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The French Alps for Non-Skiers: What Can You Actually Do in Winter?

When you picture a winter holiday in the French Alps, downhill skiing is probably one of the first things that comes to mind. Ski lifts, pistes and mountain resorts are a ...

Is Autumn a Good Time to Go Hiking in the French Alps? 5 Reasons We Think So

When most people picture a walking holiday in the French Alps, they probably think of summer. The high mountain trails are open, the days are long and hiking is firmly on ...

Mountain Etiquette: The Do’s and Don’ts of Exploring the Alps

The Alps have a way of making you feel very small, in the best possible way. From snow-covered peaks and quiet alpine lakes to winding mountain trails, dramatic valleys a ...

The value of a tailor-made holiday: Is a tailor-made holiday worth it? Here's what you're really paying for

If you've tried to plan a holiday recently, you'll probably recognise this. A few searches on Google will bring up hundreds of hotels, walking routes and activity provide ...

Best Alpine Climbs for Cyclists: Legendary Tour de France Roads and Hidden Gems in the French Alps

Every July, the world's attention turns to the Alps. As the Tour de France reaches the mountains, millions of fans line the roads while millions more watch from home as r ...

Self-Guided vs Guided Walking Holidays: Which One Is Right for You?

If you're planning a walking holiday, one of the first decisions you'll need to make is whether to choose a guided or self-guided holiday. It's an important choice becaus ...

Is Via Ferrata Right for Me? What First-Time Adventurers Need to Know

Via ferrata often looks more intimidating than it actually is. From the outside, it can be difficult to work out exactly what it involves. You may have seen pictures of s ...

Indoor Climbing to Outdoor Rock: How to Start Climbing in the French Alps

For many climbers, the first time standing at the base of an outdoor cliff is a moment of hesitation. The absence of colour-coded holds, the unpredictability of natural r ...

Planning a Multi-Age Family Activity Holiday: How to Keep Everyone Happy

Imagine a holiday where grandparents, parents, and kids all finish the day smiling because everyone found something they genuinely loved. That’s the magic of a well-pla ...

What Does a Typical Week on a Tailor-Made Family Activity Holiday in the Alps Look Like?

Once you start considering a family activity holiday, a practical question usually follows quite quickly: What does the week actually look like in reality? It is a reason ...

10 Stag Do Ideas That Don’t Involve Nightclubs

There’s a familiar pattern to the traditional stag do. A budget flight, matching T-shirts that seemed funny at the time, a few drinks that turn into too many, and a vag ...

Are Family Activity Holidays in the Alps Right for You? A Practical Guide for Parents

Summer holiday planning often begins with broad intentions — time together, a change of scene, something that feels worthwhile. But fairly quickly, the question be ...

Love in the Mountains: Holidays for Every Type of Connection

When we plan a holiday, it’s rarely just about the destination, it’s about the experience. The mountains have a unique way of shaping those experiences, creating mome ...

The Southern French Alps Month by Month: When to Go and What to Do

Choosing when to visit the Southern French Alps depends less on a single “best” moment and more on the type of adventure you’re looking for. This region changes con ...

Snowshoeing for Beginners: Simple Techniques to Feel Confident Fast

Snowshoeing is often seen as tiring, technical or only suitable for experienced mountain walkers. In reality, it’s one of the most accessible winter activities, and one ...

Ultimate Guide to Hut-to-Hut Snowshoeing: Essential Kit List and Tips for Your Winter Adventure

There’s something special about moving quietly through the Alps on snowshoes: the gentle crunch of snow, the wild stillness, and the promise of a warm refuge waiting at ...

Preparing for a Snowshoeing Adventure: 5 Fitness Tips for the Over 50s

“Will I be fit enough to enjoy snowshoeing in the Alps?” This is one of the most common questions people ask us when enquiring about our snowshoeing holidays &nb ...

How to Cycle the French Alps Without Cars: Car-Free Cols and Quiet Routes

Every summer, the southern French Alps region offers a rare and exhilarating opportunity for cyclists: select legendary mountain passes, or cols, are closed to motor ...

Best Family Walks with a View in the Southern French Alps

The higher you go, the better the view - right? It is true that the hours of sweat put in to get to the top of any mountain in the Alps will undoubtedly pay off with a ma ...

The Top Health Benefits of Cross-Country Skiing: Why It's the Ultimate Winter Workout

Cross-country skiing is often overlooked in favour of other winter sports, but it stands out as one of the most effective full-body workouts. From building endurance to i ...

Undiscovered Mountains go on a family activity holiday with teenagers - here's what we learnt!

