Cross Country Skiing Weekend in the Alps

Cross country ski your way around the different high altitude nordic ski domains of the Queyras massif and mountains above the Serre Ponçon valleys and discover the hidden winter paradise of the southern French Alps. 

With high altitude skiing and an excellent snow record, this part of the southern French Alps is the local training spot for many a famous cross country skier and biathlete! It 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 fully qualified and local instructor will collect you and take you to a different domain where you will spend the day. They will give you tips and skills lessons on technique every morning and advise you on pistes for self guided tours. You also have an office logistics person available to help organise other activities, restaurant bookings and other logistics to ensure your trip runs smoothly so you can make the most of the skiing.

On one afternoon you will try a biathlon initiation which is a fabulous activity combining shooting with cross country skiing.

For the other two afternoons you are free to do your own cross country ski tours self-guided around the domain, choose more skills lessons with the instructor 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  husky sledding, snowshoeing or just exploring the local area. We can arrange these for you (extra cost). Your instructor is with you for the full day and will take you back to your hotel at the end of the day. 

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.

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
• 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 Guillestre, we will also give you a 3% discount to encourage train over plane travel.

Itinerary

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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.

The nearest train station to Guillestre is the Mont Dauphin - Guillestre station which is 4km from the village centre where your hotel is. For the last 4km there are buses (some paid and some free) or you can get a taxi. We can help organise grouping you together with other participants for a shared taxi nearer the time. 

There are train links to Guillestre from Grenoble or Marseille TGV station there is also an overnight sleeper train from Paris to Guillestre.

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 Guillestre. 

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 Guillestre. Or you can get the shuttle into Marseille St Charles train station and get a train directly to Guillestre from there.  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 Guillestre.

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