Beaufortain ski-touring in 3 days
The
Beaufortain is a small massif between Savoie and Haute Savoie. It is truly ski
touring paradise: you can ski almost anywhere, giving you the chance to
practice your skills on safe trails. This little gem in the Northern Alps is
defined by its authentic Savoyard way of life, great snow in winter, fir trees
forests and its traditional agriculture (does Beaufort cheese ring you a bell?
Well, this is where it comes from!).
Ski touring
in the Beaufortain is a lifestyle, and it is an integral part of the local
life. For a long time, the virgin slopes of ski lifts have called the skiers to
come to make bends in the powdery, especially as the snow coverage is
particularly good all winter long in this little piece of heaven.
Itinerary
-
Day 1 Arêches - Roche Parstire (2109m)
Early in the morning, we meet up with our guide in Arêche for an equipment check (rental if needed), a briefing on the following days program and to give us our freshly homemade picnics. Not long after, we hop in our cars heading to the small and picturesque village of Boudin, higher in the Arêches.
To warm up, we start our tour on gentle slopes to join the "Prés" pass at 1703m, from where we can observe the unbelievably pretty lake of Roselend in absolute quietness. Then, we head South to join the edge, with a small path on foot with the skis on our backs, to get to the Roche Parstire (2109m). It’s the most beautiful 360° viewpoint on the surrounding summits of the Beaufortain. It’s only a warmup day and we’re already mind blown by the magnificence of the landscapes! Can it get any better than this?Ascent: about 800m | Descent: about 800m | Max. Alt: 2109m | Accomodation : cottage | Activity time: 4 to 5 hours
-
Day 2 Arêches - Roche Plane peak (2166m)
After an invigorating night and a quickly devoured breakfast, we set off from "Les Maisonnettes", above Arêches, ascending through high mountain pastures, lush forests and beautiful slopes, until we reach the Roche Plane. It’s one of the most frequented summits of Beaufortain due to its ideal conditions for ski touring. Arrival at the main peak (2166m) from a small edge. Easy and peaceful descent between small fir trees, with the only sound of our skis sliding on the fresh snow. We’ll have a chilled evening in a comfy mountain cottage.
Ascent : about 1070m | Descent : about 1070m | Max Alt : 2166m | Accomodation : lodge
-
Day 3 Arêches - St-Guérin lake road - Mont Coin (2539m)
Today is our biggest hiking day of the trip! Wake up bright and early for a car ride to the road terminus leading to the St-Guérin lake. We get our skis back on and skin on gentle climbs through pastures to the Mont Coin (2539m), by its west side. We’ll descend by the same road, before going back to Arêches, and saying goodbye around noon.
Ascent: 1260m | Descent : 1260m | Max Alt : 2539m
ITINERARY CHANGE
Important
info : The program can be modified
by your guide due to weather conditions or participants physical conditions.
For safety reasons and to ensure a uniform level corresponding to the one
announced, the supervision and organisation boards have the right to interrupt
your participation if your technical or physical levels are lower than those required. The interruption will not give you any right of refund or payment of
compensation.
Dates & prices
International departures:
No departure for now
Departures for French-speaking groups:
No departure for now
Trip code: SRBE3J
Included
A deposit of 30% of the trip’s price will be needed during
the subscription, the whole price must be paid at least 30 days before
departure.
- The technical organization of the stay
- Supervision by mountain guide
- Accommodation in a cottage, half board / Arêche-Beaufort valley : shared rooms.
- The picnic - lunch
- Safety equipment: Avalanche transceiver (batteries not included), shovel and probe
Not included
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Energetic bars (cereal bars, dried fruit, chocolate bars, etc ... at your convenience)
- Hiking ski equipment + warm suit + knives + sticks
- Technical equipment : crampons, harness
- Batteries for avalanche transceiver (4 LR03 AAA)
- Cable cars (around 30 euros)
- Transfers in the valley and to the meeting points
- Insurance / Assistance
- Anything that is not in "the price includes"
To be paid on site
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Rental of personal equipment if necessary
- The lifts if necessary
International flights
If you wish, we can take care of booking your
international flights to the closest airport of your destination.
