Mountain Adventure Holidays
Snowshoeing is the perfect winter activity for those who enjoy mountain walking. Each winter we find that more and more summer hikers are joining us in the snow in a bid to continue their passion all year around. Snowshoeing is a great activity and we organise a number of tailor-made snowshoe trips every year for those who want to set their own dates, and pace.
Booking a bespoke snowshoe trip means you can choose your companions and set your own goals for the trip. We have been guiding in winter since Tracks and Trails was set up in 2006 and as a result we have a wide range of itineraries which we can suggest at locations across the Alps. We can easily help you fulfil your aspirations to enjoy the mountains in winter.
Snowshoeing does not require previous experience as it is simply a case of walking in the snow, but with equipment that makes it easier to do so. You do, however, need a reasonable level of fitness to make the most of your trip, unless you would prefer our slow snowshoe approach which ensures as many cake and coffee stops as possible!
Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Western Europe and the world famous alpine town of Chamonix provides a stunning base for snowshoeing. This French town is full of character and history and makes a great location to spend a few days or a week of snowshoeing. Every time you look up you see 'it' there, a world of snow, ice and rock and dreams of mountain adventure.
With a wide range of accommodation on offer Chamonix suits all budgets and requirements. It is also only a 30 minute drive to Switzerland where we have the chance to conquer some peaks, or even spend a night in the world famous Grand St Bernard Monastery, a unique experience.
Below are just a few of the possible snowshoe routes that are available near Chamonix:
Chalets de Chailloux, France
If this is your fist time on snowshoes we will spend time making sure you are comfortable with the equipment. It really is simply a case of walking, but wearing an item of kit on your feet that makes it all easier. We spend the day enjoying a walk with views of the Mont Blanc massif from the Chalets de Chailloux, a fabulous vantage point that gives a wonderful photo opportunity to capture Chamonix valley and glaciers. Ascent 570m.
Mont de l'Arpille, Switzerland
Today we could have a trip to Switzerland, and an ascent of one of the best viewpoints of the area. We head up initially through pine woods, watching out for squirrels and roe deer, and then into more open ground as we arrive at alpage. An alpage is where the sheep and cows graze in the summer months. We then wind our way to the summit which offers incredible panoramas of Mont Blanc, the Dents du Midi, and the Rhône Valley. Ascent 770m.
Refuge de Loriaz, France
Chalet Loriaz is above the hamlet of Vallorcine. The Vallorcine valley, which means ‘valley of the bears', used to easily be cut off during the winter months due to it's access being two mountain passes. Unfortunately, because the locals used to pay their taxes in bear meat there are none left today! We leave the village to climb steadily on a good trail until we reach the open mountainside of the alpage at Loriaz. If the conditions permit we can also ascend the higher point of the Charmoz. Ascent 700m.
La Crête des Bénés, France
A truly beautiful ridge line which offers excellent views in all directions. Today we drive down the valley towards the market town of Sallanches where we take a small mountain road climbing to the parking at Le Perret. From here we pick up the forest trail which zigzags up the hillside to the ancient farms below the Tete Noire at 1691m, a fine summit in itself. We then leave the trees to discover what have to be some of the finest views of the Mont Blanc range. On one side the valley which leads to Chamonix, with Mont Blanc in the distance, on the other the Aravis mountains, and ahead the shapely mountain of the Croisse Baulet at 2236m. Ascent 680m.
It is always our aim to complete the proposed itinerary outlined above, however, it may be necessary for our guides/instructors to adjust the daily itinerary based on the weather conditions, group safety and enjoyment.
When booking a trip we ask you to acquire insurance to cover you for the following:
Mountain Rescue Insurance
It is a condition of booking that you are insured against medical expenses, injury, illness, death, mountain rescue, cost of repatriation and personal accident risks. Please ensure that your insurance covers you to the maximum altitude given on your trip itinerary. The maximum altitude for any trip can be checked on the 'At A Glance' box on each trip page. Most of our trips have a maximum altitude of 3,000 metres. If you are unsure or are joining a bespoke trip, then please ask us for specific details.
Trip Cancellation/Curtailment Insurance
You should also have insurance to cover trip cancellation and curtailment. Please note that your deposit and balance payments are non-refundable, unless it is Tracks and Trails who cancel the trip due to a failure to reach the required minimum numbers. In this case we will offer you a refund or the option of transferring to another trip if one is available. We also advise that you should have insurance which covers baggage loss/equipment damage as Tracks and Trails will not be held responsible for loss/damage to baggage/equipment.
COVID-19 Insurance
As well as medical cover, we recommend that you have appropriate travel insurance so that if you fall ill and test positive for COVID-19 prior to (or during) your trip, you will be financially covered for cancelling your trip. You should also consider booking a policy that covers you if you have to cancel or curtail your holiday because you have to self-isolate. If you choose to cancel, cancellation charges will be payable, but if the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges. Please read the clauses below detailing trip cancellation and curtailment.
Travel Insurance covering COVID-19 is now available from a number of suppliers, Campbell Irvine, Trailfinders and Staysure. Please check their websites for the latest information on what is and isn't covered. It is likely that more companies will offer COVID related cover in the future.
All of the above insurances are detailed in our Terms and Conditions.
If you are joining a trip in the UK helicopter/mountain rescue insurance is not required as this is a free service.
For further details, please read the Insurance section on our website.
We go to great lengths to work with first class guides who are passionate about their work. They are all fully qualified, insured, and hold the correct documentation.
