paraglide, snow mountain bike or snowscoot and more!
And to cater for all budgets we have a choice of accommodation options for you to choose from … luxury chalet style hotels to wooden chalets or self catering apartments. In your free time, when you aren't on organised activities, there are lots of events, markets and other sightseeing opportunities such as the ice sculptures in Valgaudemar that you can visit. We'll give you up to date information when you arrive.
And you have your own snowshoes and poles for the week so you can explore the winter wonderland on foot. We will give you maps and route guidance on where is safe to go on your own.
Price includes:
Getting here and transport:
We highly recommend you self drive rather than let us drive you to and from the activities 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 lets us know when you make your enquiry.
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. We can organise a hire car for you from any airport or train station.
activities
This is a flexible week so you pick the activities you would like to do and leave the organisation to us. We have a diverse range of activities to choose from and of course they are not all the same price. So to make it easy for you we have divided the activities into three categories: Green, Blue and Red. Each colour is worth a number of points: With this holiday you have eight points, so you can choose a mixture of activities from each colour to make up your eight points. You can choose 2 of the same activity - eg 2 half days guided snowshoeing
Green Activities - 1 point:
Moonlit Snowshoe - The glow of red and orange as the sun sets over the mountains is a truly beautiful scene. And what better way to enjoy it than in the peace and tranquility of the high mountain environment on snowshoes. This is a guided evening snowshoe walk looking at the sunset and / or the stars (depending on time of year) Find out more about snowshoeing
Snowshoeing - Half a day of guided snowshoeing. Choose from a list of themed snowshoes from Chamois spotting to snow security or just a straight forward walk! Listen to the crunch of snow beneath your feet as you snow-shoe through the alpine wilderness. Look out for chamois and Ibex.
Igloo Building - have a go at building your own igloo in the snow! There are several techniques to choose from to build a perfect igloo! And as you will see the end results vary - enormously! This is a guided 1/2 day activity and usually involves some snowshoeing to get to a good igloo site!
Cross Country Skiing - (without instructor) A days cross country ski hire and piste pass. Give your lungs and legs an aerobic workout as you explore the alpine winter landscapes. The Champsaur and Valgaudemar valleys have an extensive range of cross country skiing pistes including a high altitude circuit. This option gives you a piste pass and skis and boots for the day (either skating or traditional style). If you have never cross country skied before, you may want to choose the blue option with a lesson.
Blue Activities - 2 points:
Giant Tyrolean Zip Wire - Travel at speeds of up to 140km per hour head first through the Alps. An extreme adrenalin buzz on the largest tyrolean zip wire in Europe!
Snow Mountain Biking - Catch the last lift up in the ski resort of Orcieres with your specially adapted mountain bike and, after a few top tips from your instructor, ride down! A great fun activity to finish off the day. Minimum age is 8.
Husky Dog Sledding - A one hour sled with your own team of huskies across the alpine snow fields of the Southern French Alps.
Night In An Igloo - Wrap up warm and go 'eskimo' for the night. A truly memorable experience on a high Alpine plateau. Special mattresses and sleeping bags are provided and evening meal and breakfast is included. Minimum age is 3.
Cross Country Skiing Lesson - Your instructor will spend the morning with you giving you top tips on technique. Then you have the afternoon free to go off on your own and make the most of the extensive range of cross country skiing pistes in the region!
Ice Climbing (1/2 day) - Discover the magical world of icicles, ice sheets, snow gullies and other weird and wonderful snow and ice formations. This is a half day of ice climbing with a high mountain guide and all equipment included. Minimum age is 8.
Snowscoot - This is a unique sport and consists of a non-motorized scooter type contraption with a surf board instead of wheels. It is actually very easy to master and you'll be surprised how quickly you progress! Includes, lift pass, snowscoot hire and a lesson. You then have the option of keeping the snowscoot for the day.
Red Activities - 3 points:
Ice Diving - Explore the underwater world of a frozen high altitude lake. You will be one on one with an experienced diving instructor and will be kitted out in full dry suit and scuba diving kit. No previous diving experience is necessary. Minimum age is 16.
Ice Climbing (full day) - Discover the magical world of icicles, ice sheets, snow gullies and other weird and wonderful snow and ice formations. This is a day of ice climbing with a high mountain guide and all equipment included. Minimum age is 8.
Paragliding - Get the best view of the Alps as you fly above the mountains in the peace and quiet. This is a tandem flight with an experienced instructor. You will be in the air for approximately 10 - 15 minutes. Minimum age is 8
Husky Dog Sledding - A 1/2 day sled with your own team of huskies across the alpine snow fields of the Southern French Alps.
Please note that some activities are subject to minimum group numbers, weather conditions and availability. In the unlikely event we are unable to provide your first choice you will be offered an alternative
best time to go
The winter season starts in December and continues through until mid April. Some of the activities are dependent on certain snow and ice conditions and whilst we can’t predict the weather there are certain periods where the conditions are more likely to be favourable than others. We can give you more detailed advice on this when you make your enquiry. For example, ice climbing is usually very good in January and usually stays in good condition until mid March. 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:
We don’t promote any motorized sports on our activity list and try to choose activities that have a minimum impact on the environment and that are outside the big ski resorts. However in order to provide a good choice and diversity of activities we have included some resort based activities, such as the giant tyrolean zip wire – it is a balancing act! When arranging your itinerary we can advise you on activity choices that are environmentally friendly! For snowshoeing and other activities that involve a trip into the Alpine winter wilderness or the Ecrins National Park our guides will explain the habitat of this harsh and fragile environment. 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! The Ecrins National Park 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. These activities give 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 that we use is 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. 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. We have chosen a list of activities that you can do outside of the big resorts, to encourage non-skiing winter holidays and provide an alternate means of making a living for the local people. 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. |
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