Terms and conditions
Subscription
Subscribe to one of our activities or travels
means accepting general sales conditions. Each client must fill a subscription
form, which will be accepted only after the payment of a deposit accounting for
30% of the travel’s price and according to the availability. If you subscribe
less than 30 days before the trip, you must pay the whole price during the
subscription. You can pay by bank transfer (SWIFT/IBAN) or with your credit
card directly through our website (available soon). A booking confirmation will
be sent to you be e-mail very soon.
Invoice procedure
Once your booking is
registered, we will send you an email containing the invoice. Full payment is
required at least 30 days before your arrival. If the customer does not settle
the payment of the travel price within the period agreed upon, Altaï Alpes
has the right to cancel the booking free of charge.
Cancellation policy
If for any reason,
you decide to withdraw from a journey, the amount already paid will be refunded
subject to the following exceptions:
- More than 30 days before departure, you will be charged for the amount of 50€
- From 30 to 21 days before departure, you will be charged for the amount of the deposit (30% of the trip’s price)
- From 20 to 14 days before departure, you will be charged for 50% of the trip’s price
- From 13 to 7 days before departure, you will be charged for 75% of the trip’s price
- Less than 7 days before departure, you will be charged for the whole trip’s price
Particular case :
Whatever the date of the cancellation or
contract change, the following fees will be added to the charges above :
- Airline fixed costs : plane tickets are bought in advance to avoid too high airline prices, however they are non refundable in case of cancellation or plane changes. In that case, the charges above apply to the price of your trip without the plane ticket’s price
- Ground fixed costs : you will be charged for the fees that were paid early
- Insurance fees : Insurance fees will not be refunded if you subscribed to a multi-risk or cancellation insurance. The specific conditions will be written on your subscription confirmation
If you have no choice but to cancel your trip
before departure, you must inform Altaï Alpes and your insurance provider with
a written statement as soon as possible, you will get a receipt.
The receipt
date will be taken as the cancellation date to charge cancellation fees.
If Altaï Alpes has no choice but to cancel a
group travel due to an insufficient number of participants, the decision will be
taken and the clients informed at least 31 days before departure. Altaï Alpes
can also cancel a departure due to exceptional events threatening participants
safety (social events, strikes, weather conditions). In that case, the trip’s
price will be fully refunded but the participants will not get any compensation.
Changes to travel contract
If any change in
travel contract is made at the customer’s request, any fee that might arise
from this change shall be paid by the customer. In any case, every request for
changes shall be notified in writing. In case of external events that could not
be foreseen, Altaï Alpes might change some aspects of the travel contract.
We will endeavour to advise you of any changes as quickly as possible.
Pricing
All group travel
prices on our website have been calculated for the indicated number of
participants for each trip. The price list is confirmed after the booking. If
the number of participants is lower than expected, an additional payment charge
might be applied. For each travel and program, we mention the price per person
– valid for the minimum number of participants – and we provide you with
detailed explanations about the services included or not. Any change in the
exchange rates or in the price of travel services in particular regarding the
cost of the fuel, might entail price revision.
Contract transfer
In case of transfer
of the contract by the customer to an assignee, modification and cancellation
conditions apply.
Insurance
We recommend you to get personal insurance before your departure to cover the activities undertaken
by Altaï Alpes. If you have not purchased any of our insurances,
we ask you to email us your insurance contract information (company, contract name, contract number, phone number) and bring those information with you on your
trip.
Practical info
Staff
This tour is supervised by a high-mountain guide who will bring
you all the technical skills needed for the good progress of the tour. He may
modify the program in order to ensure safety regarding weather and snow
conditions as well as participants’s physical conditions.
Food
Meals
- Lunch : home made picnics
- Diners in refuges
- Bring some snacks that you like for quick bites during the day (cereal bars, chocolate, dried fruits...)
Drinks
- Personal drinks are not included in the trip’s price : water, tea, coffee, beer, coke...
