Mont Blanc Winter Activity Week - France, Italy

Essential Information

Trip Profile

No particular experience needed, but good general level of fitness required. Instruction for cross-country skiing is given for both beginners and intermediates. Transport by private minicoach.

Price Includes

Return flights from Heathrow or Gatwick to Geneva with British Airways, airport transfers (for group flights only)
7 nights at the Hotel Couronne
All breakfasts, 5 picnic lunches and 6 dinners
Two days cross-country skiing
One and a half days guided snowshoeing
Nordic walking session
Half-day dogsledding (sharing 2 per sled)
Visit to St. Bernard Dog kennels
Ice-skating session
Mont Blanc Express train ride
Snowshoe equipment
Tour leader throughout

Not included:
Cross-country ski hire, available locally approx EUR45

Optional Activities:
Downhill skiing in the Chamonix Valley
Guided glacier walk
Aiguille du Midi by cable car

Accommodation

Hotel Couronne 2-star

A charming hotel, it is one of the oldest in the valley giving it a traditional décor and warm reception. All rooms have televisions with most overlooking Mont Blanc or the Aiguille Verte ranges. There is a ski room with private lockers and heated boot rack and a lounge in which to relax by the log fire after a day on the snow. Free WiFi connection is available in the lounge.

Food

7 breakfasts, 5 picnic lunches and 6 dinners included.

Reality Check

This trip is graded A/B, which means that no previous experience required.

The snowshoeing is suitable for regular summer hill walkers. The cross-country is aimed at beginners, but intermediates and experts will also benefit from the attention of our leader.

Although a programme is detailed, the actual order of events may be changed. The final timetable will be decided by the leader during the week.

Your safety All active winter holidays involve some element of risk; from something as normal as slipping on icy pavements, to the possibility of injuries sustained as a result of the activities themselves. While we do all we can to minimize any dangers, participants must be prepared to accept some risk as part of the holiday. Please see 'walking conditions / activity details' in the Trip Notes, and 'risk of injury' the back of our Winter Activities brochure or online in our FAQs section for this trip.

Normal group size and age

Normally 4 to 12, plus leader. Minimum age 16.

Icons explained

The vast majority of Exodus adventures are adult group holidays. Groups are always small in size. We strongly believe that this adherence to small groups means a better experience for all; more time with your guide, less waiting around and a reduced impact on the communities and environments visited.
Each group is generally made up of like-minded travellers - with singles, couples and friends all joining in together. All these trips are suitable for single travellers, but if you prefer to travel with clients booking individually, please see our Solo Departures page.

In order to provide a more accurate grading system, where a trip falls between two grades we use an intermediate or split grade, for example Leisurely/Moderate. Occasionally, there are optional activities available en route, in this case the optional grade is indicated in brackets, for example Grade Challenging (climb Tough+). Clearly, conditions may differ from region-to-region or month-to-month and as such the information given on these pages is designed to act as a guide only. In all cases you should refer to the respective holiday's Trip Notes for further details.

Cross-country skiing: will involve intensive instruction, and our groups are carefully graded to ensure participants have similar levels of experience.
Cross-country ski grades: 1 Beginners | 2 Intermediates (suitable for confident beginners) | 2+ Intermediates (not suitable for beginners) | 3 Advanced | 4 Strenuous | and for Cross-country Skating levels: 1 Beginners | 2 Intermediates - For full explanations of Cross-Country Grading and Levels please see below or check here to view the full Winter Grades page.

Winter Activities: It's about seeking out alternative ways to have fun in unspoilt locations, you won't find standard skiing or snowboarding breaks here.

Mixed Activities: Activities may range from the ordinary (for example walking, cycling or whitewater rafting) to the damn right extraordinary (including caving, camel riding or canyoning).