Snowshoeing and Husky Sledding Short Break in the Alps

As snow conditions change continuously over the winter, our guides will choose the actual destination for your snowshoe walk during your stay. They will be taking into account the amount of fresh snow and depth of snow at different altitudes, the avalanche risk, sun exposure (always nicer to be walking in the sunshine on a cold crisp winter's day!) as well as the weather forecast of the day to make sure you experience the optimum conditions, safely and securely.

Over this short break snowshoeing and husky sledding trip, you will spend two full days exploring the mountains around Gap on snowshoes with one day split between husky sledding and a half day snowshoeing walk.

Logistics:

Your guides will collect you each morning from the hotel (usually around 8h30) and drop you off at the end of the day (usually around 17h).

For lunches, you can order picnics from the Olivades hotel, or, if you are staying in the Mon Hotel, you can purchase great picnics from some of the local bakeries. It is no problem to stop off at a bakery en route if you haven't had time to buy a picnic.

For evening meals, the Olivades hotel has a great restaurant, well known locally for its gastronomic flair! The Mon Hotel is perfectly situated in the centre of Gap for access to a wide range of bars and restaurants. We can advise on where to book when you are here.

You will make your own way to Gap and check into your hotel room. We can help you plan your journey here if you are arriving by public transport. Gap is on the main SNCF train line and there are also a number of buses from other major transport hubs including Marseille airport and Aix-en-Provence TGV. Both hotels have parking options if you are arriving by car as you won't need your car whilst you are here.

Gap is a beautiful Alpine town with a Provencal feel and there are a variety of great restaurants and bars to explore on your first night. We will suggest a meeting time and place for you to meet the other guests on this trip if you wish. 

This is an example of one of the snowshoeing walks you could do but the guides will adapt their choice to make the most of conditions.

Col du Pourrachiere (2173m) - Ancelle

Starting in the pretty ski village of Ancelle, you will head up the Rouanne valley towards the col. The walk takes you through charming Alpine woods and rocky outcrops to a beautiful hanging valley surrounded by dramatic peaks. A real high mountain paradise hidden away from the rest of the world. You will then head up tot he col (mountain pass). 

From the col you have magnificent panoramic views so can eat your lunch with a live mountain show! The descent is the other side of the col where you will discover more stunning scenery and may even see a deer or chamois as you make your way down. This is also wolf country with an established pack in the area so it is not uncommon to see tracks. 

The full walk up to the col is about 800m of ascent and will take the full day with plenty of stops for photos and lunch

We'll head up into the Champsaur valley today and spend the morning snowshoeing near to the husky sledding location.

There is also the possibility of a restaurant lunch (at your charge) today where you can experience some of the valley's traditional dishes to complete your Alpine immersion!

After lunch we'll head off to meet the huskies. You can choose to drive a sled with your own team of huskies or be a passenger in a sled, driven by one of the mushers. We will ask you when you book, which you prefer. Driving is a fantastic experience and probably more physical than you think, working your balance and strength. The mushers are great guides and driving is perfectly possible for a total beginner. If you are worried about driving your own team, or you fancy more of a relaxing experience you can be a passenger in the sled and let the musher take charge of the huskies. The whole experience lasts about an hour.

If husky sledding is not your thing your snowshoeing guide will still be with you and can suggest safe, self guided walks you can do around the husky sledding area. Or there is always the possibility of spending the afternoon chilling in the bar and admiring the views.

You will need to check out of your hotel this morning but we can arrange to leave your bags there for the day. If your travel back is organised for tomorrow, we can arrange for you to stay an extra night in the hotel.  

Today we will spend another full day in the mountains exploring a different part of the Alps to where we have already been. Here is another example snowshoe walk.

La Palastre (2278m)  

This is a wonderful snowshoeing walk taking you right up to a mountain summit. Starting in a remote Alpine hamlet, you start on a wide track taking you to a frozen stream and waterfall. You then then weaving your way through the undulating mountainsides up to some large blocks and all the way to the col. The last section from the col to the summit is quite steep and a challenge for some but definitely worth the effort. But no problem to wait on the col for the adventurers to return if you prefer to rest and take in the views. All in all about 700m of ascent and a full day out with stops, photos and lunch!

We'll get you back to gap for 17h so you have time to collect your baggage and head to the station. We can of course drop you and your bags off at the station too if your train or bus is around this time.