Ski Touring in the spring sunshine

So you love the great outdoors, the mountains and a good challenge. Now you want to take it to the next level, however for that you’re going to need a High Mountain Guide! But where do you start looking for one? How do you know if they’ll be able to fulfil your mountain ambitions and most importantly, how do you know they’re going to keep you safe?

What exactly is a High Mountain Guide?

High Mountain Guide - The best job in the world?

In short, a High Mountain Guide is an extremely experienced skier, climber and mountaineer who is certified as being capable to lead people into the mountains in challenging and hazardous terrain and conditions.

A strong amateur background in climbing and skiing is required to even qualify for the training scheme. Experience of top Alpine courses and remote climbs in mountain ranges around the world along with skills of mountain survival techniques are also highly valued traits in a potential candidate. This breadth of experience as an amateur is crucial to developing the patience, understanding and professionalism necessary to lead clients in the high mountains.

After qualifying for the training scheme, each guide typically spends a minimum of 5 years honing their skills, knowledge and techniques with a rigorous training and assessment programme. This programme includes rigorous courses and tests in rock climbing, mountaineering, off-piste skiing and ski touring, avalanches and mountain safety and coaching and is exercised in all weathers and seasons.

Each guide holds a certificate issued by the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations (IFMGA or UIAGM) – the highest qualification in the world for leading people in the mountains – only around 50 candidates per year succeed in attaining this qualification, these guys (and girls!) really are the crème de la crème!

This certificate is also a legal requirement to work as an Alpine guide in the European Alps and requires a high level of commitment, dedication and technical skill to achieve.

Why do you need one?

Above all, a Mountain Guide is there to ensure your safety, giving you peace of mind knowing that you are being led by a professional who has spent years perfecting their skills and knowledge of the mountain environment in every season and weather, both practically and theoretically.

They can also help you improve and develop your technique and mountain skills to whatever level you aspire, whether on rock or snow.

Trekking across a glacier with crampons

Where did it all start?

In Britain, the history of Mountain Guiding as a profession can be traced back to the mid 19^th century though it wasn’t until the following century that specific organisations began to develop and the term Mountain Guide was nationally recognised.

It was in 1944 that the first British Mountaineering Council (BMC) was created and the first national diplomas were issued in the 1950’s. During this same period, Mountains Guides across the channel in France also created their first national syndicate (the SNGM). This syndicate helped to lay the groundwork for an international federation of all mountain guide associations (IFMGA or UIAGM) with representatives from Italy, Austria and Switzerland also contributing. This international association was inaugurated in 1965, though it was not until 1977; after the BMC was recognised officially by the UK government; that the British application to join the IFMGA was finally accepted.

This move to create an independent national body to manage professional standards and training programmes has been crucial in the development of Mountain Guiding as a respected profession as it ensures a parity of standards and benefits between guides of member countries of the IFMGA.

Mountain Guides and Undiscovered Alps

It's a long way down...

Collectively, our guides share a common passion for climbing, mountaineering and skiing. As at Undiscovered Alps, they are also highly committed to the protection and conservation of the mountain environment and its inhabitants and promote and believe in sustainable tourism.

All our guides are fully qualified UIAGM certified high mountain guides from the area who know the Southern French Alps like their back garden. They will make your safety their priority as well as taking into account your aspirations and objective to ensure you get the most out of your time with us here in this beautiful Alpine region.

Have a look at our mountaineering, ski touring and climbing trips for more details on our guided trips. Alternatively, if you have a mountain that you would like to conquer that isn’t on one of our trips or are looking for a private guide for a tailor made holiday, please contact us.

My Frozen Waterfall

A few years ago, I needed to repaint the exterior of the bathroom window frame, so with my partner keeping her hands on the bottom of the ladder, I ascended and began rubbing down the woodwork ….. and shaking so much because I really don’t like heights! Eventually she’d had enough of feeling the ladder shaking, that she made me come down and we swapped places!

Preparing for the climb

So that gives you some perspective on my life long desire to try climbing! I’ve always loved the outdoors, and the wilderness, and while I wouldn’t consider myself the fittest person around, have always loved that feeling of achievement when you get back after a long day on the fells or the moors, or in this case the mountains, and can feel in your limbs that wonderful sensation of having worked them hard.

And, hitting a certain age, instead of getting a sports car, I’m increasingly finding myself trying out new things, pushing those personal boundaries, and getting outside of my comfort zone.

So given my opening paragraph, abseiling one hundred feet down the side of Avon Gorge was a huge challenge when I did it for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society! Terrified at the bottom, looking up to where I was going to go, and terrified at the top about to step backwards over the edge of the cliff, but totally exhilarated when I was at the bottom – my immediate desire was to go back up and do it all over again!

So the prospect of an ice climb, which was offered as an option by Undiscovered Alps when I booked a snowshoeing trip with them, was irresistible!

Philippe, our wonderful guide for our snowshoe walks, was also to be my instructor for the climb, and his calm and reassuring manner was very welcome as we approached the stunningly beautiful frozen waterfall. Philippe scampered up the surface of the waterfall, placing screws and attaching rope at various intervals, and generally made it look so easy.

And then it was my turn! Having been fully instructed in how to use the carabiners, and the ice axes, and the crampons, I started and initially found it surprisingly easy. However, it wasn’t very long until, despite having tried to find a suitable route, I felt stuck, and absolutely not at all sure which way to go, and also amazingly tired; so quickly. Despite Philippe’s shouts of encouragement and instruction, feeling deflated, I came down, not at all sure whether a) I was enjoying myself, or b) if I’d ever try to climb again!!

