Ski touring holiday in the French Alps
| country: | France |
| location: | French Alps |
| departures: | Departs any time between December and May for groups of 4 or more booking together. For individuals looking to join a group, there is a fixed departure date of 27 Mar 2010 |
| price: | From €1497 (8 days) excluding flights. Minimum group size, 4 people. |
| more info: | Price includes: 7 nights half board accommodation (sharing two to a room), Ski equipment, Safety equipment, Lift passes, 5 days guided ski touring, Local transport, Return transfers. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Explore the winter wilderness of the Southern French Alps on skis!
Get away from the crowds and soak up the charm and ambiance of the high mountain environment in and around the dramatic Ecrins National Park, with the added bonus of the best sun record in the Alps. Get to know the difference between a wild boar and a chamois print and suss out if they were running, being chased or just chilling out in the snow!
A progressive ski touring week introducing and practicing the essential safety and technical skills for ski touring and responsible skiing in the harsh and fragile winter wildernesses of the high mountains.
Starting with a selection of classic day tours in the Champsaur valley and finishing with a two day tour into the heart of the Ecrins National Park and the famous Grand Pinier 3117m summit - no ski touring experience is complete without a pre-dawn start in the high mountains, watching the sunrise.
You don't need any previous ski touring experience but you should be a fairly competent intermediate skier and have a reasonable level of fitness (be prepared to undertake climbs of 2-4 hours on skis) to join this trip. If you are a group of four or more booking together we can also tailor make a ski touring trip for you.
Get away from the crowds and soak up the charm and ambiance of the high mountain environment in and around the dramatic Ecrins National Park, with the added bonus of the best sun record in the Alps. Get to know the difference between a wild boar and a chamois print and suss out if they were running, being chased or just chilling out in the snow!
A progressive ski touring week introducing and practicing the essential safety and technical skills for ski touring and responsible skiing in the harsh and fragile winter wildernesses of the high mountains.
Starting with a selection of classic day tours in the Champsaur valley and finishing with a two day tour into the heart of the Ecrins National Park and the famous Grand Pinier 3117m summit - no ski touring experience is complete without a pre-dawn start in the high mountains, watching the sunrise.
You don't need any previous ski touring experience but you should be a fairly competent intermediate skier and have a reasonable level of fitness (be prepared to undertake climbs of 2-4 hours on skis) to join this trip. If you are a group of four or more booking together we can also tailor make a ski touring trip for you.
best time to go
The best time for ski touring is in Spring when the snow is more stable, the days are longer and it is warmer. March and April are the best months. However, depending on the conditions it is also possible in January and February. day-by-day itinerary
This is an example itinerary to give you a good idea of what to expect and the format of the week. In reality we would adapt the itinerary when you are here to make the most of the conditions of the day.
The programme is designed to give you a thorough grounding in the skills needed for ski touring in a high mountain environment. You will learn how to use ski touring equipment - fixing skins and ski crampons, perform kick turns and perfect your off piste skiing. You will also learn about avalanche and snow and ice safety and the natural habitat of a high mountain environment.
The programme is designed to give you a thorough grounding in the skills needed for ski touring in a high mountain environment. You will learn how to use ski touring equipment - fixing skins and ski crampons, perform kick turns and perfect your off piste skiing. You will also learn about avalanche and snow and ice safety and the natural habitat of a high mountain environment.