When the travel professionals go on holiday... In the name of research, the Undiscovered Mountains family; me (Sally, Undiscovered Mountains director), Bernard (Un ...

An extreme wilderness adventure in the heart of wolf country in the French Alps

Every year we run a wolf tracking trip and it is always a unique adventure. But this year was one to go down in the story books! We have just got back from what can only ...

Unleashing Adventure: Planning the Ultimate Activity Holiday for Teenagers

Are you looking to plan the ultimate activity holiday for your teenage adventurers? Look no further! Embarking on a well planned trip with teenagers is an exciting advent ...

How to travel to the French Alps by train from anywhere in Europe

If you're planning a trip to the French Alps and you live in Europe, why not take the train and significantly reduce the carbon footprint of your trip! Paris now has ...

How to Make Sure a Climbing Harness Is a Proper Fit

With so many different makes and models available, finding a climbing harness that fits just right can be challenging. How do you choose the best climbing harness for you ...

All your questions answered on how to travel to France after 14th January 2022

France has finally opened its borders to the UK on 14th January 2022 after a long month of draconian restrictions which have caused havoc amongst ski and winter holiday m ...

Discovering New Territories - Climbing off the Beaten Track

The Tete des Lacs Froids..... where is that? Hidden away in the Ubaye in the Southern French Alps, this unknown summit is a beautiful walk, scramble and climb in wild, un ...

Missed a ski season? Why 2022 is your chance for something new

If you missed 2020 as well as 2021 on the slopes, a skiing trip in 2022 could leave you feeling like a beginner. Maybe that’s an opportunity to rethink what you do i ...

The Basic Mistakes Made By Most Ski Beginners

If you are new to skiing, then every aspect of your on-snow experience can present a challenge. Skiing can often prove to be a difficult sport. Performed in a ...

Mountaineering Training - Everything You Need to Know When Training for a Climb

When it comes to mountaineering, preparation is everything. Much more demanding than hiking, ascending a mountain requires a higher level of fitness as well as experience ...

Top Tips on Working from Home with a Family in Coronavirus Lockdown

When the toddler finally falls asleep and you know you have an hour, two if you are lucky, to answer your emails, price up a quote, cook dinner, clean the house and take ...

What is Canyoning?

For people looking for something different to do on their next summer holiday, canyoning can be lots of fun. When the weather is hot, there’s nothing more exhilarating ...

What Are Via Ferrata?

What are Via Ferrata? Via ferrata holidays combine rock scrambling with dramatic rock faces, cliffs and gorges – promising incredible views and a fun physical challeng ...

These are the Best Places to Go Mountain Biking in the Alps

The cycling season in the Alps runs from May to November, with some of the higher altitude areas closing in September. While the winter months are too cold to make riding ...

Nordic Skiing and Cross Country Skiing – What’s the Difference?

The terms “Nordic skiing” and “cross country skiing” are often used interchangeably. In the wider sense, cross country skiing is a variation of Nordic skiing, and ...

What is a Norwegian Hytte?

The Norwegian Hytte The hytte is to the Norwegians what the Dacha is to the Russians - a small house out in the countryside - and the role of this typical littl ...

What is Snowshoeing?

This great winter exercise makes the perfect alternative to skiing or snowboarding. It’s a fantastic way to stay active, is much faster to learn, and is also more affor ...

How Cerys Matthews inspired our Wild Food Foraging Walking Holiday in the Alps

When musician and BBC Broadcaster, Cerys Matthews arrived for her Gourmet Alpine Walking holiday with rock climbing, I presented her with our argousier juice we ...

Hen and Stag Do Trends: Share Your Views in Our Survey

What are you looking for from your hen or stag do in the modern era? That’s what we want to find out in our new survey. On the face of it, a lot has changed about ...

Brexit and Travel - All You Need to Know

At the time of writing this blog we still don't know whether the UK will be leaving the EU on the 29 March with a deal, without a deal or if at all. If you are a UK citiz ...

The Beginner's Survival Guide to Ski Lessons

New to skiing? If you’re thinking of taking the plunge and going on your first ski trip, you’ll probably want to sign up for a few lessons to get the basics firm ...

Best winter activities for a snow holiday with a difference

Breathe in the fresh, clean mountain air, admire the pristine winter wilderness, listen to the soft thud as snow falls from thickly laden branches breaking the calm... &n ...

Best Places to Eat in the Southern French Alps

There's much more to a great restaurant than just the food it serves. As with many other experiences, a gastronomic one does not only depend on the cuisine but also on th ...

Alternate Christmas and New Year Holiday ideas

Images of trees laden with snow, pretty houses covered in a glistening white blanket sparkling with Christmas lights, rosy cheeked carol singers walking down icy streets ...

