Alternative family winter holiday in Chamonix, France
How Alternative family winter holiday in Chamonix, France makes a difference
Environment
Our company has sustainable travel at its heart. We were one of the first companies to offer sustainable holidays in the Alps.
On this trip we are staying in an Green Outdoor Centre. This concept of 'Centre De Vacances Verte' is little known outside of France. 'Green Vacation Centres' offer French schools and adults access to and an appreciation of the Great Outdoors. They offer Nature Discovery weeks and try to give people new Outdoor experiences. Our Outdoor Centre is run by a well respected Mountain Guide.
New Year is a busy time in the Alps, but we try to minimise our impact by staying in a simple Outdoor Centre that is very aware of its carbon footprint, that sources much of its food locally, that recycles and is generally very aware of having the least possible impact on nature.
We often have guests who are strong ecological activists, and work in areas of sustainability. On this trip, if our guests are willing, we set up an evening where guests can offer bite-size talks on Sustainable Topics.
We encourage our guests to travel to the Alps in the most sustainable way possible. Train is our preferred option and a new train route from London to Geneva has just opened up on Saturdays. We organise a discounted group transfer from the train station to the resort.
Community
Well this trip is entirely supported by locals, from our accommodation to our chefs, to the ski instructors and guides. This small community who we have got to know well over the 10 years we have visited this valley, love us bringing them our lovely guests and welcome us with open arms. They appreciate our philosophy of working as much as possible in harmony with nature.
Next door to the Outdoor Centre is a lovely and very lively pub and restaurant which has been owned by the same family for 5 generations. The sisters who run it are hilarious and it is much like a French Faulty Towers. We are based in a tiny little hamlet, but it gets a lot of action as just behind it is a very famous ski tour and the guides and their clients all stop off in the bar after their long day in the mountains.
We will work with the lovely local ski school and hire our equipment locally. The Outdoor Centre will provide us with meals and we encourage them to source as much as possible locally and organically.
We partner with Respect the Mountain a charity that promotes conscious travel in the mountains. We ask and expect our guests to act with deep Respect not only for the environment but for the local community, and for our own community. We draw our community from alternative schools around Europe - schools that promote environmental awareness and an appreciation of nature and the seasons, and of course Responsible Travel.
Alternative family winter holiday in Chamonix, France
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