| Day 1: | Arrival. We'll collect you from Gap train station and take you up to the Auberge Des Ecrins, where you will meet the other members of your group and your guide. You can settle into your room, have a drink in the bar or go for a little wander around the area. Once everyone has arrived we'll give you all your equipment: skis, boots, skins and ski crampons (couteaux), avalanche transceivers, shovel and probe, for the week so you have some time to familiarise yourselves with it all before tomorrow! Once that is all sorted we'll have a welcome drink and chat about the week with the guides before settling down to a hearty evening meal! |
| Day 2: | Off Piste Skiing Technique and High Mountain Safety. After breakfast you will go off with your guide to the charming but challenging little ski village of Serre Eyraud where you will spend the day perfecting your downhill off piste skiing so that you can make the most of your descents when you are ski touring. There are lifts to take you up and lots of interesting routes through the trees to ski down. It's north facing so the snow is good and there won't be many other skiers here so you can let your hair down and go for it! It's a perfect place for practicing off-piste technique! You can eat lunch in the pretty little village of Serre Eyraud and soak in the ambiance of one of the few remaining traditional French alpine ski villages! During the day you will also learn about high mountain safety, mountain wildlife and practice some of the safety skills essential for ski touring such as avalanche search and rescue. |
| Day 3: | Day Tour to La Palastre. For the best conditions and in the interests of mountain safety we will leave reasonably early from the Auberge (don't worry you will get breakfast!) La Palastre 2280m is a beautiful col just behind the mountains you can see from the Auberge. It is a gradual ascent through open snow fields and rocky outcrops with beautiful views over the Champsaur valley - about 720m of ascent in total. Look out for tell tale prints and signs of winter wildlife en route! You'll have plenty of time to get used to skinning up and getting comfortable with your equipment. It's a lovely warm up ski tour. Further up the mountain there are a couple of steeper sections where you will need to put your kick turns in to good use! There are several options for the final part of the route so depending on how you are all feeling and the conditions it can be extended or shortened. It takes about 2 - 3 hours to climb in total. Depending on where you end up and the conditions, there are a few choices for skiing down so you can choose the gentle gradients or the slightly more technical steeper couloirs. |
| Day 4: | Day Tour to La Petite Autane D'Orcieres. Again another early start (you'll be used to these by the end of the week!!) to set off to the remote alpine village of Archinard. From here there are several choices of ski tours so we'll make a decision based on the conditions and your motivation!! La Petite Autane D'Orcieres 2458m is one of the classic routes - a beautiful and varied ski tour. There are about 850 metres of ascent so a little longer than the Palastre. After a pretty start in the larch forest, you arrive at a series of little hanging valleys with rocky outcrops that you gradually make your way through. After a relatively steep climb out of the last valley you finish up on a spectacular ridge (perfect chamois territory) . As you emerge onto the ridge you are rewarded with an impressive view of the east face of Grand Autanes (a mountain that has inspired many a ski mountaineer!). The ridge is narrow and feels pretty airy but is an easy ski. You follow the ridge up as far as you want before heading off down. The descent is as varied as the ascent with little gullies, slopes and rocky outcrops to navigate before reaching the tree line where you have an easy and pretty ski through on forest tracks. |
| Day 5: | Choice / Rest Day. This is the one day you can have a lie in so make the most of it!! There are plenty of things to do in the area from a day ice climbing to a day relaxing in the pool and jacuzzi complex. So you can either relax and let your legs recover before the big end of week tour, try something completely different or continue skiing - either in the resort or we can organise another day tour for you It is really up to you and we can discuss the options available when you are here. Please note that any activities or ski passes organised for this day are not included in the price and would be payable as an extra, either at the time of booking if you already know what you would like to do or locally when you are here. |
| Day 6: | Ski in to Refuge L'Ecole in Dormillouse. This is a fabulous ski tour up to the col de Freissinieres at 2782m with the possibility of an easy ski mountaineering summit of Roc Diolon 3071m and an incredible descent through one of the most beautiful valleys in the Alps to the remote village of Dormillouse at 1681m. The start of the tour is the easiest yet - a lift up in a chairlift to he Rocherousse plateaux! We'll catch the first lift to be sure to get the place to ourselves! After that it is an easy climb up to the col via various pretty hanging valleys and snowfields. From the col we can go straight down the other side towards the refuge or if you are feeling up for it we can rope up and take in the Roc Diolon. The route to the summit is up a beautiful, slightly exposed ridge with a real high mountain ambiance. You will be roped together for security but it is an easy climb. Then you have nearly 1400m of glorious descent to the village of Dormillouse!! The valley is a truly spectacular, classic u-shaped valley surrounded by dramatic peaks and little glaciers, totally wild and natural and uninhabited except for the village. Dormillouse is unique. It is only accessible on foot - a good hour and a half away from the nearest road but is still inhabited by a handful of families all year round. We'll spend the night in the village in the Refuge L'Ecole, a fantastic refuge with great ambience, eccentric guardian and good food! |
