Alpine Winter Eco-Challenge

Harness the powers of nature on this eco-challenge and re-discover your inner self.  On this trip you will test your head for heights scaling frozen waterfalls and challenge your endurance and survival skills building an igloo and then sleeping in one for the night. There is also an option on your last afternoon to try cross country skiing, husky sledding or snowshoeing to complete your winter weekend adventure in the Alps!

Eco-Challenge Highlights:

• 50€ of your booking to go to the UK Community Volunteering Charity
• Challenge yourself mentally and physically
• Once in a lifetime experience sleeping in an igloo and ice climbing
• Discover a pristine Alpine winter wilderness away from the ski pistes
• Participate in ethical and responsible travel

Holiday Details:

Your challenge begins on your first day with a frozen waterfall to climb. Your guide will equip you with ice axes and crampons and give you some top tips on the best way to scale the magnificent cascading icicles above you. 

The following day you will snowshoe into the Alpine wilderness to test your design and construction skills building an igloo. Your guide will give you advice on how to build a structurally sound igloo and then you can get creative! This is a physically and mentally challenging feat!

Afterwards, you will head to the igloo village at the end of the icy Champsaur valley near your Auberge where you will spend the night in one of the pre-built igloos. Here you can compare your building skills with the professionals! Dinner will be in the warm of the Auberge but you'll be heading out in the cold for the night in your snow home!

The following day, you have a free day to recover and can choose to spend it either snowshoeing, husky sledding, cross country skiing or just relaxing before getting your train home! Extra activities cost an additional supplement. 

Why is this an Eco-Challenge?

Many communities in the Alps are dependent on the ski industry which has a precarious and ecologically questionable future with climate change, increasing dependence on artificial snow and pressure on local resources. With this trip, we are trying to raise awareness of the many other fabulous adventures you can do in the Alps in winter without strapping a pair of skis to your feet and which don't put pressure on local resources. The evolution of these alternative activities is important for the future of many Alpine communities.

This trip is also about getting back in touch with nature, feeling and harnessing the power of the natural elements first hand to help in our own general awareness and well-being.

We are also giving 50€ of every eco-challenge booking to the TCV, the UK's Community Volunteering Charity, whose mission is about helping get people back in touch with nature and supporting communities to help their own local environment and green spaces in the UK.

Who will Love this Trip?

If you care about the environment and love a physical and mental challenge, then this trip is for you. Whether you are a couple looking for a one off experience to create some bonding memories, a company looking for a team building challenge weekend for your staff or a group of friends wanting a fun time together, you will love this trip!

Itinerary

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This trip has been designed with the assumption you will arrive by train and as the most time efficient journey by train is to get to Paris and then take the night train from Paris to Gap, we have created the itinerary with this in mind. The night train arrives in Gap just before 7 am in the morning so we will collect you for your first challenge from Gap at 7am and drop you off on your last evening around 18h in Gap. If you choose to travel by a day train or by flying or driving, you will need to make sure you are in Gap for 7am. We can help arrange an extra hotel night if you need.

To GAP BY TRAIN / BUS: 

This trip starts in Gap which has a local SNCF train station. There are direct train links to Gap from Paris via the overnight sleeper and from Grenoble TGV station.

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 airpots are Marseille and Grenoble.  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!

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