The wonders of the Écrins on snowshoes

No previous experience of the activity is needed to join this trip. Routes cross hilly or mountainous terrain, with elevation gains and/or losses of 300 to 600m. There are no particular technical difficulties. Approximately 3 to 5 hours of walking with a light backpack containing everything you need for the day (picnic lunch, warm clothing, thermos flask, etc.). The emphasis is on discovery rather than athletic performance. The terrain is accessible to everyone, and your guide is there to gently introduce you to the pleasures of snowshoeing.

During the day, you carry only your backpack (a capacity of 30 to 35 L is recommended), containing your personal hiking essentials (picnic lunch, warm clothing, thermos flask, etc.) plus safety equipment (snow shovel and probe). On this trip, all outings start from the same base, so your luggage stays in your room.

Minibus (maximum 8 seats)

If road conditions are suitable, we may need to use your own vehicle. If so, reimbursement would be offered based on the distance travelled.

From 4 to 12 participants.

6 days, 5 nights, 5 days of snowshoeing.

Around two weeks before departure, you will receive joining instructions specifying the meeting time and place, your guide’s name and contact details, and the address of your first accommodation.

If you are running late: if your train is delayed or you are held up on the road, you can call one of the numbers listed in your joining instructions.

Accommodation

You will stay at Hôtel L’Aiglière**, in rooms for two people (no single rooms are available on this trip). Set in peaceful surroundings, away from the bustle of the resort and the village centre, the hotel offers a pleasant setting in which to unwind after your days in the mountains.

For an additional charge, you can enjoy the wellness area, which includes a sauna, steam room and hot tub, ideal for relaxing your muscles after a hike.

Hotel ratings

In France, a growing number of hotels and guesthouses choose not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated a year or two ago. This does not mean their quality has declined—far from it. Many guesthouses offer charming rooms.
If we indicate, for example, a comfort level of “3* or equivalent”, this means that the establishment does not necessarily have an official rating, but offers comfort comparable to a 3* hotel.

Meals

Meals are carefully prepared, varied and suited to the pace of your stay. Each morning, a continental breakfast will help you fuel up before setting off. Lunchtime picnics consist of simple, balanced foods: salad, meat or cold cuts, cheese, fruit and a biscuit.

For New Year’s Eve, the hotel will offer a festive menu prepared especially for the occasion.

Equipment hire

For effective winter hiking, we provide you with a pair of TSL snowshoes suited to your size and walking poles for greater stability. The snowshoes are fitted with crampons, providing good grip on hard-packed snow and optimal comfort in all snow conditions.
Safety is central to our outings. We provide an avalanche transceiver to wear on your body, along with a collapsible shovel and a folding probe to carry in your backpack. On the first day, your guide will teach you how to use them in a quick, straightforward practical exercise.
With this complete set of equipment and your guide’s expertise, you can enjoy the winter mountains with peace of mind.

Start

On Day 1 at 19:30 at your accommodation.

End

The trip ends on Friday evening after the hike.
Participants who arrived by train will return with the guide. Arrival at the station at around 17:30.

If you would like to stay an extra night, you can contact the hotels near the station directly:

• Hôtel de la Gare: 0492231002
• Hôtel de la Mairie: 0492231270

Trips run from Sunday to Friday, with departures from December to March.

Snow conditions

Snow cover at mid-altitude can sometimes be unpredictable. These are primarily hiking trips, so departures will still go ahead if there is insufficient snow on some sections of the route. Remember to bring walking boots.

By train

PLEASE NOTE: the station in the Pays des Écrins serving the resorts of Puy St Vincent and Pelvoux-Vallouise is called “L’Argentière-les-Écrins”. When booking, be sure to specify the station’s full name, “L’Argentière-les-Écrins”, otherwise you may receive a ticket for Argentière station in Savoie.

If you are arriving by train
Travel by train to L’Argentière-les-Écrins station
You can easily travel from Paris by daytime or overnight train. Check timetables on SNCF Connect. Travellers arriving from the south should take the Marseille–Briançon line. Enjoy the convenience of rail travel as you discover this beautiful destination.