The dilemma of risk taking when you have young children and how taking a break can really pay off!

Having children and the responsibilities it brings can really change how you view and approach risk. John, the son of a compulsive Munro bagger, grew up to be a passionat ...

Creating a Plastic Free Activity Holiday – the Challenge

The Plastic Problem Like most people our conscience has been pricked by the devastating reports of the effect of plastic pollution on the world. As a responsible tour ope ...

Canyoning for Kids - all you need to know

Jumping into beautiful alpine pools, sliding down natural toboggans and abseiling down waterfalls is fantastic fun and a great activity to try as a family. It definitely ...

7 of the Best Hikes in Europe

We are very pleased to be able to publish this article by Cal Bailey, with his unique perspective on European walking! We are especially proud that he has chosen to featu ...

What to Pack for your Activity Holiday in the Alps

What to Pack - Choosing Ethically With so many activities to do in the Alps during the Summer you’ll want to be sure that you have clothing that will keep you comfortab ...

Why you should visit the Alps in Spring!

Did you know that Spring is one of the best times of the year to visit the Alps? Skiing is still possible right up to mid April in the higher ski resorts l ...

Women Around the World Share Their Secrets of Success

March is all about celebrating women, with International Women’s Day having started off the month and the entire month being a commemoration of women’s impact on hist ...

What and Where are the #PureAlpes?

You may have seen the hashtags #purealpes #puresun #puresnow #pureair #puremountains amongst others being banded about on social media. So what is all this #pure, what do ...

The pros and cons of wearing a helmet for ski touring and backcountry skiing

We’re just about to set off on a beautiful sunny day to go ski touring. I eye up my fellow ski tourers and realise that I am the only one wearing a helmet. In fact ...

Is Ski Touring in the Alps for Me?

Ski touring in the Alps is an aspiration for anyone who loves mountains and skiing and there are more and more people of all ages, but particularly in the over 40 and 50 ...

A Night in a Mountain Shelter - Your Questions Answered!

First, let’s be totally honest: the “Night in a Mountain Shelter” activity started out last year as a plan B. As everywhere else in Europe, the early winter had bee ...

Planning a Winter Holiday in the Alps: To Drive or Not to Drive?

If you are booking an all inclusive holiday deal to the Alps with flights and transfers included then you may not have even considered the driving to the Alps question. H ...

Top Family Friendly Resorts in the Alps

Guest Post written by Alps2Alps Family ski trips and winter activity holidays have the potential be the stuff of dreams. That said, get it wrong and you’re in for a nig ...

How to avoid disappointment on a winter holiday if the snow doesn't fall!

Some people call it “global warming”, others more cautiously call it “global weirding” but whatever you want to name it, one thing is certain: it is happening – ...

Top 3 Family Activities to do in October Half Term in the Alps

October half term is fast approaching and it is one of those funny holiday periods when the classic family winter or summer holiday doesn't really fit! It's not really wa ...

Why the Alps is Perfect for E-biking

E-biking has taken the alpine world by storm with bike shops prioritising their e-bike displays over all other bike types and hurriedly buying in e-bike stock to keep up ...

Why we changed from Undiscovered Alps to Undiscovered Mountains!

It all started in 2005 when Sally, the company’s current director, founded Undiscovered Alps. Originally from Great Britain, she fell in love with the Southern French A ...

Top 3 Winter Activities for Families in the Alps

High up in the Alps, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, where the sun beams down onto the crisp white snow and the views stretch over the beautiful valleys ...

Top 3 Luxury Guest Houses in Southern French Alps

The Southern French Alps is a luxury holiday destination, especially for summer and winter multi activity holidays. From ice climbing and igloo building in the winte ...

Best Romantic Winter Activities to do in the Alps

The Alps in winter with snow-laden trees, frozen waterfalls, alpine meadows blanketed in white and pretty chocolate box villages nestled in the valleys meandering through ...

Three of the Best Activities to do in the Alps in Autumn

In the Southern French Alps, Autumn is a time of cool, crisp mornings often disguised with a wispy mist that is gradually burnt off by the warm, autumnal sun to reveal de ...

The Top Three Adrenalin Activities for Teenagers

It’s well known that the teenage years can be challenging for all involved! The family holiday can be the perfect opportunity to cultivate the parent teen relationship ...

Top Luxury Accommodation for your Alpine Activity Holiday

An alpine activity holiday is a popular holiday choice for families and for all the right reasons… doing adventurous activities together is a great way to spend qu ...

The Best Alpine Activities for Quality Adventures with your Kids!