But after a five minute rest, I got up, started again, and apparently, in the words of those watching, pretty much scampered up to and over the point that had defeated me just a few minutes earlier, and continued to climb, finding places to secure that ice pick, and kicking hard with my feet to get the grip needed to push myself up and onward.

There were difficult sections, some vertical faces proved particularly challenging, especially as the climb progressed and fatigue began to set in. While not thinking of myself as wonderfully fit, I am reasonably so, and was surprised and shocked at how tired I did become during the climb. At one point, once again, I felt stuck, and couldn’t find a way, nor down, and indeed at that point did want to come down again. But wonderful Philippe suddenly stopped understanding English at that point, and simply continued to say “Up, Jerry, up …. Good ….. zats good …… yes, with your hand ….. yes, yes, yes with your foot”.

Glancing down, everyone seemed far away, and I pushed onward and upward, working through the fatigue until at last I was standing at the top!! So marvellous! So wonderful! And such a sense of personal achievement for one who quakes standing on top of a ladder painting the bathroom window frame!

Well, having got up there, it was now time to get down, and while I wasn’t especially graceful or elegant, an abseil controlled by Philippe got me down to the bottom again quite quickly, with a chance to appreciate the beauty of the ice formations as I descended.

So my first ever climb!

Did I enjoy it? Yes, absolutely.

Was it as I expected? That’s a hard one, as having never climbed, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve seen lots of images of climbing, and videos, and it looks beautiful, and exciting, and challenging.  And indeed it was all of those things. It was certainly tougher and harder than I thought it would be and I think it was probably, in physical terns, one the toughest things I’ve ever attempted. The emotional challenge was strong too, coping with the height, and the test of endurance.

Was I exhausted? Totally but in that very good way.

And will I do it again? Yes, I want to do it again. In fact one of the first things I did when I got back home was to track down a local climbing wall, to learn some technique, only to discover that it was about to close for 18 months as part of a major gym refurbishment!

And did I enjoy a beer when I got back to the Auberge? You bet!

You can see more pictures, of the climb, and the trip, right here! And feel free to have a look at around the rest of my website, Jerry Fenner Photography, to see what I get up to when I’m not having a fabulous time in the mountains with Undiscovered Alps!

Kenny and Rhona at the top of the snow gully

When Kenny, a Scot with an impressive mountaineering background, called to ask what sort of thing would be possible to do in the Alps in winter on snowshoes, it was a tricky one to answer. He was coming with his girlfriend Rhona, an experienced winter walker and novice alpinist. They wanted to do something a bit more than a normal snowshoe walk that would be a challenge for Rhona!

In the Alps most winter mountaineering is done on skis as the approaches and descents are long and snowy and it is much more efficient and quicker to move on skis than anything else! There is also the added pressure of needing to be off the mountains and safely back down the valley before the day heats up too much, increasing the risk of avalanche and rockfall, so the days are extra short!

In winter the conditions in the high mountains can be very unpredictable; there could be deep powder in which case walking in snowshoes is just simply too exhausting to get anywhere far, it can be icy, in which case crampons would be better, there can be high winds, high avalanche risk and severely cold temperatures.

Snowshoes are very limiting as they are not really adapted to steep slopes or very icy conditions so as soon as you leave the lower mountain trails you can be quickly in difficulty!

Unfortunately neither Rhona or Kenny had ever put a pair of skis on in their lives so snowshoes, ice axes and crampons were to be the only tools for the trip!

So the answer was a really very vague, “it basically depends on the weather but there are a lot of factors against you!” kind of answer!

After explaining all this, I really expected them not to bother booking and maybe to come back in the summer. But no, Kenny’s enthusiasm for the mountains was over-riding – the summer was too long to wait for an alpine fix.

They booked for March with two days private guiding and  a ‘we’ll wait and see what the conditions are like and take it from there” attitude.

March finally arrived and after a very poor snow year and warm temperatures, the mountains were looking pretty snow depleted, even at 2- 3000 metres! In addition, after each snowfall this year there had been high winds so the ridges were blowdried! But actually, though less good for skiers, for Kenny and Rhona this was great. It reduced the deep snow problem  and though slushy soft snow and avalanche risk was still potentially an issue in certain places, this would be easier to manage by choosing our mountains carefully!

After an initial day climbing the Petite Autane a pretty mountain with a dramatic limestone ridge, then a walk up to the summit and a snowshoe down snowfields Bernard decided to go for the Roc Diolon 3066m.

We got the ski lift up to 2200m in the resort of Orcieres 1850 – a big save on time and ascent energy. Then we walked up on the pistes towards the col- not very wild but an easy walk up!

Then we harnessed up,  put on our crampons and roped up to attack a fabulous little gully that would take us up to the ridge. The gradient started off at about 40 degrees and the snow was hard enough not to sink in but soft enough to get a good grip and we cramponed up.

As soon as we were inside the gully with steep rocks on either side, the hustle bustle of the ski resort was quickly forgotton. We were in the high mountains and the ambiance was wild – this was an adventure! The last section was a bit steeper and a good challenge requiring a bit of front pointing and good ice axe placements!! Rhona was very relieved to get to the top of it!

After that it was a beautiful walk up to the summit with spectacular views on both sides. We could see the Sirac, Olan, Ailefroid, Barre des Ecrins… all the big Ecrins summits as well as the Pic de Bure, Ceuse and at the top we could see Mont Viso! We lunched and enjoyed the views before removing our crampons and tackling the exposed section of the ridge.

