Snowshoe hiking on a cold February day
Temperatures have dropped massively this week, with the thermometer creeping ever closer to -20°º! The last few winters have been fairly mild and I'd almost forgotten how bitingly cold it can get unless you get moving to keep warm.
Thinking that it was too cold for skiing (windy chairlifts!), we decided to give snowshoeing a try.
Snowshoeing is a great activity for a cold day. You're on the go, using your whole body and there's no hanging about on chairlifts in between runs. Just wrap up warm, pop on a cosy bobble hat, and you're ready!
Our original plan was to explore the snowshoe trails up at La Flegere but high winds had caused the cable car to close, we should have checked the live lift status before we headed out! Instead we did a quick about-turn and headed down the valley to Les Houches, which is much more sheltered and often open on bad weather days when the rest of the valley is closed.
We hired our snowshoes and poles from Battendier Sports at the bottom of the Prarion lift. They are in a very handy location but you can pick the kit up from most ski hire shops in Chamonix and Les Houches. The cost for two of us was a very reasonable 10.40€. Hopping on the Prarion gondola is the easiest way to reach the snowshoe trails. It is included in your lift pass or you can buy a pedestrian "pieton" pass for just 18€ return journey. From the top of the lift station, you bear left and pass the Prarion Restaurant, cross the ski area and you'll find the start of the La Charme snowshoe trail at the avalanche rescue training zone.
Conditions were great on the trails; nice crisp fresh snow on a firm base that was easy to walk on. The wind was considerably lower than in other parts of the valley and, once we had a good stride going, it didn't feel too cold at all. La Charme is a beautiful undulating route that loops around a plateau at an altitude of 1850m, traversing through snow-encrusted pine forests and opening out onto breathtaking views of the neighbouring valleys and surrounding mountain ranges. February is one of the busiest months of the year but the snowshoe trails are wonderfully quiet and peaceful!
The weather pattern recently seems to have been bright and sunny in the morning but clouding over in the afternoon, so if you want to get the best views, then maybe head up a bit earlier than we did. The scenery is still impressive though and it is a great way for non-skiers to experience the mountains, alongside skiers and snowboarders.
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