- Water is not free in the refuges, and it is quite expensive (around 5 to 8 euros for one bottle) so think about bringing water-purification tablets (Micropur-type) in case you don’t want to buy water there. Warning! Water is frozen sometimes during winter so you may have no choice but to buy some bottles.
Accommodation
We'll spend 2 nights in either a cottage or a refuge, depending on availabilities.
Dormitories are equipped with blankets (bring your own
sleeping bag). Slippers are available in the refuges. Bring some earplugs
to avoid being bothered by potential noises!
Transportation
During this trip, transport will mainly be on foot and skis, but there will be short journeys by car. You will be
carrying all your belongings daily : please do your best not to carry too much
weight (in a 40L bag). Your guide will check your belongings before departure.
Keep some space for water and picnic.
Budget & exchange
France is in the Eurozone. Therefore, the
unit of the currency is the Euro.
Credit cards and debit cards are very useful for cash
advances (but don’t forget to bring your PIN number!).
ATMs are available in
most of the towns you will cross during your stay, but there are no guarantees
that your credit card will actually work in France. Also,
refuges often don’t have EPT (Electronic Payment Terminal): it is best to bring
cash.
Be aware of the fees usually applied when purchasing
products or services on a credit card.
Always take more rather than less, as you don’t want
to spend your trip constantly feeling short on funds.
As currency exchange rates can often fluctuate, we recommend to check the following website for daily exchange rates: https://www.xe.com/
Tips
Clients usually pay for the guides’ drinks : you might find it practical to make a group kitty at the beginning of your stay (no obligation).
Supplied equipment
- Collective material (ropes) if needed
- Slippers and blankets in refuges, bring your own sleeping bags
- Individual safety material (avalanche transceivers, no battery provided, shovel, probe)
Vital equipment
Head:
- Wind stopper hat
- Hat or cap- Scarf and / or a "tube"-style neck scarf
- Sunscreen (high protection index) and SPF lipstick
- Snow Goggles category 4 + ski mask
Upper body:
- Two breathable underwear with long sleeves "Carline"-type (avoid cotton that dries too slowly)
- 1 breathable turtleneck sweater
- 1 thick fleece jacket
- 1 jacket or down jacket
- 1 windbreaker jacket and waterproof Goretex
- 1 pair of wind stopper mittens (fleece or wool)
- 1 pair of wind stopper gloves (fleece or wool)
- 1 pair of glove liners
Lower body:
- 1 pair of breathable tights like "Carline"
- 1 cozy pair of trousers
- 1 pair of wind stopper trousers and waterproof Goretex
- 2 pairs of socks: a thin one and a thick one
Other:
- 1 small toilet bag
- 1 fast drying towel
- Biafine (sunburn cream)
- Toilet paper (biodegradable)
- 1 or 2 100L plastic bags and protection bag to protect your backpack
- 1 waterproof pouch where you will put your identity papers, phone, money and Insurance / Assistance contract with all phone numbers in case of emergency
Material
Technical equipment
SKIS :
- 1 pair of lightweight hiking skis with their customized fasteners and brakes or security strips, waxed
- 1 pair of ski touring boots VIBRAM
- 1 pair of self-adhesive sealskins suited to skis
- Knives suitable for fixings
- Telescopic Poles
OTHER :
- Security Equipment: avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe
- Survival blanket
- Pocket knife
- Thermos flask
Luggage
- While trekking, you will be carrying all your belongings and equipment in a backpack, capacity of 40 liters, with straps to attach your skis
- Your other personal belongings will remain at the cottage and can be transported in a second bag (travel bag-type)
Medicine
Individual pharmacy
Your guide will be carrying a first aid
kit. In consultation with your doctor, prepare your personal
pharmacy kit:
- Personal medications
- Anti-pain medications (paracetamol)
- Double-skin
- Elastic adhesive tapes
- Bandages
- Local disinfectant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antispasmodic
- Anti-diarrheal pills
- Eyewash
- Light tranquilizers and sleeping pills (if needed)
- Earplugs
Passport
Please make sure your passport and travel documents are valid.