It was like summer – there was no ice, hardly any snow and the rock was dry! It was beautiful and enough of a challenge to keep us on our toes. Concentration needed!

Then came the descent, a large steep snow field. The pressure was on as we had just 21/2 hours to get back to the ski lift and avoid a very long walk down. It was also heating up and this was a south west face prone to avalanches and rock fall. The snow was soft on the top but still well hardened underneath and was perfect for walking down duck style with heels in. No crampons needed but a few ice axe arrests were made! It was a relief to get to the bottom and the relative safety of the ski resort! Though Bernard reminded us that even in a ski resort there are dangers as he described how an avlanche from a seemingly small and innocent looking hillock nearly swept out a group of army officers and covered a piste in recent years.

Just as we neared the piste, we stopped to remove a layer and were given a reality danger check as the mountain above us released several rocks that hurtled down and could have done serious damage!

We quickened the pace and managed to catch the telecabin down for an easy finish to the day and a well deserved drink in Orcieres!

It really was a great mountaineering initiation: climbing a gully in ice axe and crampons, moving together on a rope over a steep and exposed ridge and descending a snowfield using the ice axe for protection and experiencing the safety time pressure dictated by the conditions! A very lucky day for conditions in March and a big thank you to Kenny and Rhona for choosing to share their mountaineering enthusiasm with us!

Have a look at more photos of the day on our flickr album.

If you would like to debut in mountaineering, have a look at our introductory mountaineering trip in June.

The Southern French Alps is a large area so to narrow it down I have focused on the Champsaur valley which is on the southern edge of the Ecrins National Park. It is a beautiful valley, still very French and in touch with it’s heritage and culture with a wide range of mountain activities to do in both summer and winter.

I know this valley very well and have lived in and around it for 6 years and visited most of the accommodation available as part of my role with Undiscovered Alps. However, I quickly realised when deciding to write this review that to choose the best places to stay is actually very difficult and very subjective! I now understand why the Gites de France and other accommodation labels have their sometimes bizarre criteria for acheiving certain ratings!!

So what were my criteria for choosing a good place to stay?

First of all it depended on what type of accommodation it was as to what I felt was important. The staff and welcome are more important in a hotel or bed and breakfast than a self catering chalet, for example. In a self catering chalet, good equipment and facilities as well as somewhere comfortable to sit and decent views I thought were important! For all, high levels of cleanliness were imperative!!

So in no particular order, here are my top choices and why I chose them!!

1: Emile’s Farm bed and breakfast

Although from the outside, this traditional grey farmhouse of the region doesn’t look like much, it is a gem of a find. What makes this bed and breakfast particularly special are it’s owners. Jean-Marie and Dominique are super hosts. They are discreet but always there when you need them and will bend over backwards to make sure you enjoy your stay. The way they have designed their bed and breakfast reflects this with real attention to practical detail!

Upstairs there are three ensuite bed and breakfast rooms decorated in a simple farmhouse style and furnished with traditional alpine furniture. The bathrooms are clean and well maintained. Downstairs there is a children’s play area with books, colouring and games with low tables and cushions – perfect for keeping those little ones amused whilst you relax next door in the main living area. In the living area there are two lounge areas, one next to the open fire and one with a beautiful mountain view out of the window. In between is a large dining table where breakfast and evening meals (if you choose) are served all together. There is also a very well equipped kitchen which you can use to make picnics or even cook your own evening meals if you wish. It’s no problem to make yourself a cup of tea or coffee whenever you like and make yourself at home in the living area and kitchen.

In the summer there are a table and chairs outside in the garden where you can sit and enjoy the mountain views. Dominique has an extensive vegetable and herb garden which she will be only too happy to give you a tour around. I would highly recommend eating evening meals at least once during your stay to taste the produce of Dominique’s garden which is always beautifully cuisined!

2: La Combe Fleurie bed and breakfast

La Combe Fleurie was the first bed and breakfast to open in the Champsaur Valley and is probably one of the most successful. You need to book at least a year in advance to secure a place for a full week as weekends are very popular with local tourists. It is it’s owners, Donald (Scottish) and Agnes (a local Champsaurian) who really make La Combe Fleurie special. The property is their home and when you stay there, you stay with them. Of course you have your own ensuite bedroom as do they but everything else is shared.  If you are offered a cup of tea, it won’t appear on your bill at the end of the week – it is simply an invitation to share a drink!

There are 5 ensuite bedrooms, including family and double rooms with modern shower rooms and separate toilets in each room. In the living room there is a cosy area around the wood burner, a games table and large sociable dining table. Outside you have some of the most beautiful mountain views of the area and the downstairs rooms each have their own terrace as well as a shared sun terrace to soak in those sun rays, the Southern Alps are famous for! There are large grounds with an orchard and impressive vegetable garden outside for children to run around in (not in the actual vegetables!!).

It is possible to eat evening meals here and again I would highly recommend at least one night. The food is simple but good and ambiance is fun and sociable!

 3: Cecile’s Farm self catering property

This is a traditional farmhouse of the region that has been beautifully renovated by Cecile and Eric. What makes this farmhouse special is the quality of the equipment and facilities available to guests – the kitchen is better equipped than my own! It is also one of the rare properties that can sleep two families comfortably in two double bedrooms and two bedrooms with three beds. Downstairs there is a beautiful open plan kitchen diner with an archway through to the cosy corner with sofas, a fabulous open fire and full TV DVD equipment. There are two bathrooms, one with a lovely large bath and a separate shower and one with just a shower and two toilets.

