Guided Snowshoeing Holiday in the Alps

Explore the stunning southern French Alps on snowshoes by day and indulge in delicious cuisine at a cosy and welcoming farmhouse in the evenings! This is a one base snowshoeing trip set in the heart of the Champsaur valley on the edge of the Ecrins National Park.

Holiday Highlights:

• UIAGM High Mountains Guides - highest qualification in the mountains for your safety and to maximise the opportunities for snowshoeing in the mountains
• Wild and authentic Alpine destination off the beaten track
• Wide choice of snowshoe walks
• Authentic luxury farmhouse accommodation with delicious gourmet food
• Ethical travel - supporting non skiing winter activities in Alpine community

The Southern French Alps - Ecrins National Park

During the trip you will discover one of the most dramatic and beautiful national parks in the Alps - the Ecrins National Park. There are chamois, ibex, deer, wild boar and plenty of birds including golden eagles. There are also wolves in the proximity.

Make tracks in virgin snow away from the well trodden paths, snowshoe through forests, around frozen lakes, across open snow meadows, up to a summit, over a col, along a ridge or along the valley floor with the snowy mountains, ice gullies and cliffs dramatically towering over you.

The Snowshoeing

There are lots of choices for snowshoeing walks in the area and we will finalise the itinerary during the week to make the most of conditions. There are cols, summits, high alpine plateaux and pretty alpine woods so plenty of variety! You can expect to do between 300m and 800m of ascent on an average day with 4 to 6 hours of walking - with plenty of stops!! 

For your free day, you can either rest at your accommodation and enjoy the views or go for a self guided snowshoe walk in the surrounding area. You can also visit the nearby resort of Orcières and go for a swim and pampering session in the spa. Alternatively, if you would like to explore the winter wilderness, why not try some of our fun-packed activities like ice climbing, husky dog sledging or cross country skiing!

Get away from the crowds and admire the mountains in all their winter glory.

The Food

You will be staying in an exceptional farmhouse for this trip. With stunning views over looking the valley, a cosy bar corner, lounge with wood burning stove, sociable dining area, amazing hosts  and food to die for, your every need will be looked after.  Jean, a local Frenchman, and Meg, originally from Taiwan, own the Luxury Farmhouse Guesthouse and are well-known in the valley for their exceptional cuisine. Meg crafts all the dishes using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, adding her own creative Taiwanese twist to traditional Alpine recipes. The result is a unique and delightful fusion of flavours that has earned them a strong reputation.

Your Guides

All the guides we use are fully qualified UIAGM high mountain guides and will make your safety and enjoyment their top priority.

This qualification is the highest of all guiding qualifications in the mountains. It is UIAGM high mountain guides who take people up the north face of the Eiger! Whilst you won't be doing any mountaineering on this trip, the competence, knowledge and experience of a high mountain guide means he has the flexibility to take you wherever is safe. Other qualifications for snowshoeing are limited to the wide valley bottoms and pisted routes in nordic areas.

Who Would Love this Holiday?

No previous experience is needed to join this trip but a reasonable level of fitness is recommended to be able to make the most of it. Regular hill walkers, nordic walkers, hikers and trekkers will love it!

You might also be interested in our Tailor Made Snowshoeing Short Break or our Snowshoeing and Husky Sledding Short Break or our other Snowshoeing Holidays. 

If you are booking on to this holiday or planning on snowshoeing in the Alps take a look at our snowshoeing kit list for advice on what to pack and read our top fitness tips for the over fifties for preparing for a snowshoeing holiday.

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: 

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. 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!