Please note your snowshoe guide has complete discretion to make a daily decision on whether or not to take the advertised route based on the weather and the ability of the members of the group. They have our authority to make any route changes they believe are necessary in the interests of safety and enjoyment. This is particularly relevant in a winter environment where the snowpack can change on a daily basis.
Your guide will be a fully qualified and experienced International Mountain Leader. International Mountain Leaders are not only qualified to ensure the safe management of the group, but are also a source of knowledge about the local flora and fauna, and traditions of the area which you are visiting. You can learn more about our guides and instructors on the About Us page.
We do not include lunches in your trip fee for various reasons, the most important of which is food waste. In general our guests have particular tastes and requirements for 'trail' or 'hill' food and it is better you purchase your own snacks rather than throw away items from the picnic lunch which we would supply.
Lunches on our trips are 'picnic' style lunches, in other words you take a packed lunch with sufficient snacks, food and fluid to sustain you throughout the day. Buying snacks and trying local specialities is a great way to inter-act with local people and to practise your language skills.
If there is the possibility of lunch being taken at a restaurant/farm/cafe beside the trail, your guide/instructor will advise you of this. Each evening you can order a picnic or a sandwich from the hotel, or your guide/instructor will advise you of other options such as a local shop or market. In all cases we would ask you to settle any 'bill' for lunch or drinks the evening before you depart, and not in the morning when there may be a queue.
On your itinerary you will find an indication of the amount of ascent and descent you can expect each day. This offers a guideline to how much effort might be expended each day and allows you to decide, based on previous experience, if your fitness and stamina are correct for the trip.
We make every attempt to ensure these statistics are as accurate as possible, but ask you to note that the most modern of technology used to record these details can show considerable variations in terms of ascent, descent, and in particular distance. In other words no two people using GPS devices on the same route will have exactly the same details recorded at the end of the day.
The statistics given should be used as a 'general' indication of the effort required.
It is useful to arrive at your destination with some cash in the local currency, however, on most occasions it is relatively easy to visit a 'cash machine' after arrival and withdraw money on a credit or debit card. Some of our locations are an exception to this in particular Norway, where the accommodation will often have no facilities for withdrawing cash, but they will take a credit card.
On many of our trips we will visit remote cafes/farms where it is wonderful to enjoy a drink and a cake, at places such as these they will often only accept payment in the local currency in cash.
Food
We encourage you to experience local tastes and dishes and for this reason many of our accommodation options will be family run with a reputation for traditional food and where the menu reflects the best that the region provides.
The hotels to there best to accommodate the dietary needs of our guest . If you are vegetarian this is not a problem as the hotel is used to being asked for vegetarian meals. If you have a 'special' diet because of an allergy or intolerance which will make you ill then the accommodation will cater for this as best they can but we would ask that you make it clear on your booking form of any food intolerance so that we can discuss your needs with the hotel at the earliest point possible. When using remote mountain huts the staff are usually able to offer breakfast and dinner which meet with the clients needs. Packed lunches can be more problematic and so we do suggest that, if you do have a specific dietary requirement, you bring a range of suitable snacks to supplement the lunches. If you would like to discuss the suitability of a trip for a vegan diet, gluten or lactose intolerance contact us.
We request that you do not CHANGE your dietary requirements during the trip as we will have pre-ordered your meals.
Water
The countries we visit all have tap water which is drinkable. If for any reason a particular hotel or mountain hut is having a problem with a remote mountain water supply they will normally post a sign over the tap indicating that you must not drink the water.
At all times you are welcome to ask your guide/instructor if the water can be drunk. We would ask, for environmental reasons, that you avoid using single-use plastic bottles, and bring a water bottle that can be used repeatedly.
A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required. Please check the relevant embassy or consulate for the country you are visiting, paying attention to your citizenship. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Visa requirements and charges are subject to change without notice.
We ask that you carry a paper copy of your passport with you on your trip. We suggest keeping your passport in your rucksack, and a paper copy of your passport in any luggage you might have. If your trip is without luggage transfers then keep a paper copy somewhere in your rucksack, separate from your original document.
Before booking consider whether you expect to be in the appropriate physical condition on the date of your departure to allow you to fully participate in and enjoy your holiday. If you have any doubts because of an illness or injury it would be advisable to check with your doctor.
For UK residents travelling to an EU country you should obtain and bring with you a free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). This entitles you to state provided medical treatment in certain European countries, but is not a substitute for medical travel insurance.
If you have a UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) it will be valid until the expiry date on the card. Once it expires, you’ll need to apply for a GHIC to replace it. The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) lets you get state healthcare in Europe at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. Please check this before departing. We advise that you always carry your insurance documents with details of the Emergency Medical telephone number for your insurance provider, and your policy number.
We feel strongly about protecting the environment and do not encourage the use of single-use plastic items. We would ask that you arrive with a ‘water bottle’ or ‘hydration system’ that can be used repeatedly. We would point out that we operate a ‘zero tolerance’ for rubbish, and would ask you to remove all your rubbish items from the mountain even those you consider to be bio-degradable. In particular we ask that you remove any toilet tissue.
You can read our full policy here.
Working across international boundaries, and with various currencies means that the price of our trips can change overnight. We have, however, undertaken to guarantee that once you have paid your deposit the price of your trip is fixed. In this respect we urge you to book early to ensure that you receive the price advertised on our website. The website price may increase due to currency fluctuations, but we guarantee that the price advertised on the date of your booking will be maintained in your individual case.
Prices may vary depending on date.
| From Price | £0 |
| Holiday Type | Snowshoeing |
| Duration | 1 Days |
| Countries Visited | France |