The other great thing about Cecile’s Farm is its location. It is in the middle of a large field next to the river Drac. You have the impression of being in the middle of nowhere but are actually only 3 mins drive from St Bonnet, a medieval village and the main centre of commerce of the valley. You have your own private garden but can also roam around the extensive grounds. There is a lake in the grounds, horses and children’s swings!

Another rare plus for this property is that Cecile includes sheets, towels and teatowels with the rental (most self catering properties in France do not include these) so there are no extras to pay and you can literally step off a plane and it’s home from home – another attention to detail that reflects the quality of this property.

4: Chalet Style Apartments – self catering

Location Location Location is why these are in the top list! They are situated in a pretty ski village called Chaillol which is on the south facing side of the valley with views to die for of the Alps as they run out towards Provence. Each apartment has a south facing outside balcony or terrace with this view and sun right into the evening. There are beautiful walks right from the door and a great mountain biking descent and you are only 10 mins drive from St Bonnet, the main centre of commerce, the swimming lake and close to other mountain activities (for summer). For winter you have skiing right from your door and access to a whole host of other activities.

There are a range of sizes and, like all French ski apartments,  classified by capacity. Please note that an eight person apartment is great for a family of four or five but cramped if you actually had eight people in there! They are all nicely decorated in a chalet style with an open plan living area with dining tables and chairs, sofas with extra pull out beds and a functional but quite small kitchenette. It is worth mentioning that there are no traditional ovens in the kitchens, just hob and microwave. The bathrooms are clean and well maintained.

Of all the accommodation we use for Undiscovered Alps activity holidays, these apartments represent the best value for money.

5: Modern but Rustic Auberge

The Auberge is not quite a hotel but not a bed and breakfast either – more like a relaxed bistro with rooms! It is located in the wild Champoleon valley in a little hamlet and a perfect location for winter snowshoers, ski tourers or cross country skiers and in summer it’s a great base for walking or mountain biking. It is run by a small team of local outdoories headed up by Stephanie and Laurent. Stephanie is a very good cook and the Auberge is one of the few places where you can actually get a good vegetarian dinner (that isn’t an omelette!). Laurent is front of house and a great host. Nothing is too much trouble.

They often host sporting events like moonlit cross country skiing evenings and musical events and have now got a very good reputation. If you happen to be staying when there is an event on – be prepared to get involved and have fun! Our client feedback for the last two New Year’s Eve’s has been that it’s been ‘the best New Year’s Eve party’ they have ever been to!

It is a traditional farmhouse building that has been done out in a modern funky style. The actual accommodation is quite basic. There isn’t a hotel cleaning service and your floor won’t get swept half way through the week unless you ask for it. The entrance is sometimes piled up with deliveries, clients snowshoes and skis and it can seem quite chaotic. So why is it in my top list?

Because it is fun and friendly, the team who run it are like minded outdoory and ecologically friendly people and the food is great! You stay here for the ambiance with an acceptable level of comfort and it’s good value for money!

Snow has been used by the Inuit for its insulating properties for centuries and they are the masters of igloo building – constructing all types of snow shelters from overnight hunting shelters to full igloo villages.

For a beginner, it can take 3 – 6 hours to build a sleepable in Inuit style igloo but the conditions need to be right. To build an igloo (which is made with blocks) you need hard packed snow that you can cut and shape to be able to cut out the blocks.

There is also a skill required for the actual construction and it can take a few attempts to get it right.

A snow shelter or quinzee is a good alternative. It requires much less skill to build and is as warm as an igloo.

You still need to have enough and the right kind of snow to build one though. The ideal snow for building a snow shelter is the sort of snow that makes good snowballs. Very powdery and sugar like snow is impossible to build a snow shelter with. In these situations you need to dig down to harder packed snow or find wind swept packed snow in a drift. The snow crystals in wind packed snow interlock so it sticks together better making it possible to build with!

Step 1: Find a good spot for your shelter. It’s vital to choose a safe location away from avalanche prone slopes or cornices. It will also make your life a lot easier if you choose areas where there is a natural accummulation of the right kind of  snow – snow drift!!!

Step 2: Mark a circle in the snow. For 2 people you will need a circle of around 2 metres diameter and for 4 people around 4  metres.

Step 3: Shovel a pile of snow into a large reasonably steep mound. If you can keep the sloping sides at an angle of around 35 degrees or higher that is best for stability. Wide, short snow shelters are more prone to collapse. Mix snow of different temperatures to help it to harden, or “sinter.”

Step 4: In deep snow begin by digging a trench downward into the snow towards your mound. This should be on the downhill side and out of the wind if possible. As you dig place the snow that is being removed from the trench on top of your mound. In these conditions make the trench as deep as you are tall.

Step 5: Leave the snow to settle or ‘sinter’ for about 90 minutes if possible.

Step 6: Begin tunneling in. At a point at about knee level in your trench make the entrance. Make the tunnel slightly wider than your body and tunnel at a slightly upwards angle. Ideally the floor of the snow shelter should be at least 30cm above the entrance, this will help prevent warm air from escaping the shelter.  After the initial entrance is made it is easier to hollow from the top down. The walls should be 30 – 60cm thick. You can poke sticks through the walls to mark and measure the thickness. Leave an elevated platform for sleeping on. As heat rises you are in the warmest part of the igloo for sleeping!

