Jonathan's Tours 2008

Snowshoeing is the fastest-growing winter sport in France. It's a different way to take a winter break and it's fun.
Even if you're a skilled skier or snowboarder you'll enjoy snowshoeing because it'll take you to places that can't be reached any other way. You'll walk through forests that look like backdrops to a fairy tale.

You'll walk by the side of hidden lakes, in valleys blanketed with snow. After a day or so, you'll be making descents you'd have thought impossible the day before! See some pictures

You don't need any experience; you don’t have to bring special equipment. We'll lend you modern, light-weight snowshoes and poles; we'll show you how to use them.
In 15 minutes you'll know enough to get started. By the end of the first day's snowshoeing you’ll have picked up all you need to know to snowshoe confidently, up and down, over all sorts of terrain, with style and daring!

You’re not expected to be an Olympic athlete to go snowshoeing but you should be fit enough to walk six or eight miles in a day, including some uphill stretches.

Come with us

We’re offering a choice of five-day and seven-day breaks in January and February 2008; we also have three-day family breaks in February and March.

We will take you snowshoeing in the High Couserans in the Ariège region of the central Pyrenees, one of the most remote and unspoiled regions of Europe. We'll walk in and around the valleys of Biros, Bethmal and Bellelongue; we will look across the ridge that separates France from Spain. If we're lucky we will see the tracks of brown bears and isards. We'll walk through isolated villages and pass the ruins of abandoned farms.

At the end of each day we'll return to Le Clos Enchanté, an early nineteenth century manor house restored by Jonathan and Myriam Peat, to relax and to reinvigorate ourselves with a dinner cooked, whenever possible, from local organic produce. Wine from the family vineyard in Bordeaux will be served. On one of the evenings we will dine at a local restaurant.

Your guides will be Philippe Cazes, who has guided locally for more than 20 years, and Jonathan Peat, who has guided walking holidays in Greece and France for nearly 20 years. Between them the two guides speak English, Greek and French.

What happens and when

First day

We collect you from Toulouse airport (see What is included) and take you to Le Clos Enchanté. In the afternoon there will be an opportunity for an unescorted tour of the village (Castillon en Couserans) or for an escorted walk (not in snowshoes), with Jonathan, up to Castel Nerou from where you will see some of the routes we will be snowshoeing over the next three or five days.

In the evening, in the library, over drinks and a map, Philippe will explain where we will be snowshoeing; snowshoes, poles and safety equipment will be issued. We will then go into dinner.

Days 2 - 3 of the five-day breaks
[Days 2 - 5 of the seven-day breaks]

Breakfast will be served, usually at 8am, or up to half an hour before if we need to make an early start. At breakfast you can help yourself to cereals, fruit, pastries and a cooked course. Coffee, teas, and fruit juices will be offered.

We will drive (usually in half an hour or so) to the starting point. On the first morning you will be shown how to put on your snowshoes and how to adjust them. We will then walk for two or three hours, often uphill, and stop for lunch, sometimes digging out our lunch table and bench from the snow. Lunch usually consists of hot soup, bread and cheese or meat and a yoghurt or piece of fruit for dessert. After lunch, we will walk for two hours or so, usually downhill, returning to our transport, sometimes via a local bar or café.

We should get back to Les Clos Enchanté by 5pm in time to relax and recuperate before dinner which is usually served at 8pm. Dinner comprises four courses, with an aperitif and a quarter-litre of wine. On one of the evenings, we will have dinner in a local restaurant.

Last day

There is no snowshoeing organised for the last day although a separate arrangement can be made if you wish.

After breakfast, we leave for Toulouse where, depending on the time of your flight, there should be an opportunity to spend a few hours sightseeing.

What is included

Transport to and from Toulouse (Blagnac) airport: our shuttle service runs on arrival and departure days. It is timed to meet the Easyjet and British Airways flights from Gatwick that arrive at Toulouse at 10.05 and 11.20 respectively. On the day of departure you will be taken to Toulose airport in time to catch the 18.25 (British Airways) and 21.25 (Easyjet) flights to London Gatwick
Hire of snowshoes, poles and safety equipment
Services of two qualified guides
Bed and Breakfast on the four (or six) nights and mornings you are with us; packed lunches on the three (or five) days’ snowshoeing; dinner and an aperitif and a quarter-litre of wine on all but one of the evenings

What is not included

Airfare
Transport to and from the airport outside the times of the shuttle service, as specified above. For those not using the shuttle service between Toulouse airport and Le Clos Enchanté, a taxi can be arranged which costs €150 each way; this is an extra charge.
Outdoor winter wear
On the first and last days, lunch; on one of the evenings, dinner in a local restaurant, which costs about €40
Travel insurance

What you should bring with you

Waterproof walking boots (not ski boots)
Rucksack
Sunglasses
Sunblock
Waterproof trousers and jacket (must be warm)
Wicking teeshirts
Gloves (warm and waterproof) and thin inner gloves if you wish.
Gaiters (Gortex is more breathable).
Thick outer socks and thin insulated inner socks.
Thick outer fleece and thin inner fleece.
Small First Aid kit.
Slippers for the house

Dates, prices and booking

Five-day breaks 4 nights €450 per person 0	Seven-day breaks 6 nights €645 per person 0	Special Family breaks €285 per adult and €200 per children
2009 dates to be confirmed in August 2008.

Book a Snowshoeing Break

Accommodation
We have five rooms with en suite facilities. The accommodation is arranged as follows: two rooms with a double bed; one room with a double bed and a single bed; two rooms with twin beds. There is a sixth room with three single beds; it has the exclusive use of an adjacent shower and WC.
See photographs of the house

Prices
The price, based on two people sharing a room, is €450 per person for the five-day breaks and €645 for the seven-day breaks. There is a supplement of €90 for the single-occupancy of a room with more than one bed. If a group books the entire accommodation (a minimum of 10 people) there is a discount of 10 per cent.

A non-refundable deposit of €150 per person is payable on booking; the balance is due four weeks before departure. We accept credit and debit card payments over the phone.
Telephone bookings (call + 33 5 61 04 64 47) can be made at any time but the best time to call is between 15.00 and 19.00 French time; we are one hour ahead of UK time.

We are bonded by the French 'habilitation tourisme' scheme (No. HA 009 02 0003) which guarantees the security of the deposit and the advance payments made to book holidays with Jonathan's Tours.

Flights

There are low-cost flights to Toulouse from Gatwick (British Airways and EasyJet) and Bristol (Easyjet). Ryanair fly to Carcassone from Stansted, East Midlands, Liverpool, Dublin and Shannon.

Our shuttle service runs once a day on arrival and departure days and is timed to serve the following flights:

British Airways/ www.britishairways.com		easyJet www.easyjet.com
Depart Gatwick	08:35		07:05
Arrive Toulouse	11:20		10:05

Depart Toulouse	18:25		21:25
Arrive Gatwick	19:15		22:15

Please do not book your flight until we have confirmed your reservation. The flights shown above the scheduled services of the bigger airlines. There are other services; please ask us or your travel agent for more details or go to the websites. There is a new airline, Air Brussels, which operates irregular flights and another company, Jet2.

Any questions?

If you’d like to know more, please call Jonathan or Myriam Peat (+ 33 5 61 04 64 47) or email them at jonathanstours@gmail.com