From the station to the meeting point
Your guide will meet you at the station at 18:45 for the transfer to the meeting point. Please note that, so we can arrange this transport and ensure you have a seat, you must book your transfer with us no later than one week before the trip starts. Places are limited, so any changes must be reported at least 48 hours before your departure (by Monday evening at the latest).

Outside the scheduled times:
Getting from L’Argentière-la-Bessée station to the hotel outside the scheduled times.
Depending on the season, shuttle services may be available from the station to the hotel in Puy St Vincent.
Information and bookings: 0809.400.013 or at zou.maregionsud.fr

By bus

Services from Marseille and Nice to L’Argentière-la-Bessée: https://zou.maregionsud.fr/
Direct services between Grenoble and Briançon: https://zou.maregionsud.fr/
Services within the department: https://zou.maregionsud.fr/

Getting from L’Argentière-la-Bessée station to the hotel
Depending on the season, shuttle services may be available from the station to the Hôtel Aiglière in Puy-Saint-Vincent. Information and bookings: https://zou.maregionsud.fr/

TAXIS in the Pays des Écrins
Visit the Pays des Écrins tourist office website for information about taxis.

By car

Option 1: Arriving from the north via the Col du Lautaret, head to Briançon and follow the road towards Gap for 5 or 6km until you reach the hamlet of PRELLES. At the junction as you leave the hamlet, turn right onto the D4, which leads to the village of Les Vigneaux and the D994 towards Vallouise.

Option 2: Arriving from the south via Gap and Embrun (RN 94), head to L’Argentière-la-Bessée (between Briançon and Guillestre). Drive through the town and follow the D994 for approximately 10km towards Vallouise.

Option 3: Via Chambéry, the Maurienne motorway and the Fréjus Tunnel (at the toll booth, buy a return ticket valid for 7 days).
Be aware that your satnav may suggest reaching Briançon via Bardonecchia and the Col de l’Échelle, but the pass is closed in winter!
At the toll booth after leaving the tunnel on the Italian side, continue along the motorway towards Turin. Exit at Oulx and follow signs for Cesana – Sestriere – Col de Montgenèvre/Francia. From the Col de Montgenèvre (the border), continue to Briançon, then L’Argentière and Puy-Saint-Vincent (a journey of 1 h 10 min from the tunnel).

Approximately 1km before Vallouise, a junction provides a direct route to Puy-Saint-Vincent (a clearly signposted road on the left). Follow this road towards the ski resort for approximately 4 to 5km, then turn left on a bend onto the road leading to the village and the resort of Puy-Saint-Vincent 1400m. The hotel is approximately 150m from this junction (look for the hotel sign).

Road conditions information:
For access to the Hautes-Alpes department, visit: https://inforoute.hautes-alpes.fr/www/index.html
Please be aware… We remind drivers using satnavs that some suggested routes are impassable in winter! The major Alpine passes are not cleared of snow in winter and therefore remain closed to traffic. For example, it is impossible to reach Briançon via the Col du Galibier and Valloire between November and June!

Whichever route you take to reach the Hautes-Alpes in winter, special equipment (winter tyres, snow chains or snow socks, etc.) is mandatory from 1 November to 30 March. Practise fitting it before you leave.

If you drive a diesel vehicle, we recommend filling up in our mountain region with diesel formulated for extreme cold. Diesel from petrol stations far from the mountains is rarely suitable for the cold temperatures of nights at altitude!

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim, either along the day’s route or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, we emphasise that you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; swimming is therefore your own responsibility and undertaken at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips—on foot, by bike and on snow—to invite everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

Having served on the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector develop more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we focus on:

• Transparency in our practices and prices
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protecting the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the Traveller’s Ethical Charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and make meaningful connections with the people they meet.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has held Travelife Partner status, an international label that certifies our responsible practices in environmental protection, ethics and sustainable management, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification scheme, recognises our concrete actions in support of responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainable development policy

For hiking, the 3-layer system remains the recommended approach for your comfort and safety.