Step 7. Make an air vent in the wall of the shelter. This is very important – to stop you suffocating in the night!

Step 8: Block the entrance with a block of snow or rucksack.

Step 9: Smooth the inside walls – this will help control dripping!

TIPS:

Building a snow shelter will make you sweat. Strip into underlayers and shells if possible to build and save dry clothes for afterwards. Prevent hypothermia by changing into warm dry clothes as soon as you have finished building your shelter.

Make sure you mark your entrance with pole or sticks.

Keep a shovel inside in case you need to dig your way out.

When you go to sleep, put your boots and any other clothes you want to put on in the morning in your sleeping bag – otherwise they will freeze!

It is not recommended to cook inside a snow shelter as it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you would like to have a go at building a snow shelter, have a look at our igloo building adventure that you can do as part of a winter activity holiday .

If you have any other snow shelter building tips or experiences, we would love to hear them. please tell us about them in the comments below.

The Undiscovered Alps

How to find other quality independent holiday companies on the web!

We are based in the Southern French Alps famed for it’s great weather, wild and natural environment and the preservation of it’s alpine culture.

People often fall in love with the area and come back year after year. Or they experiment with the different seasons; snowshoeing or ski touring in the winter and mountaineering , mountain biking, or multi activity holidays in the summer.

But sometimes we are asked where would be a good place to go next?

The criteria required is the same, an undiscovered area, wild and unspoilt and ideally with a small locally based tour operator like ourselves to get that unique insight into the area and a personalized service.

The problem is that small independent travel companies are hard to find on the internet as they don’t have the same marketing budget as the big guys!

But there is a solution!! There are (thankfully) some innovative people around who have put together websites to group independent travel companies and make them easier for people to find.

We use some of these ourselves and you may even have discovered us through one of them.

Walkingholidayinfo is a great site for independent walking holidays in Europe. All the tour operators listed on their site are small independent companies offering walking, snowshoeing and mountaineering holidays. You can find Undiscovered Alps on their page on walking holidays in France.

Responsible travel is a site specializing in travel companies who have a responsible travel ethic.

Adventure Sports Holidays focus on the more unusual adventure holidays available around the world.

Muchbetteradventures are collecting the best local and independent active holiday providers from around the world, whilst giving those with a commitment to sustainability a little extra boost.

I’ll add more as I discover them but these are all travel portals that we use and through which clients have found us.

If you know of a good site we would love to hear about it. Please comment in the comments section and we’ll add it to the list.

Happy holiday hunting!

Making tracks in the snow

Anyone under the illusion that snowshoeing is just a boring walk with tennis rackets strapped to their feet, slogging through monotonous snow fields, please read on… and be educated!

The Team:

Scottish Louise and Irish Kevin, new couple Chris and Alison, novice bachelor Jonathan, father of two Paul, Undiscovered Alps Sally and Emily and of course the guides!

A snowy tea and biscuits stop

Day 1 of our New Year Snowshoeing Trip:

We awoke to very heavy snowfall. The valley was hushed quiet as millions of fat snowflakes fell from the sky absorbing all sound.

Cars made only necessary journeys and we were no exception. The snowploughs came and went with apparently little effect as the new snow refilled the scraped road surfaces instantly with a thick white blanket.

Bruno, our guide for the day decided to drive just a short way up the valley to snowshoe in the woods up to a plateau.

Our faithful minibus with it’s brand new snow tyres was ready to take on the challenge but sadly (maybe something to do with the driver.. me??!) had to ask everyone to get out, reverse and take a run up to get up the very short hill. Glad we weren’t going anywhere steeper on four wheels!!

Downhill snowshoeing technique

We wrapped up and started our walk through the trees. The snow just got thicker and thicker leaving an ever increasing layer of white icing sugar on the trees. Bruno made tracks in the virgin snow as we wound our way up through the woods, negotiated a couple of interesting streams and eventually ended up just on the edge of a plateau where we had hot tea and biscuits!

Then came the descent!

They say soft white powder is a skiers dream – believe me it’s a snowshoer’s paradise too. Running down it is like floating on air and if you fall (which we all did of course) it is extremely forgiving!

By the end of the day, everyone had discovered their method, scraping down on their bottom creating a mini avalanche of their own, running with soft knees and heels in, each step rebounding off the powder or trying to walk normally without too much falling head over heels!

Rediscovering the sledge!

It was a fantastic morning in the snow and we deserved our tasty lunch in the Auberge afterwards!

The afternoon was spent sleeping or at least ‘in bed’ for some whilst the rest of us went sledging – oh what a laugh.

Grown men throwing themselves down a mountain on children’s sledges (not at all competitively!!). Us girls sensibly left before it got out of control!

Day 2 – Full Day Snowshoeing up to a summit.

Our snowshoeing summit objective in the distance!

The snow clouds had disappeared revealing blue sky, sunshine and a beautiful white glittering scene. Bernard, our guide for today decided to go for a ridge walk to make the most of the views and we headed up to do the Pic de Gleize. However, we hadn’t quite anticipated the wind effect which as well as chasing away the snow clouds, had also shifted half the snow off the mountain and was blowing the white powder in painful sandblasting gusts. Despite the wasted drive we decided to head to a different mountain in the shelter of the wind. Good decision!

We were starting about an hour later than we should have been but it didn’t matter. The scene in front of us was spectacular, if a little daunting, as Bernard pointed to the summit to show us our objective.

