Wild Vercors, Short Nordic Ski Expedition

You should be a competent skier (cross-country skiing or ski touring). A good level of fitness is required. Previous skiing experience is necessary, and you must be able to control your braking (snowplough and half-snowplough). The distance ranges from 3 to 14km per day, off piste, with 5 to 6 hours of skiing possible each day.

You carry your belongings in pulkas (Scandinavian sledges) provided for this purpose and pulled by participants; we provide one pulka for every 2 to 4 people, who take turns pulling it. The pulka glides over the snow and requires less effort than carrying a loaded backpack. You also carry a backpack (maximum 30 litres) containing what you need for the day.

Transfers by taxi or in your own vehicles to the start of the expedition at the Beure car park.

A minimum of 6 participants and a maximum of 13 people.

4 days / 3 nights

The trip runs from Saturday to Tuesday. Departures from January to March.

Guiding

A French cross-country ski instructor or mountain guide with a state-recognised qualification.

Accommodation

1 night in a gîte in Rousset-en-Vercors, in a room sleeping 2 to 4 people or a small dormitory.
2 nights in unstaffed mountain huts: the ONF Pré Grandu hut and the Chaumailloux hut.
These unstaffed huts are rustic but welcoming. At Pré Grandu, the toilets are outside; at Chaumailloux, you go out in the open. You need to melt snow or carry water for cooking and perhaps a quick wash! Wet wipes are also a good compromise.
Cooperation between all group members is key to a successful trip. When we arrive at the huts, we need to light a fire (wood is available on site) to keep warm, but the huts are fairly small and warm up very quickly.

Meals

Meals are suited to the Nordic ski expedition. Hot breakfasts and dinners, picnic lunches and snacks for the trail. At the gîtes in Rousset-en-Vercors, the group stays on a half-board basis; in the unstaffed huts, dinner is prepared by the group and the guide. Help is always welcome.
At the Pré Grandu hut, we keep a supply of basic food throughout the winter.

Please note: accommodation photos are for illustrative purposes only. Accommodation may change. Depending on availability, we may book alternative accommodation of an equivalent standard and comfort level.

Meeting point / End of trip

Meeting point

On Day 1 at 14:30 at the accommodation in Rousset-en-Vercors.

End of trip

On Day 4 at around 16:00 at the Beure car park or the Col du Rousset.

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

Equipment hire

What is Nordic ski touring?

The same comparison can be made between downhill skiing and alpine ski touring, or between road cycling and mountain biking. Cross-country skiing lets you follow prepared tracks; Nordic ski touring, also known as Backcountry, lets you explore away from the tracks and over slightly more rugged terrain, without venturing onto the much steeper slopes suited to alpine ski touring. Compared with cross-country skis, Nordic touring skis are wider and have metal edges, as well as a fish-scale pattern on the base to prevent them from sliding backwards; climbing skins are fitted for uphill sections to make the ascent easier. The boots are higher and stiffer than those used for classic cross-country skiing. The equipment as a whole is heavier than cross-country skiing equipment, but it is more stable and allows you to explore in all snow conditions. The boots and bindings leave the heel free and allow the foot to flex naturally.
Nordic ski touring allows you to cross vast open spaces and high plateaux where alpine ski touring is no longer suitable; it opens up a new way to explore mid-altitude mountains or Scandinavian countries in winter. In recent years, ski manufacturers have introduced new, high-performance equipment, breathing new life into Nordic ski touring, although it remains little known in France. Nordic ski touring does not require any specific technique beyond that used for cross-country skiing; a proficient downhill skier will also adapt quickly, especially if they have already tried alpine ski touring. More information at https://www.skirandonneenordique.com/

Snow conditions

Snow cover in mid-altitude mountains can sometimes be unpredictable. You are first and foremost hikers, so if there is insufficient snow on certain sections of the route, our trips will still go ahead. Remember to bring walking boots.