A child’s imagination is sacred. They can turn a toilet roll tube into anything from a telescope to spy on their siblings to an obstacle course for the fairies at the b ...

Cross Country Skiing Revealed!

Cross country skiing is a confusing term as it is actually used by different people for a range of different sports. Nordic Skiing is also often interchangeable with cros ...

Top tips to get best value for money on your winter family holiday in the French Alps

Unless you take your kids out of school holidays you are going to pay over the odds... TRUE or FALSE? Luckily for this year it is FALSE!!! If you’ve done your research ...

What to Wear for Snowshoeing in the Alps

Just because there is snow doesn’t necessarily mean it will be freezing cold. It can even be quite warm if you are snowshoeing in the springtime on a sunny day. Howeve ...

Why ski touring is becoming the new winter sport of choice!

Skiing off piste in the Alpine wilderness is a dream that is coming true for more and more people. Skiers are quitting the groomed pistes in droves to ski tour in the mou ...

What is the best age for a child to start skiing?

When can children start skiing - what is the perfect age to debut on the snowy pistes?“I need a wee, my hands are cold, my feet are cold, I want my dummy, where’s mu ...

Cycling around the Serre Poncon Lake

The Serre Poncon lake is one of the largest man-made lakes in Westerne Europe. It is 20km long and 3 km wide and is situated on the edge of the Ecrins National park - a s ...

Our Favourite Winter Activity Holidays You Should Try This Year

You don't need to ski to enjoy the Alps in winter! A winter activity holiday in the Alps is a perfect holiday to try out new adventures and activities in the snow. If you ...

Top Tips for Holidaying in the French Alps

Things you should know if you are holidaying in the French Alps and probably France in general! 1. Forget 24hr culture! The French like to eat a proper lunch at midday ...

Planning A Successful Family Holiday With Teenagers

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How to Behave in a Mountain Refuge

In the Alps there is a large network of high mountain refuges providing shelter to walkers and mountaineers on their journeys into the mountains away from civilisation. S ...

Making memories with your mates – 5 top activities to do together.

Laughing with our mates and sharing fun experiences together is a tonic for life. We store the experiences in our memory bank and little triggers will pull them out every ...

When is the best time to book your holiday?

Holidays are where we have fun, relax, de-stress and bond with our nearest and dearest. They are one of the most important calendar entries of the year and certainly one ...

The Virtues of Fingerless Biking Gloves

Why you should bring fingerless biking gloves on all activity holidays, even if you aren’t biking!!! Fingerless biking gloves have a leather palm for gripping on to the ...

The History of Wolves in the Alps

At the end of the 18th century, François de Beaufort estimated that there were between three and seven thousand wolves in France. They occupied territories stretching fr ...

Sisteron - Gateway to Provence

Sisteron is a beautiful pre-Roman town with 4000 years of recorded history. Built on the banks of the Durance River it’s referred to as the Gateway to Provence as it is ...

Tree Climbing in the Alps

Most of us have fond childhood memories of climbing trees; negotiating the knurly branches, sitting up high in the leafy canopy of a tree with our friends and jumping bac ...

Undiscovered Alps Top Tips for Cross-Country Mountain biking

There has been a real boom in mountain biking in Europe over the past few years. There are more and more waymarked mountain bike trails, ski resorts are opening in the s ...

Stop-over ideas en route to the Alps

Whether you are driving down to the Southern French Alps for a summer activity holiday in the Alps, going for your winter ski holiday or winter a ...

Ski Mountaineering - Exploring the Caves of Dévoluy on Skis!

The Heroic Crossing!! When I moved to the Devoluy 3 years ago, I would never have imagined myself skiing into one of the caverns of Devoluy and then climbing through it w ...

The Ultimate Cardio Challenge - A Cross Country Ski Marathon!

The 2013 Trans' Champsaurin 42km cross country ski race qualifies for my top ten most difficult physical challenges experienced so far in my 'nearly' 40 years!! I was ver ...

Top Tips for Driving in Snow

If you are planning a trip to the Alps this winter and are hiring a car or driving your own, here are a few tips to help you keep safe in the snow. In the Alps the roads ...

The 100th Tour de France is coming to Gap!

The Tour de France will celebrate its centenary in style with a 2 day stop over in Gap, a beautiful town nestled in the mountains of the Southern French Alps. This 100th ...

Via Ferratas for Children

Using via ferratas, adults and children with no mountain or climbing experience can access exposed rock faces and cliffs normally only accessible to experienced rock clim ...

What makes a perfect family activity holiday?