• a long-sleeved base layer made from breathable fabric (hollow fibre).
• a warm fleece jacket
• a waterproof, breathable windproof jacket (such as Gore-Tex)

You can always choose the most effective combination to suit the weather and your level of exertion. When walking in fine, calm weather, the base layer may be enough. In rain, snow or wind, simply add the waterproof jacket. In very cold weather, or during breaks at altitude, the fleece jacket is an essential extra layer beneath the windproof jacket.

Pack clothes that dry quickly and avoid cotton. Choose wool, silk and synthetic fibres, which help you stay dry and warm for as long as possible. Sweat is a hiker’s enemy, especially in winter, as it makes clothing damp, causing it to become icy cold quickly during breaks.

Avoid anoraks and do not bring ski suits, which are too warm and bulky.

Recommended clothing for hiking

• 1 warm hat
• 1 pair of warm gloves (bring 1 spare pair)
• 2 short-sleeved T-shirts suitable for physical activity (made from breathable fabric)
• 1 long-sleeved base layer, also suitable for physical activity
• 1 fleece jacket
• 1 waterproof, breathable windproof jacket, preferably with a hood (Gore-Tex or equivalent)
• 1 backpack rain cover for bad weather (often built into backpacks)
• 1 pair of trousers suitable for walking (jeans are not allowed as they freeze when wet!)
• 1 pair of waterproof, breathable overtrousers (Gore-Tex or equivalent)
• 1 pair of warm thermal leggings (these can also be worn in the mountain hut in the evening)
• 2 pairs of warm, high-cut hiking socks suitable for walking
• 1 swimsuit for access to the hotel sauna

Essential equipment

• 1 backpack with a capacity of 30/35 litres, a flexible frame and a hip belt
• 1 pair of waterproof hiking boots with good ankle support and Vibram-type soles (do not bring winter boots or après-ski boots, which are unsuitable for snowshoeing)
• 1 pair of tall gaiters that fully cover your boots and lower legs
• 1 large plastic bag to protect the contents of your backpack
• 1 pair of category 3 or 4 sunglasses
• 1 thermos flask for a hot drink, essential in winter
• 1 cup, knife and fork for picnics
• your preferred snacks for the trail (we also provide some additional snacks)
• 1 small pouch (preferably waterproof) for your money, identity card, bank card, health insurance card and travel assistance policy (your other documents and car keys can be left with the hotel during your stay)

• 1 emergency blanket
• toilet paper and a small lighter to burn it
• sunscreen and lip balm with sun protection

For evenings at your accommodation

• toiletries
• a change of clothes
• 1 head torch or torch

Personal first-aid kit (your guide also carries a group first-aid kit)

• your usual medication
• pain relief medication: preferably paracetamol
• elastic adhesive bandage, such as Elastoplast, 8 cm wide
• blister dressings (such as Compeed or SOS Ampoules)

France

Documents

Travellers, including minors, must carry a national identity card or passport (EU nationals).

What is a national park? (Extract from the official website www.ecrins-parcnational.fr )

It is generally a large area whose biodiversity, scenic quality, cultural significance and history of preservation warrant protection and management to ensure the long-term survival of this exceptional heritage. Since the law of 14 April 2006, the Park has consisted of a regulated core zone and a membership area. As a protected area, the core is subject to specific regulations, while the membership area is defined through a charter offered to local municipalities. Assessed and revised every 15 years, this territorial strategy reflects the ecological interdependence of the core and surrounding areas, promoting the economic value of the heritage and the sustainable development of participating municipalities. The national park is managed by a public body under the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea.

Les Écrins: its history, territory and missions

It has a long history. Following the short-lived creation of a “La Bérarde National Park” in 1913, it was not until 1973 that Écrins National Park was officially established, driven by mountaineers, nature conservation associations and the Club Alpin Français. Organised into sectors, the Park relies on field teams responsible for the day-to-day management and activities of this vast territory. The Park’s visitor centres provide permanent spaces for welcoming visitors and meeting local stakeholders. The geographical sectors cover two departments, Hautes-Alpes and Isère, and two regions: Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur and Rhône-Alpes. Écrins National Park is one of France’s nine national parks, alongside Vanoise, Port-Cros, the Pyrenees, Cévennes, Mercantour, Guadeloupe, Réunion and French Guiana.

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