We passed ski tourers who were already on their way down giving off plenty of positive energy vibes having obviously enjoyed their taste of the powder in the sun. This was going to be good!

Loving it!

We followed their tracks for a while, being careful not to destroy them with our snowshoes. Then Bernard challenged us to go off track and make our own way up the mountain. Suddenly the responsibility dawned and we listened intently as he explained how to choose the way: not to traverse across steep slopes, to stay on the top of the little spurs and avoid snow-filled gullies whilst all the time keeping the overall objective of ‘the summit’ in mind. He omitted to tell us how physically challenging it was to break tracks in deep snow, however!

Luckily the mental stimulation of route finding was enough to distract from the burning thighs and everyone was amazingly good at it! Unfortunately for Louise the distraction was a bit too much and she managed to lose her white glove in the snow. We all watched powerlessly as it tumbled down the mountain. Jonathan was the second victim, losing his glove to a gust of wind at lunch as we sat in the rocky outcrops admiring the view. He managed to retrieve his with little ado and gentleman Kevin generously gave his gloves to Louise for the rest of the climb.

Breaking tracks in the snow

We finally arrived at the top. The endorphins were definitely doing their stuff and with the views, sun and great company… it was fantastic.

We had another snack and hot tea before the downhill attempt. The snow was a little harder this time and a light crust had developed in certain places covering the powder underneath. The trick was to try and find the soft powdery bits where the crust transformation hadn’t taken place. The shaded bits were the best bet and we all headed off down with our new-found techniques from yesterday.

Bernard demonstrated a new technique for sliding down (skiing style) a harder crust without breaking it but it was a little bit technical for us novices and pretty much everyone ended up head first in the snow or resorting to sliding down on our backsides!

Can I stay here all night?

The glove was found, and with his hero work done for him, Kevin rejoiced!

We made our way back to the Auberge with suntanned faces, that lovely tired feeling in our legs and lots of happy memories!

I wasn’t there for the evening so I will have to let the others tell you how it went. Though, it is probably worth noting that it was New Year’s Eve, they had a 7 course gourmet meal with a different glass of wine for each course, and they went to bed at 5 in the morning!

Day 3 – The Final Day of our Snowshoeing trip

Thomas (today’s guide) and I arrived at 13hrs to take everyone for the afternoon snowshoeing. We were greeted with non-stop giggles and laughter as the night before was revealed. I can confirm they had a good time! It was sunny and lunch outside on the terrace was firmly on the agenda before snowshoeing.

Snowshoeing up the valley

By the time we finally got going it was 14hrs30 and we had decided to go to Prapic, the last village of the valley, with it’s traditional alpine architecture of hay lofts, animal housing on the ground floor and living quarters in the middle very much in evidence. Very picturesque.

It was a gentle walk from the village without too much ascent following a river up through the valley with dramatic cliffs and mountains on each side. We saw chamois up in the cliffs and had fun interpreting the animal tracks criss-crossing our path. There had been a hare and a fox and speculation as to who was first and what had happened overtook the conversation for a while! We reached the chapel for another tea and reindeer chocolates from Alison before heading back.

We had been snowshoeing with a ‘day after the night before’ slow but comfortable pace and suddenly realised that we were probably going to get back down in the dark! The pace didn’t quicken though. There was a silent agreement to stay out as long as possible in the mountains. We watched as the retiring sun cast a pink hew over the snowy mountain tops and then turned the sky  a deep orange as it set behind the mountains.

Arriving in Prapic

Lights flickered on in the darkness lighting up the villages scattered out in front of us in the V of the valley. But it was the lights of Prapic that stole our imagination. A chocolate box scene of snow-covered houses glowing under the orange halo of the village lights. It was astoundingly beautiful and we lingered a little longer to appreciate the beauty – the perfect finale to a great trip.

Three days snowshoeing and three very different experiences!

A big thank you to Kevin, Louise, Alison, Chris, Paul and Jonathan for making this such a top trip!

Have a look at the full photo album for this trip on flickr.

If you have a snowshoeing story to share, we’d love to hear it. You can reply to this post in the comments or email sally@undiscoveredalps.com and be a guest blogger.

Ancelle

The Alps and skiing go together like a good French wine and cheese…. Very well! And also like a good French wine and cheese, us Brits love them both! At Undiscovered Alps however, we like to spice it up a bit by offering you a ski holiday with a difference. I suppose you could say that we like to have a few really good wines and cheeses on offer, and enjoy the ability to choose between them all!!

Ice Climbing

In this case the cheeses are all the activities you can do on a ski holiday with Undiscovered Alps! With a fantastic range of winter activities to choose from, including snowshoeing, spending the night in an igloo and ice climbing to name but a few, there is something for every adventurer to try!

You will find lots more details on the activities on our website and on our blog article here.

More importantly perhaps, is the selection of fine wines we have to choose from……. With a choice of either the Krug Vintage, aka the larger high altitude resort of Orcieres, or the local Chardonnay’s, aka the traditional smaller ski villages, we have you covered! Choose from the panoramic south facing slopes of Chaillol, the plateau slopes of Ancelle, the dedicated backcountry / off piste area of Serre Eyraud, the larch lined slopes of St Leger les Melezes or the small, charming slopes of Laye which comes complete with its own Fromagerie. All this talk of cheese and you could taste the local one while skiing!