By car

Travel via Valence, then Die.
From Die, head up to the Col de Rousset.
The village of Rousset en Vercors lies below the pass.
Plan your route on the website: www.viamichelin.fr

Special winter equipment (winter tyres, snow chains or snow socks, etc.) has been compulsory since 1 November 2021.Practise fitting it before you leave.

Parking your car

Leave your car in the Beure car park or at the Col du Rousset on Day 2. You will collect it at the end of your trip.

By train

Die SNCF railway station. From Paris, 2 changes.
Check train times on the SNCF website: https://www.sncf-connect.com/

Taxi

A transfer can be arranged (for a minimum of 3 participants and a maximum of 7 participants) on Day 1 directly from Die railway station to your accommodation, then on Day 4 from your accommodation to Die railway station.

On-demand transport

Alternatively, an on-demand transport service runs from Die to the Col du Rousset:

• Advance booking (on 0428612626) at least 24 hours beforehand is compulsory. The service runs Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and public holidays.
• Fares: for a one-way journey, 5€ for a journey ≤ 30km (10 € from 31 to 60km)

Please note that booking is compulsory on 0428612626, no later than 24 hours before your journey.

From the Col du Rousset, you will then need to take a taxi to your accommodation.
Jo Taxi: 0632594985

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.

With a seat 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 way we organise our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification scheme, recognises our practical efforts to promote responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainability policy

Cross-country skiing equipment

• Winter outdoor clothing suitable for Nordic ski touring:
• A thick fleece jacket
• A fleece
• A Gore-Tex jacket
• Overtrousers
• Flexible but warm trousers suitable for outdoor sports in winter.
• Thermal base layers, top and bottom: we recommend wool underwear, such as Icebreaker base layers, which stay warm and (almost!) odour-free
• 3 pairs of socks suitable for winter mountain conditions
• A pair of cross-country ski gloves + a pair of mittens (essential)
• A warm hat or balaclava
• A pair of gaiters (optional)

Nordic ski touring equipment

• Sturdy, smooth-gliding skis with fish-scale bases and metal edges (Nordic touring skis)
• Climbing skins
• Metal poles (other materials may break), preferably made from Zycral alloy (light and strong)
• Warm, waterproof, high-cut Nordic ski boots suitable for Nordic touring skis

For picnic lunches

• A bowl, plate or plastic food container
• Cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)
• An insulated flask (at least 1,5 litre)

Sun protection

• Sunglasses (glacier style) + downhill ski goggles
• Sunscreen (minimum SPF 30)

After the day’s activities

• A change of clothes and quick-drying underwear
• Washcloth and towel, tissues and toilet paper
• A small toiletry bag
• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, Elastoplast, Biogaze or “2nd skin”, gauze, disinfectant, arnica granules and aspirin for minor aches and injuries, etc.
• A torch or head torch
• A candle, matches or a lighter
• A warm sleeping bag that is not too bulky (remember that you will be carrying it); the lodges and mountain huts are heated by wood-burning stoves, but it can be chilly in the early morning.
• A whistle

Avoid unnecessary extras, as you will have to carry them!

• A comfortable 30 to 40-litre backpack to carry on your back. Bags for the pulkas are provided by the agency to ensure they fit the pulkas. Bring a sleeping bag and a few changes of clothes. Personal belongings carried in the pulkas must not weigh more than 8kg per person.

Pays Diois Tourist Office
Rue des Jardins - 26150 Die
Tel: 0475220303
Website: http://www.diois-tourisme.com/

IGN, TOP 25: 3136 ET, 3236 OT, 3235 OT.

Discovering the Vercors: Regional Natural Park by François Ribard (Grand Angle guide)
The Vercors Regional Natural Park has published a collection of photographs of the Hauts Plateaux reserve, entitled Vercors from Above, with commentary by Daniel Pennac.
Finally, if you are interested in history, the local history association in Lans en Vercors has published 3 issues of Cahiers du Peuil, in a collection entitled In Days Gone By, in the Land of the Four Mountains, at an indicative price of 13 € per issue. All these books, and many others, are available from tourist offices and bookshops in the Vercors.