Tips for a change from downhill skiing
It is the star of stays in the mountains in winter, whether in the Alps, the Pyrenees or the Massif Central, downhill skiing is the main activity of many holidaymakers. However, ski resorts offer many other ways to spend a stay in the mountains and discover this environment in a different way: snowshoeing for example, cross-country skiing or even walking.
Cross-country skiing in the Alps!
The Alps offer many cross-country ski trails which are generally accessible for all cross-country skiers, whether those who practice classic (in the tracks) or skating (that practiced in competition). The Portes du Soleil area, which includes the resorts of Avoriaz - Morzine or Les Gets, for example, offers cross-country skiers more than 200 kilometers of slopes.
Find a rental in Avoriaz
Cheaper stay thanks to cross-country skiing
At the foot of Mont Blanc, the ski resort of Chamonix is not to be outdone and offers, for example, two sets of cross-country ski trails in a very natural setting, crisscrossing the middle of a pine forest. One of the advantages of this discipline is its cost much less than for its cousin on the track.
In Chamonix, the day pass costs only 6,90 euros, while the piste ski passes are generally around 30 euros.
Take a walk at the top of the slopes
To stay in the Alps, the resort of Val Thorens offers an original way of discovering the mountain and the downhill slopes, by surveying them… on foot! Located in the Domaine des 3 Vallées, the resort offers visitors packages allowing them to take the ski lifts and walk up the slopes and discover mountain trails.
hike specially designed for this activity.
For non-skiers, it is also a practical way to join your skier friends for lunch in a mountain restaurant.
Compare prices for a stay in Chamonix or Val Thorens
Snowshoe hikes ...
The other way to walk in mid-mountain is of course snowshoes. They allow you to discover places that are usually inaccessible and to approach the fauna and flora of the mountain in a unique way. This activity also allows you to go to less frequented mountain ranges such as the Jura which offers many snowshoe hiking trails. This also allows you to save on the cost of your stay in the mountains since accommodation is generally not expensive.
Discover the ski resorts of Jura
... or in sled dogs
Even more original than snowshoes, the resorts of the Sancy massif, in Auvergne, are organizing "Musher's dream" stays for this winter 2010/2011 which allow you to discover the driving of sled dogs and to walk in the forests around the mountains. Besse and Super-Besse stations.
Play mushers on the slopes of the Massif Central
