Some of us have just returned from an exhilarating trip to France, where we tried Snowshoeing for the first time. Here’s the account of our adventures off the beaten track in the beautiful Queyras mountains on the border of the French and Italian Alps:

Day 1
Arrived at Auberge, after a 3-hour drive by our driver Vincent, who met us at the airport, to a warm welcome from our hosts Fanny and Nico. When we had unpacked and settled in this authentic chalet… off we went to explore the village of St Vernan. This is one of the highest villages in the Querynas in the Southern French Alps, and many of the buildings give this village its identity. We found a super little cafe where we enjoyed a delicious mulled wine.
That evening, Fanny treated us to the most delicious homemade soup, lasagne, and blueberry cake with lemon ice cream, not to mention a delicious glass or 2 of red wine.

Day 2
We woke up to beautiful, snow-capped mountains, blue skies and sunshine. We had a classic chalet-style breakfast, fresh bread, muesli, boiled eggs and tea and coffee. We then met Bernard, our guide, who soon got us sorted with snowshoes and gave us excellent instructions on how to use them. With our delicious, packed lunches made by Fanny, we were off exploring the Claree Valley, full of anticipation of the day ahead!

As we got out of the minibus, we were in awe of the beautiful mountains surrounding us. The weather was perfect for our day ahead. With rucksacks, we set off to climb 450m, and it wasn’t long before the going got tougher. We stayed as a group, supporting each other. Our ascent was to a little spot Bernard had in mind for lunch. The soup, fruit cake, ham and cheese sandwiches and date salad were much needed!
The descent was steady, and in no time, we were back at the minibus having done our first day of snowshoeing. What an adventure, so much fun!!

Day 3
Following day 2, we had found our snowshoeing legs and had acclimatised to the altitude of 2040m at the Oberge … This was the day of the expedition. Bernard met us at 0930, and we packed our rucksack for our overnight stay, including shovels, probes and avalanche tracking devices.
The sun was shining, and once again we had clear blue skies. As we left the Oberge, we were all focused on the 5hour, 500m climb to the La Blanche refuge. We walked on a designated piste, making our climb easier. The going was tough, but the scenery of the Claree Valley was truly breathtaking. We stopped for our packed lunch at Chapel and then set off to the refuge. The going got tougher, and eventually, there before our eyes, we saw the refuge. Bernard informed us that it was 35/40 mins away, which motivated us to push on.
On arrival at the refuge, we had hot chocolate and found our bunks. It was much colder at 2500m. The clear skies at late afternoon meant we could watch the new moon disappear behind the mountain peak. As it got darker, the temperature dropped again, and the stars shone brightly. A truly magical evening. We were among 30 people staying at the refuge, and we all felt revived after wine and a delicious 4-course supper.

That evening, Bernard had checked the weather forecast for the next day, which said it was due to change to cloudier weather with snow. He then spent some time explaining how our avalanche alarms worked and what our route would be in the morning.

Day 4

After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, we set off in the snow and low cloud cover. The descent was kinder on our legs than the day before. Lots of fresh snow made part of the route challenging at times. Lots of tumbles with much laughter. As it was snowing, the temperature was warmer than the previous day, 3/ 5 degrees. The weather stayed cloudy for the day, as we headed back to the Oberge. We stopped briefly an hour away for drinks and a snack. With the weather conditions potentially deteriorating, we decided that lunch at the Oberge was the better option.

On arriving back at the Oberge, Fanny and Nico greeted us with a warm reception. We sadly said goodbye to Bernard and settled for late afternoon lunch, showered and then went for our final evening to a local bar for mulled wine and beers. That evening, we had a delicious supper, lots of vino and much more laughter.

Day 5
Early start for our 06.30 transfer back to Turin. We arrived at Gatwick at 13.30. As we said our goodbyes, we all agreed that it had all been an amazing experience. What an incredible way to explore and become immersed in the majestic beauty of the mountains. So much fun was had by all, and what an achievement.

Here’s to the next time!!