Chaillol

The smaller ski villages offer an authentic French skiing experience, which is becoming more and more unique to the Southern Alps. Whereas the Northern Alps have in places become busy and commercial, with large apartment blocks etc; The ski villages have retained all of their traditional French charm, as well as quieter slopes, great snow records and minimal lift queues.

You can even choose to ski in a different village each day, each with their own character and appeal, and each with different, but equally impressive views of the Alps. They all also benefit from the excellent sun record in the Alps, with over 300 days of sunshine a year. The vast majority of the skiing is at a lower altitude as well, which means you can enjoy some fantastic tree lined slopes, as well as some much more manageable temperatures. All of t

Serre Eyraud

hese great benefits combined with our selection of winter activities make for a true ski holiday with a difference!

Whether you are a first time skiing family, or experienced skier looking for something a bit different, the Ski villages have something to offer you! We are huge fans of them at Undiscovered Alps, and did we mention they work out great value?! Have a look at the Ski Villages Ski Adventure Holiday on our website here for lots more details.

Have you skied in a ski village before? What did you think? Please leave us a comment here and let us know!

Scanning the mountains for wolves

We are standing very still in the woods in a wild and remote part of the Southern French Alps listening. It is still, with not a breath of wind.

Occasionally a lump of snow falls to the ground breaking the silence. A bird tweets. Then we hear a branch breaking and movement. We look but see nothing. The movement stops and then we hear it again but further along. We must be 30 metres away but there is nothing to see in the undergrowth of the alpine woods. The animal is moving quietly and stealthily through the forest. Is it watching us? We are here to track wolves but today we have the distinct impression they are tracking us.

Chamois grazing in the Alps

The wolf tracking adventure is three days long and we are four, Giovanni, Greg, me (Sally) and Bernard our guide and tracker. On the first day we went into the centre of a territory of a pack of seven wolves sure to stumble upon tracks and evidence in the fresh snow. We saw chamois grouped together on the ridge and another group further down – plenty of prey for the wolves. But as for wolf tracks we saw none. The wolves were somewhere else today. Local sources didn’t shed any light on this sudden disappearance of the pack who had recently been very present leaving evidence in attacks, sightings and hidden camera photos.

There was of course the chance they would turn up overnight and we would discover their tracks in the morning but we decided to go to a different territory next door for our overnight in the refuge where a pack of 5 are thought to reside.

Looking for wolves

We drove up to the refuge and unpacked our equipment and food for the night. The water source was a spring about 10 minutes walk away and Greg and Giovanni went off to get water only to come back 5 minutes later with empty bottles but large grins! They had found tracks! We went off to investigate and sure enough they were wolf tracks.

Very pleased with ourselves we set off to follow them. There were 4 wolves and it was easy to follow their tracks along the trail in the light snow. But then all of a sudden they stopped. Some went off to the left and one to the right. We split up to investigate.

The wolves to the left had gone into the woods and circled around but it was difficult to see where they had gone after that and we quickly lost their tracks.

The wolf pack prints

The tracks we had seen were fresh though and there was a good chance they were in this forest somewhere relaxing for the day before their night time hunt. We decided to continue up to the ridge in the assumption that if the wolves were traveling across the woods we would find where they exited by traversing the ridge. If we found nothing there was a 50/50 chance they were still in the woods.

Call it intuition or a sixth sense but pretty much all of a sudden we all stopped still. We had heard something. It wasn’t like a chamois running through the woods. Nor was it a deer bounding away.

Something was moving slowly and cautiously through the woods above us. We listened intently and scanned the forest for visual signs. We saw nothing but I certainly had the distinct impression we were being watched.

Wolves in the woods?

Maybe it was my imagination running away with me or maybe I was right. We will never know for sure.

We continued up to the ridge and ‘bingo’ we found fresh tracks but they were coming in to the forest not out of it. Maybe the wolf had exited lower down and come back in at this point? After a short break watching two chamois running across the steep mountainside we continued following the wolf tracks back down through the forest we had come up through.

Where were they going? The wolf was walking steadily through the forest with easy paced regular tracks and came right out onto the trail where we had started!

Where the wolf crossed our tracks

It’s tracks crossed on top of our own tracks from this morning pushing fresh snow over the top of them. The wolf had walked right past us and there was the evidence staring us in the face! ! Magnificent!

We went back to the refuge wondering where the wolf was now. Had it rejoined the others? Where had they been all day and more importantly what were they all doing now?

The moon with it's halo

It quickly got dark and we were blessed with a beautiful full moon surrounded by a halo of light making large concentric rings which none of us were able to capture on camera (annoyingly!). Whilst we were all marveling at this strange phenomenon a loud barking sound came from the forest. A deer calling for help. But not just one bark, the poor animal was terrorised. It’s terrified bark echoed across the still night in panic, warning the forest of danger. The wolves were still here.

Bernard howled, a long piercing sound echoing around the mountains. We waited and listened. Nothing. He howled again. Nothing.

We went back in to the refuge, very glad not to be out at night in wolf country!

After eating we came back out again and howled and this time got a response but the reply came from beyond the forest and was just one solitary howl and quite short. We howled again but this time it didn’t play ball.

Walking up to the ridge

The next morning was our last day and we wanted to find out more so decided to do a large sweep of the territory taking in the ridge but starting lower down to see if we could find our lone wolf’s tracks coming out of the forest  to complete the picture.

We found tracks but not from where we thought – they were coming from over the other side of the col (thought to be a different wolf pack territory). Was this our wolf or a totally different one? Only one way to find out! The tracks were heading to the left of the ridge – too far left to be our wolf. Was this a stranger exploring new territory? Or a member of the pack coming back after a hunt in no man’s land?