“What makes a perfect family activity holiday?” The answer to this question is as long as piece of string! Especially when you’re looking for a holiday that will pl ...

Marmots in the Mountains

You’ll no doubt have noticed these fluffy creatures adorning the postcards of the Hautes-Alpes and their cuddly-toy counterparts welcoming you into souvenir shops with ...

How to organise the perfect Stag and Hen Adventure Weekend.

So you’ve been honoured with the position of best man or head-bridesmaid, congratulations!!! However, after the initial elation has worn off, you realise that you are t ...

Discover the history of the Serre Ponçon Lake in the Southern French Alps

How did a sleepy alpine community become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Alps? Read on to discover the history behind the creation of the lake at Ser ...

A guide to Guides

So you love the great outdoors, the mountains and a good challenge. Now you want to take it to the next level, however for that you’re going to need a High Mountain Gui ...

My First Ice Climbing Adventure in the Alps

A few years ago, I needed to repaint the exterior of the bathroom window frame, so with my partner keeping her hands on the bottom of the ladder, I ascended and began rub ...

A Perfect Winter Mountaineering Initiation in the Alps

When Kenny, a Scot with an impressive mountaineering background, called to ask what sort of thing would be possible to do in the Alps in winter on snowshoes, it was a tri ...

Top 5 Places to Stay in the Southern French Alps

The Southern French Alps is a large area so to narrow it down I have focused on the Champsaur valley which is on the southern edge of the Ecrins National Park. It is a be ...

How to build an igloo or snow shelter

Snow has been used by the Inuit for its insulating properties for centuries and they are the masters of igloo building - constructing all types of snow shelters from over ...

Where Next?

How to find other quality independent holiday companies on the web! We are based in the Southern French Alps famed for it’s great weather, wild and natural environment ...

Snowshoeing isn't boring!

Anyone under the illusion that snowshoeing is just a boring walk with tennis rackets strapped to their feet, slogging through monotonous snow fields, please read on... an ...

Getting Close to Wolves

We are standing very still in the woods in a wild and remote part of the Southern French Alps listening. It is still, with not a breath of wind. Occasionally a lump of sn ...

All About... Ski Touring

Having first been introduced to snow-capped mountains of the southern French Alps at around the age of 15, I quickly became addicted to sensation of throwing myself down ...

Granny and Grandpa Go Ice Climbing

I used to worry about getting older and not being able to do all the things I love - mountaineering, running in the mountains, rock climbing.... . But 'getting older' is ...

Walking in Wolf Country

Papa looking after the children, no clients and no other urgent things that need to be done... equals... whole day to walk in the mountains as I please...! I chose to ...

Fell (Trail) Running in the Alps - The Gapencimes Trail Race

A long time ago, before children and when I lived in the UK, I used to fell run. I even once did the Saunders Mountain Marathon and came an amazing last out of the 40% of ...

A review of Orcieres by guest blogger, journalist Roger Moss

Orcières - A winter sports destination worth discovering (even if you don’t ski) In the Southern French Alps within the Ecrins National Park, and readily accessible fr ...

Top 10 Summer Activities in the French Alps - Part 2

Well here it is! The long awaited second part of our feature on the top 10 activities in the French Alps! Another opportunity for us to plug all of the amazing activities ...

Top 10 Summer Activities in the French Alps - Part 1

An opportunity for us to shamelessly plug some of the fantastic activities you can do on a summer holiday with Undiscovered Mountains, but also hopefully a chance for you ...

Honeymoon Adventures in the Alps

Is it adventure, adrenalin, intense bonding experiences...or just the romance of being in the Alps together? Over the last few years we have seen more and more newly weds ...

Traveling to the Alps with Children – Top Train Tips

I am lucky enough to live in the Southern French Alps where we organize our Undiscovered Mountains holidays and often travel back and forth to the UKOver the last five ye ...

Sharks in the Alps

Sale Sharks professional premiership rugby team take to the water in an unconventional pre-season training weekend. Check out our photo album of the Sale Sharks Canyonin ...

How to Avoid the Worst Lift Queues on your Family Ski Holiday to the Alps

Skiing is one of the best holidays you can do with a family. Sharing the exhilarating feeling of skiing down a piste with your loved ones is a privileged pleasure. For no ...

Go Native in the Alps and Eat Like a Local

Donkey Ears or Not - Oreilles D'Ane Have you ever eaten donkeys’ ears? No? Well, neither had I until I moved to this part of the Southern French Alps, but don’t ...

How to Find the Right Family Activity Holiday for your Family!

Choosing the right family activity holiday can be surprisingly complex, especially when everyone has different ideas about what makes a good week away. One person may wa ...

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