Duration
Snowshoeing in the Alps for Foodies
From $1,750 pp
Departure Date
Jan 25, 2025
Trip Style
Small Group
Country
France
Physical Rating
Mildly Strenuous
Overview
Explore the French Alps by snowshoeing through its pristine winter wilderness, tasting regional delicacies sure to please foodies!
This is a week-long, guided snowshoeing holiday in the southern French Alps' stunning Ecrins National Park. You'll stay in a luxury farmhouse accommodation famous for its excellent cuisine prepared by our chef, Meg.
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.
At the end of your day in the snowy mountains, you will be welcomed back at the cozy farmhouse where you can snuggle in front of the log burner, or chill out in the bar before sitting down to a four-course meal prepared by your hosts. Frenchman Jean and Meg from Taiwan are the owners of the Luxury Farmhouse Guesthouse and they have developed a strong reputation in the valley for their exquisite food. They use local ingredients and fresh produce for all their recipes which are prepared and created by Meg. By adding a creative Taiwanese twist to traditional alpine recipes she manages to produce an array of unique and delicious dishes!
Highlights
- Explore a wild and authentic Alpine destination, away from the crowds.
- Discover a wide variety of snowshoe walks and landscapes, from forests, to meadows, to ice gullies.
- Indulge in authentic luxury farmhouse accommodation with 4-course gourmet meals.
- Experience the expertise of UIAGM* High Mountain Guides – ensuring your safety and maximizing your snowshoeing opportunities in the mountains.
- Support ethical travel by embracing non-skiing winter activities and contributing to the local Alpine community.
*UIAGM is the Union Internationale des Associations de Guides de Montagnes, or the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations in English. This is the highest qualification mountain guides can obtain in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria.
The Southern French Alps – Écrins National Park
Discover the stunning Écrins National Park, one of the most beautiful and dramatic in the Alps. Spot wildlife such as chamois, ibex, deer, wild boar, and golden eagles, with wolves roaming the nearby wilderness.
Explore untouched snow far from the crowds. Snowshoe through forests, around frozen lakes, across snow meadows, and along ridges or valleys, surrounded by majestic peaks and ice cliffs.
Snowshoeing Adventures
A variety of snowshoe routes await you, with the itinerary tailored daily for the best conditions. Choose from cols, summits, alpine plateaux, and peaceful woods. Expect 300m to 800m of ascent each day, walking for 4 to 6 hours with plenty of breaks.
On your free day, relax at your accommodation, take a self-guided snowshoe walk, or visit the nearby resort of Orcières for a swim and spa session. For more adventure, try ice climbing, husky dog sledging, or cross-country skiing.
Your Guides
All guides are UIAGM High Mountain Guides, the highest qualification for mountain guiding. Their top priority is your safety and enjoyment, and their expertise allows for flexibility, leading you to areas other guides may not be qualified to explore.
Departure Dates
- Jan 25, 2025 - Feb 1, 2025
- Feb 8, 2025 - Feb 15, 2025
- Mar 8, 2025 - Mar 15, 2025
- Jan. 25th departure: Guaranteed!
- Feb. 8th departure: SOLD OUT.
- Mar. 8th departure: 2 more to guarantee trip.
Seasonal Notes
We have chosen these two dates for our snowshoeing trip as they fall outside of the French school holidays for a quieter stay.
