Snowshoeing In The Pyrenees

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, lightweight 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 2006.

We will take you snowshoeing in the High Couserans in the Ariege 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 from, whenever possible, local organic produce. Wine from the family vineyard in Bordeaux will be served.

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 the 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 - 4 of the five-day breaks [Days 2 - 6 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.

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.

• Transport to and from Toulouse (Blagnac) airport. On arrival, we will meet you at the airport at 11.30am. On the day of departure, we will take you to the airport in time for the 6.15pm flight
• Hire of snowshoes, poles and safety equipment
• Services of two qualified guides
• Bed & Breakfast on the four (or six) nights and mornings you are with us; packed lunches on the three (or five) days’ snowshoeing; dinner an aperitif and a quarter-litre of wine on three  evenings of your stay.

What is not included

• Airfare (from £34)
• Outdoor winter wear   
• On the first and last days, lunch; on one of the evenings, dinner in a local restaurant, which costs about 40 Eu.

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.
• Gortex gaiters.
• Thick outer socks and thin insulated inner socks.
• Thick outer fleece and thin inner fleece.
• Small first aid kit.

Dates, prices and booking

 We are running six Snowshoeing Breaks in 2006 on the following dates:

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 510 Euros (£365) per person for the five-day breaks and 715 Euros (£510) for the seven-day break. There is a supplement of 90 Euros (£65) for the single-occupancy of a room with more than one bed. If a group books the entire accommodation (a minimum of 12 people) there is a discount of 10 per cent.

A non-refundable deposit of 140 Euros (£100) is payable on booking; the balance is due four weeks before departure.

Telephone bookings (call + 33 5 61 04 64 47) can be made at any time but the best time to call is between 3pm and 6pm.

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.