FRANCE MONTAGNES

France’s five mountain ranges, the Alps, Pyrenees, Vosges, Massif Central, and Jura between them offer a huge range of breath-taking scenery, activities, events, and experiences. Anyone with a love of the outdoors and a sense of adventure will find something for them in the French mountains.

TOP 4 FOR 2017

All 5 mountain ranges for the Tour de France

Spectacular mountain stages are set to define the 2017 tour, with all five French ranges featuring. 2017 highlight stages: 12 – A gruelling stage culminating in an agonising 16% climb to the resort of Peyragudes – training camp for Mo Farah’s historic double defence at Rio 2016 17 – The iconic Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Telegraphe, and Col du Galibier 18 – From the UNESCO-listed fort town of Briançon to the Col d’Izoard in the gorgeous Queyras Natural Regional Park

E-biking on the up and up

With the proliferation of e-bikes, gone are the days where biking in the mountains was reserved for ultra-fit experts. Ever more resorts are investing in e-bikes, both for the road and e-MTB and the infrastructure to go with them. For summer 2017, La Plagne has 150km of dedicated e-MTB tracks with conveniently located recharge points. Val d’Isère and Les Gets have a fleet of e-bikes for anyone to use.

Glacier Walking

For a truly unique experience, clamp on your crampons and go hiking on one of the many glaciers in the French Alps. The breath-taking views, vast seracs, and spectacular crevasses make for a wonderful adventure. The highmountain resorts of Tignes, Val Thorens, and Les 2 Alpes all have courses with mountain guides who will you about the formation of and how to travel safely on glaciers.

Walking with four-legged friends

Sure to delight animal lovers, walkers have ever more choice of furry friends to accompany them on their path. A trio of llamas in Valloire are wonderful companions for kids on short mountain walks. In Montgenèvre and in the Chartreuse Natural Regional Park, single and multi-day itineraries are offered with a donkey to carry your bags, while a wide variety of resorts across France offer husky dogs to accompany enthusiastic walkers.

NEED TO KNOW

Ryanair are launching three new flights per week beginning in July 2017 from Stansted to Grenoble. They will run Monday/Wednesday/ Friday, perfect for a quick break to the French Alps! Prices start at £19.99 each way.

FOR THE DIARY

23 – 25 June Mountain bike event Pass’Portes du Soleil
01 – 02 July Obstacle race – Reebok Spartan Trifecta Weekend, Morzine
12 – 14 July Road cycling – Haute route Alpe d’Huez
20 – 25 August Children festival – Au Bonheur des Mômes, Le Grand Bornand