Explore the beautiful cross country ski domains of the Queyras, Briançonnais and Serre Ponçon on this fully guided cross country skiing week in the French Alps
Location: Queyras, Briançonnais, Serre Ponçon, French Alps
*please note that this cannot be accumulated with other discounts.
Discover the best of the nordic domaines in the Queyras, Serre Ponçon and Brançonnais valleys on this fully guided cross country skiing week in the Southern French Alps.
Explore the 'ubacs' at the end of the valleys where the snow never melts, ski around the high altitude snowy plateaux with panoramic views, through snow laden forests and past dramatic ice cliffs, all on high quality groomed cross country ski pistes, managed by an excellent team of pisteurs.
You are based in the beautiful perched town of Embrun for this tour which is perfectly situated with easy access to a range of different domains from Crevoux at 1600metres above the Serre Ponçon lake to Saint Véran in the Queyras, also the highest village in Europe. Having a base in the town means you have access to a range of restaurants, shopping and other facilities during your stay and are not limited to one cross country ski domain - you can visit them all!
Each day your guide will collect you and take you to a different domain where you will spend the day with a mixture of intensive skills lessons mastering and improving your cross country ski skills and techniques (mornings) and tours exploring the area (afternoons).
You can choose whether you prefer to try classic cross country skiing, where you slide one ski on front of the other in parallel or, if you already have some experience, you can do 'skating', which is technically more advanced. If you have never cross country skied before, it is beneficial to master classic cross country skiing before moving on to skating. If there are skaters and classic cross country skiers in the group, we will ether provide two instructors for the different skills, or, if you are less than 8 people we will split the instructor's time in two so you can get a shorter but more personalised lesson to focus on your skills.
Each day you will stop for lunch in a different restaurant to reward your efforts with foodie delights before setting off again.
In the afternoons you are free to do your own cross country ski tours self-guided around the domain, relax over a long lunch (depending on how tired you are after your morning's exertions) or try another activity (depending on what is available in the domain).
On one of the afternoons we will also visit the Grand Bains du Monetier, a wonderful spa and well being centre using natural hot springs. Your entry fee to the main baths is included.
You need a good level of cardiovascular fitness to be able to enjoy cross country skiing. Regular hill walkers, swimmers, runners, cyclists, rowers, gym goers or other cardio based sports enthusiasts will love it! If you can run a 10k without collapsing at the end or manage a full day's hiking in the hills this sport is for you!
Technically, there are skills to acquire and the better you are, the faster and further you can go. You don't need to have had any previous cross country skiing experience to join this trip, but any ski experience will be an advantage. Your instructor will be able to differentiate for different ability groups depending on your ability and experience.
If you are a total beginner, you can expect to experience a reasonably steep learning curve and a demanding but extremely fulfilling trip. More experienced skiers will appreciate pertinent tips from the instructor and guidance on routes and circuits and the pleasure of meeting like minded people and sharing an experience.
We have chosen to stay in one base rather than move around to different locations for this trip, reducing un-necessary washing and cleaning in accommodations. We have also chosen a locally run, independent hotel which, slightly outside of the main ski areas, will welcome the winter bookings and help in our aim of encouraging sustainable year round tourism. It is also accessible on public transport.
We only use local guides and instructors for this trip and pay them the going rate so you can benefit from their local experience and passion for the area and can be assured that your money is being ploughed straight back into the local economy.
We will also visit local restaurants with a preference for local products and specialities so you can also immerse yourself in the local cuisine and contribute towards the sustainability of local producers.
To help offset carbon we also plant a tree on your behalf for this trip with our partners Mossy Earth.
If you travel by train instead of plane to get to Embrun, we will also give you a 3% discount to encourage train over plane travel.
BY TRAIN / BUS:
WE OFFER A 3% DISCOUNT TO ANYONE TRAVELLING BY TRAIN INSTEAD OF PLANE. To claim your 3% discount, you will need to show us proof of train travel for routes of over 3 hours that could have been taken by plane. Please ask when you book.
Embrun has a local SNCF train station. There are direct train links to Embrun from Grenoble TGV station there is also an overnight sleeper train from Paris to Embrun.
There is also a regular coach service which operates from Aix-en-Provence TGV directly to Gap from where you can get a train to Embrun.
You can plan your train journey using the Oui SNCF website. This works from all major European cities.
BY PLANE:
The nearest airports are Marseilles (MRS) and Grenoble (GNB). From Marseille airport there is a regular coach service directly to Gap every two and a half hours, from where you can get the local train to Embrun. Plan your journey using this website.
From Grenoble you would need to get the airport shuttle to the train station and then a train from Grenoble to Embrun.
Please ask us about transport options when you enquire as we have become pros on getting people to this beautiful region!