Visa
- Up to 90 days visit in France : citizens from most countries do not need a visa to visit France.
- Over 90 days visit in France : non-EU or non-EFTA citizens must have a visa to visit France over 90 days.
For further information, please check the following website : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/
Identity card
For EU citizens, you can use your identity card to travel to France.
Mandatory vaccines
No required vaccination.
Health information & recommendations
It is important to consult your doctor for medical
travel information well before departure. We recommend that you carry a First Aid kit as well as
any personal medical requirements.
Please keep in mind that we are often in
remote areas, away from medical facilities. Please carefully read the brochure and itinerary when
selecting your trip, to make sure our style of travel suits you.
Please note you will travel to high altitude. Most
people can travel to 2 500m with minimal effects. However, everyone reacts
differently to altitude and altitude sickness can occur.
For details on how to
best prepare your trip please consult your physician.
Weather
The
weather in the French Alps varies up and down the mountain chain. It
is a mountainous region between 800 and 4000 meters, so altitude plays a big
part in the local weather.
As you climb higher into the mountains it gets 1
degree cooler every 100 meters. It is the case all year around but other
factors such as temperature inversions and winds influence the climate. The
sun plays a very important role too. In the winter, when the sun is lower in
the sky, some lower or north facing valleys are blocked from the sun by
mountains for a large part of the day and are colder.
Spring can be a bit unpredictable : rain, sometimes even
some snow interspersed with hot sunny days.
It can be quite hot in
summer: around 20 to 30 degrees, but the fresh mountain air cools you down
during your hike.
In autumn, temperatures
start to cool down, but it is still perfect conditions for a walking holiday.
During winter time, the
higher you get, the more snow you will see. Snow usually starts to fall in
November and stays until April.
Keep in mind that weather conditions are
unpredictable. Therefore, the trip organization can me modified for your
safety.
Electricity
There will be electricity
in most places you will stay. If you are scared to run
low on battery, we advise to bring an external battery charger.
Power plugs in France have the particularity of being male and female at
the same time : they have 2 prongs and a receptacle. If you need an adapter, please purchase if before departure.
In France the power plugs
and sockets are of type E. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard
frequency is 50 Hz.
Local time
France is in the Central
European Time Zone. Central European Standard Time (CET) is 1 hour ahead of
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1).
Like most states in Europe,
Summer Time (Daylight-Saving) is observed in France, where the time is shifted
forward by 1 hour; 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2).
After the summer months,
the time in France is shifted back by 1 hour to Central European Time (CET or GMT+1).
Sustainable tourism
We do our best to offer
trips subscribed to the principles of responsible and sustainable tourism. Our
aim is to allow visitors to discover the many facets of France by taking you
off the beaten path and getting you in touch with its nature and residents,
while ensuring that your visits do not have a negative effect on its natural
environment and people.
- Most of our accommodations are run by locals, thus ensuring that the largest part of the revenue generated through your trip will stay within the region.
- France is known for its exquisite cuisine. The art of cooking and the joy of eating are part of everyday life. Each region has its particular foods and flavors which we would like you to explore and appreciate.
- Water is a precious and rare good. Our team and those travelling with us are thus advised to use it with consideration and avoid excessive water use where possible.
- Please try to recycle your waste whenever possible, even though recycling may not be a well-known concept in all areas.
- Be cautious and respectful when hiking. Make sure to wear suitable footwear and avoid picking flowers, moving stones or lighting fires.
My local agent
Sandra
- Technical advisor
- Mountain and ski touring lover. She will advise you on Mont Blanc tours, trekking, hiking and multi-activities.
- Region
- France
- Activity
- Winter
- Duration
- 3 days
- Group
- 5 to 8 people
- Code
- SRBE3J
- Price
- From €525
- Level
- 3/5
- Comfort
- 3/5
- Language(s)
- English / French
Strengths
- Peaks for every level
- Exceptional snowfalls
- Family station in a beautiful environment
Guide's advice
Three days to get away from your daily life and hit the Beaufortain slopes: it will bring happiness to nature lovers in an authentic village, far from the crowd.