| Day 7: | Summit of the Grand Pinier 3117m. In the heart of the Ecrins National Park, the Grand Pinier at 3117m is a classic summit of the Southern Ecrins massif and a 'must do' for ski tourers and ski mountaineers visiting the region. We'll do the classic route taking in the summit as part of a grand traverse across the mountains from Dormillouse to the pretty alpine village of Prapic back in the Champsaur valley. It's a long climb with nearly 1440m of ascent, so an early start but it's worth it. The area is especially rich in wildlife due to it's remoteness and you are likely to be rewarded with precious scenes of chamois playing in the snow, golden eagles hunting the discreet and camouflaged ptarmigan... We attack the summit by the east side up to a ridge, less exposed than the ones you have already done, but with a special high mountain ambiance. The last climb up to the summit is steep and sometimes it is necessary to rope up and walk with crampons, carrying your skis. There aren't many better places to eat your picnic - with views over the big alpine summits of the Ecrins Massif: Barre des Ecrins, Mont Pelvoux, Ailfroide.... The descent is superb - all 1600m of it!! The start is steep and then it opens out offering a choice of interesting little valleys and gullies all the way down to the pretty alpine village of Prapic, where a well deserved beer in the bar is more than welcome! A grand finale to a top week!! |
| Day 8: | Say Goodbye. This is the sad day where we have to say goodbye! We'll drop you off at Gap train station if you are catching the train. |
lower carbon travel
We promote train travel by offering a free transfer from Gap train station in the package. Transfers from airports are an extra cost.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
In the winter the high mountain environment in and around the Ecrins National Park is pretty much inaccessible except on skis. Whilst skiing itself isn’t really known for it’s environmental contribution, it is the only way to access some areas in winter so it is important to learn to ski responsibly. It is a harsh and fragile environment with the vegetation covered by snow and ice and the non-hibernating animals competing against each other for food and shelter. On this trip you will learn the skills and techniques to venture into this habitat responsibly and safely with an understanding of the animals’ lifestyles. 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 remoteness of this winter wilderness experienced first hand and the insight you will gain into the lives of the animals just from looking around you (with a guide to explain what it all means!!) on your journey is a truly humbling experience. 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. This trip gives a good appreciation and respect for the work and it’s importance globally. The accommodation has a very good restaurant (where vegetarians don't have to feel like lepers!), bar, internet access, library and some of the most beautiful views in the area! The building was been completely renovated in a joint project by the commune de Champoléon, le conseil Général des Hautes-Alpes, le Conseil Régional PACA and the Ecrins National Park to provide an ecologically friendly place to stay and access to this beautiful remote valley. It is run by a small team of passionate foodies and outdoories headed by Stephanie and Laurent and their two children, who will ensure you are well looked after. 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. Community: Although ski resorts by and large are not environmentally friendly, they do support the local community economically. We don’t use any large commercial ski resorts on this trip. However, on the first day where the focus is on learning off piste technique and mountain safety, it is more efficient to have the use of ski lifts! So we have chosen a small ski village resort which is run by the local community and the money made on the lifts and on any drinks bought in the only, very quaint and traditional, alpine bar goes straight back into the community rather than a large commercial ski company. We use local guides and pay them the proper rate rather than importing ‘part time guides’ from abroad who have alternative means of income and do guiding for fun and not much money. These types of guides are able to reduce their rates significantly making it difficult for full time guides who have dedicated their lives to the mountains to be competitive. We also use one of the few mountain refuges open all year in the area, thus supporting the guardian who makes his living from tourists. A refuge guardian’s life is a tough one and is done out of a passion for the mountains rather than a desire to make any money. It is getting harder and harder for the guardians to make ends meet and to justify their winters in the mountains, where sometimes they are totally isolated and can be snowed in without seeing anyone for several weeks. |
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