Itinerary
Overview
Day 1 Gap [France] (Arrival Day)
Day 2 Snowshoeing Plateau of La Coche
Day 3 Snowshoeing through the Larches in St Leger Les Melezes
Day 4 Snowshoeing to the Summit of Palastre
Day 5 Free Day - Rest Day
Day 6 Snowshoeing in Prapic
Day 7 Col de Pourrachière
Day 8 Gap (Departure Day)
Customization
Route Map
Inclusions & Exclusions
7 nights' accommodation at a Luxury Farmhouse
7 breakfasts
7 4-course dinners
5 picnic lunches
5 full days of guided snowshoeing with a qualified UIAGM high mountain guide
Snowshoes and poles
One free day with options to try out other winter activities (activities are extra)
Transport to and from snowshoeing
Return transfers from Gap train station
A tree planted on your behalf to help with your carbon offsetting
A personalized app for your phone with all your trip details and practical information
Getting to Gap (we can help you organize your journey here)
Drinks / spending money
Lunch on your free day
Tips for the Guide
Alcohol/ drinks other than water
Insurance
Visa
Pricing
Prices exclude flights to/from the destination.
Prices are for double room occupancy unless indicated otherwise.
Deposit per person
25% of the trip price
Shared Room - sleeps 2 - price per person
$1,750
Single Supplement
$450
Sustainability
We are Travelife Certified and we plant a tree with our partner, Mossy Earth, for all our travelers as part of their rewilding program in Europe.
We operate a paperless office and all our communication with you and all your trip details will be given to you digitally via a smartphone app.
If you are traveling from Europe, we offer a 3% discount if you travel here by train rather than plane. To claim this please ask at booking. It is not accumulable with other discounts and the train journey needs to be international, eg Eurostar to France and then onward on local French TGV or trains.
Environmental Initiatives
We have purposefully chosen a one base stay rather than changing accommodations each night on this trip to avoid unnecessary washing and cleaning of rooms after just one night and avoid excessive baggage transfers, both of which are known sustainability issues in tourism.
Your fully qualified snowshoeing guides are also vetted for their passion for the area and local knowledge of plants, wildlife, and sustainability measures for protecting fragile mountain flora and fauna. They will share this knowledge with you and ensure you are respecting local guidelines, like not disturbing wildlife in sensitive areas when snowshoeing..
Economic Initiatives
We use local independent suppliers and accommodations for all elements of this trip to ensure your money is plowed straight back into the local economy.
Your fully qualified snowshoeing guide is also local to the area, rather than a helicoptered-in gap year student or other non-local person. We pay them a fair rate ensuring there is no exploitation and making sure your money is going back into the local economy also.
All our partners are local to the Champsaur valley in the French Alps and by booking this holiday you are contributing to the development of non-ski tourism in this area to help spread the tourist benefits to the villages and area outside of ski resorts.
Sociocultural Initiatives
Our choice of accommodations is important as we have handpicked this boutique accommodation as it is locally owned and culturally important in the area offering an insight into local Alpine food and culture for you and ensuring your money is plowed straight back into the local economy. We encourage them to create single-use plastic-free picnics for this trip and ask that you bring your own water bottle and lunch box to help with this.
Health & Safety
Be sure you have traveler's insurance.
FAQs
What does the Physical Rating of Mildly Strenuous mean?
This trip is an excellent fit for anyone who enjoys regular hiking, has a passion for great food, and adores mountain scenery. To fully enjoy this adventure, you should have a good level of walking fitness. While you don't need to be super fit, being comfortable with spending a full day out in the mountains (including breaks for photography and appreciating the views) and experiencing walking uphill is important. If you're uncertain about whether this trip suits your fitness level, please don't hesitate to inquire. We're here to help ensure it's the right match for you.
What are the accommodations like?
The farmhouse is a traditional stone farmhouse of the region which has been renovated in the style of the region, keeping its Alpine character with additional modern comforts.
The owners are local and they operate a minimal plastic packaging philosophy for their purchases and picnics.
They prioritize local produce for cooking. Evening meals are a set menu four course meal.
Do I need to have had any snowshoeing experience to join this trip?
No previous snowshoeing 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!
What is the general profile of people on this trip
Whilst this trip is online so anyone can book, the majority of people on the trip tend to be solo travellers or couples over 50 and all have a shared passion for the mountains, France, nature and wildlife, snowshoeing, hiking and walking. They come from a wide range of different backgrounds - conversation flows no problem!