We soon discovered where the tracks were going. Bones. The wolf was going back to a previous  kill and was hoping there would still be some left.

Dry Bones

Sadly for him the foxes, vultures and other scavengers had got there before him, leaving just a few scattered dry bones. He did a U-turn and traversed under the ridge back to the right… maybe this was our wolf after all. Yes indeed! The tracks were the tracks we discovered yesterday going back into the forest.

So now we have two theories… was this wolf just coincidentally crossing our paths as we were making our way through the forest. If so, had we got to the ridge an hour earlier we would have seen it traversing across the plateau to the bones.

Or is it the wolf we were following that just did a much wider loop (we never found tracks coming out of the forest) on it’s way back into the forest where it crossed our paths? Was it the wolf we heard howling? And why is it on it’s own? Had it separated from the pack for hunting or is it a young wolf from an adjoining pack looking for a new territory?

Golden Eagle

We pondered these questions whilst watching a herd of mouflon run across the snowy plateau. Then we continued along the ridge to see if we could see any more signs of the wolf or the other / rest of the pack coming out of the forest at the other side.

It was a spectacular ridge and all the more beautiful with a golden eagle circling over it.

We got the the edge where we were blocked by steep cliffs. The only way was back the way we came or down. If the wolves had exited this forest we would cross their tracks on the way down so guess which way we chose to go! As we descended black grouse flew off right in front of us in a spectacular flurry of feathers and we discovered their nests and footprints in the snow.

Scanning the ridge

Sure enough we soon found the pack tracks and followed them all the way back to the piste – they were the original tracks we found yesterday. Back to square one.

Whether the wolves were watching us, stalking is even or whether our paths just crossed by coincidence we’ll never know. But is doesn’t matter, it was just wonderful to be there and know they were close by.

Have a look at our flickr photo album for more photos of our wolf tracking adventure. If you have any wolf tracking experiences, we’d love to hear them. Please tell us about them in the comments section below.

Ski Touring in the French Alps

Having first been introduced to snow-capped mountains of the southern French Alps at around the age of 15, I quickly became addicted to sensation of throwing myself down a mountain at neck-breaking speeds with only two long planks strapped to my feet. I now consider myself a rather seasoned skier and thought I had a fair idea of the limits of a pair of skis, however when I discovered ski touring, I found out I was wrong. So, if you want to find out how your pair of skis can take you away from the crowded downhill slopes to an untouched Alpine wilderness this winter…read on!

What exactly is Ski Touring?

There’s no other way to say it, ski touring can be hard work!! With challenging off-piste descents combined with steep uphill climbs it’s not a sport for the faint-hearted. However, the rewards of your hard work start to pay off when you experience the thrill of making the first tracks in untouched powder in the remote and pristine Alpine landscape.

Ski touring (also known as ski de randonnée, ski mountaineering, back country skiing and AT [alpine touring] or variants) involves traveling through the winter landscape on skis, where the environment can range from extensive flat plains to steep mountainous terrain.

The principal differences between downhill skiing and ski touring are the absence of ski lifts and snow vehicles – with this sport the descent and the ascent is done under human-power!! The sport therefore requires a ski-binding with a ‘freeheel’ that allows the skier to keep a natural walking motion whilst traversing flat or uphill terrains. Furthermore, when climbing, ‘skins’ (usually made of Nylon or Mohair) are also used to ‘grip’ the snow and prevent the ski from sliding backwards. On reaching the summit, the skins are removed, allowing you to attack the descent in a similar way to a piste skier in a ski resort, the main difference here being that you are well away from the rest of civilisation with unspoiled mountain scenery all around!!

How fit do I need to be and how well do I need to ski?

You do need a reasonable level of fitness and skiing experience to ski-tour – you will expend a considerable more amount of energy on a normal ski tour than; for example; walking the dog, however in saying that, you don’t need to be superhuman!!

A few hours of uphill terrain can be very tiring and if the conditions aren’t great or your skiing isn’t up to scratch the descent can be as arduous – falling over and getting up in deep off-piste powder is much more energetic than on the slopes!! So basically, the fitter you are the more you will enjoy it!

This also applies to your skiing level – if you’ve got trouble getting down a green slope without falling over, you’re going to have difficulty ski-touring. As a minimum, you need to ski red pistes competently, and ideally have some off-piste experience behind you. You will encounter many types of snow whilst touring, therefore you need to be able to cope with both deep fluffy powder and concrete-hard ice patches.

When, where and how to do it?

The high-season for ski touring runs from March to May when the snow is more stable and the days are longer. The principal destination for British tourers is with us here in the Alps, however also long as there’s sufficient snow, the sport can be practiced anywhere. Scotland has seen an increase in people practicing ski touring in the last few years due to all the snow!!

Trips range from day tours (returning to valley-based accommodation each night) to refuge tours (where you sleep in mountain refuges). You get the chance to give both a try on our Introductory Ski Touring Week where you will first spend a day learning about high mountain safety and perfecting your off-piste technique before venturing out with your skis into the snow-capped mountains of the southern French Alps. You will be guided throughout the week by fully qualified local UIAGM high mountain guides and provided with all the specialised equipment (there is a fair amount!) and instructed on how to use it.

So if you’re looking to get away from the crowds this winter and fancy giving Ski Touring a go, have a look at our Ski Touring pages on the website for more information on how to get involved!