Swim the length of the Serre Ponçon lake on this once in a lifetime ultimate open water 20km swimming challenge: solo or in a relay of up to four.
Location: Serre Ponçon Lake
Prices are per person and are based on 2 people sharing a room.
Discounts are available for more than two people sharing a room
Single supplement of 255€ is applicable for your own room.
If you are a solo swimmer, please book by clicking book this date below. If you are a relay team, pleases use the codes below to adjust the price according to your team size and room occupancy.
CODES FOR RELAY TEAMS & SHARING MORE THAN 2 TO A ROOM:
The following codes are for relay teams sharing a room with 2 people:
RELAY2 RELAY3 RELAY4
The following codes are for solo or relay teams sharing a room with 3 people:
SOLOROOM3 RELAY2ROOM3 RELAY3ROOM3 RELAY4ROOM3
The following codes are for solo or relay teams sharing a room with 4 people:
SOLOROOM4 RELAY2ROOM4 RELAY3ROOM4 RELAY4ROOM4
A rare and unique opportunity for a long distance swimming challenge at altitude. The magnificent Serre Ponçon lake is one of the largest artificial lakes in western Europe at 20km long and situated at 800m of altitude in the stunning southern French Alps.
You can participate as a solo swimmer or as a relay team of up to four people. With 4 nights in a luxury chateau, all food, local transport and logistics, a personal swim coach, professional lifeguards and safety boats included, this is a true open water swimming challenge with high level support to maximise your chances of success. All you need to do is swim! Have a look at the swimming route here.
We are partnering with Swimquest, specialists in open water swimming trips for this event. They will be providing the coaching, chef and specialist expertise on swim feeds, technique and more and we are organising the accommodation, local logistics and safety boats in destination so you can be confident you are in safe hands for every element of this challenge.
Long distance open water swimming, especially of this distance, is an exceptional undertaking and your safety is our first priority. Every swim team, whether you are solo or in a relay of four, will have its own safety boat dedicated to the team following the swimmer at all times during the challenge. Onboard will be a swim guide and a professional rescuer trained in open water safety, ready to dive in at a moment's notice in case of any problem. Your team will also feed and hydrate you throughout your swim and of course encourage you and give you tips to help you achieve success.
In addition there is also a spare safety boat and ground support team on and around the lake, ready to intervene. They will also take care of stocking up supplies on the team boats, shift changes and toilet breaks for your dedicated support staff so they never have to leave your side.
We recommend you wear a swim buoy and have green waterproof adventure lights attached to your swim hat so that you can be seen at all times in the water. The safety boat is also lit.
You can participate as a solo swimmer or as a team of up to four people in a relay team (we recommend between 30 mins to an hour each rotation with shorter times for larger teams to minimise idle time whilst waiting your turn). At a pace of 2km an hour you can expect to complete this in 10 hours but we have given a maximum swim cut off time of 15 hours.
If you are interested in swimming in a relay and want to find a swim partner, please fill out this form and we'll put you in touch.
The lake is situated in the southern French Alps and boasts a Mediterranean climate with cooler evenings. The region records an average of 300 days of sunshine per year so there is a very high probability of perfect weather. The weather pattern of the lake is generally very stable in July with calm, flat water and clear skies at night and most of the day. Towards the end of the day as the warm air rises in the mountains, the wind picks up and the lake can become more agitated. On very hot days this can result in a heat storm at the end of the day, after your swim.
We have carefully chosen the dates to fall outside of the main French school holiday season so the lake is quieter and to be as close to a full moon as possible for better visibility for your early start.
If you love open water swimming and are up for a challenge then this is for you. A 20km open water swim is a serious challenge and should not be attempted without proper training. Whether you are thinking of doing this as a solo or in a relay, we recommend you start training well in advance with a properly co-ordinated training plan so you are confident your body will manage the 10 to 15 hours of endurance swimming.
As the lake is at 800m, this swim is also a great training opportunity for Channel swimmers as there will be a light effect of altitude compared to swimming at sea level.
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 or Marseille TGV and 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 airport is Marseilles (MRS). From Marseille airport there is a regular coach service directly to Gap every two and a half hours. Plan your journey using this website.
Please ask us about transport options when you enquire as we have become pros on getting people to this beautiful region!
