Cross Country Skiing Weekend in the Alps

Cross country ski your way around the different nordic ski domains of the Champsaur and Valgaudemar valleys and discover the hidden winter paradise of the French Alps. 

With over 130km of groomed cross country ski pistes pistes across 4 nordic domaines, each with its own special character, this part of the French Alps is a cross country skier's paradise. 

From the 'ubacs' at the end of the valleys where the snow never melts, to high altitude snowy plateaux, all managed by an excellent team of pisteurs you can expect high quality pistes throughout the season.

Holiday Summary:

Expect beautiful winter landscapes, with snow laden trees, icy rivers, spectacular frozen waterfalls and dramatic cliff faces and enjoy the relaxing quietness of snow as you ski around on your skinny skis.

Each day your tour guide, who is a cross country ski enthusiast local to the area, will collect you and take you to a different domain where you will spend the day. They are there to advise you on pistes, ski with you and help organise lunches, other activities and any other logistics during your trip.

In the mornings there will also be a fully qualified instructor available for 2 intensive hours cross country skiing technique and skills lessons to give you some top tips and exercises training. 

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 or relax over a long lunch (depending on how tired you are after your morning's exertions). There are also a range of other activities you can try, such as wood fired hot tubs, husky sledding, ice karting, snowshoeing or just exploring the local area. We can arrange these for you in resort (extra cost). Your tour guide is with you for the full day so if you would like to try a different activity they will help get this organised. 

Holiday Highlights:

• Explore at least three different cross country ski domains in 3 days
• Experienced qualified local instructors for optimal cross country ski skills progression
• Local and passionate tour guide to ensure you get the most out of each cross country ski domain
• Discover a variety of local restaurants and Alpine villages
• Travel with a responsible and sustainable travel tour operator

Who will love this trip?

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 or manage a full day hill walking then 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.

Sustainable Tourism

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 choice of locally run, independent hotels rather than large chains. We 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 going 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 the carbon footprint of this trip 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 Gap, we will also give you a 3% discount to encourage train over plane travel.

Itinerary

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We have arranged a pick up and drop off transfer from the town of Gap which is well served by a variety of train and bus links from the major airports and TGV fast train services.

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.

Gap has a local SNCF train station. There are direct train links to Gap from Grenoble TGV station there is also an overnight sleeper train from Paris to Gap.

There is also a regular coach service which operates from Aix-en-Provence TGV directly to Gap. 

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.  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 Gap.

Please ask us about transport options when you enquire as we have become pros on getting people to this beautiful region!