National Geographic Traveller (UK)
RECONNECT WITH NATURE IN Isère
Isère is the third-largest ski area in France, meaning there’s no shortage of winter adventures — from Nordic skiing to frozen waterfall climbing
Speeding down slopes is a pillar of mountain culture, but slow down the pace and the wintry scenery around you will come into focus. Sprawled across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, the department of Isère spans 22 ski resorts, four massifs (Vercors, Chartreuse, Belledonne and Oisans), two regional nature parks and the Écrins National Park. Glistening lakes, towering peaks, snow-laden forests: with such diverse landscapes, there are countless opportunities to get immersed in nature, and activities like ski touring and snowshoeing offer the chance to do just that.
1 NORDIC SKIING
This age-old Scandinavian activity has multiple variations: cross-country skiing, popular with beginners, involves gliding with straight strides on flat or uphill tracks; skate skiing requires a more energetic, diagonal motion. Try it at the Nordic site of Haut Vercors, crisscrossed by 95 miles of marked pistes. La Royale is one of the most popular routes, covering a loop of 18 miles connecting the villages of Corrençon, Villard-de-Lans and Saint-Julien en Vercors.
2 SNOWSHOEING
Snowshoe routes are ideal places to experience the grounding stillness of the mountains, and at Isère, hikers are spoilt for choice. Wildlife enthusiasts can join chamois-spotting tours organised by guides in Les Deux Alpes, and if it’s sprawling views you’re after, the ESF Ski School in Oz-enOisans offers sunset treks to Pré de la Pierre, a clearing overlooking the striking Belledonne range. For a full nature immersion, walkers with or without snowshoes can also explore the ethnobotanical trail in the spruce forest of Piégut — one the largest in Europe.
3 DOG SLEDDING
Snuggle up in a sleigh and watch the scenery whizz by as rows of sled dogs pull you across snowy fields. The plateaux of the Vercors Massif are a popular destination to try dog sledding, with 31 miles of tracks and several operators offering rides and mushing lessons. To get even closer to the dogs, Team Ehawee, in Oz-en-Oisans, offers evening cani-balade outings, where huskies guide hikers via belts and waist harnesses.
4 ICE CLIMBING
Crampons on your feet and ice axe in hand, get ready to conquer vertical ice walls. Once considered the preserve of mountaineers, ice climbing is becoming accessible to anyone looking for cold thrills. Beginners can tackle the 270ft-high Symphonie d’Automne, a frozen waterfall in theGrandesRoussesmassif,withguidesfrom Oz-en-Oisans (and, on the way down, have a go at abseiling, too). Other scenic climbing spots near the resort include Mur d’Ice Bill and Chacal Bondissant, to name a few.
5 SKI TOURING
Explore the backcountry with a ski touring experience in Chamrousse. This sport allows mountain-goers to discover off-the-beaten-track areas, thanks to skins attached to the skis, which create traction for uphill treks. Chamrousse has two popular itineraries — a two-mile route from BachatBouloud and a shorter one to Lac des Pourettes and Lacs Robert — but for something different, opt for the resort’s after-dark experience. Named ‘best ski touring itinerary’ at the 2019 Ski Touring Trophies, it allows tourers to safely enjoy night outings.
Airlines including British Airways, EasyJet, Jet 2 and Ryanair fly direct from the UK to Grenoble in under two hours. Isère’s main train station, Grenoble, has excellent national and international rail connections, and train journeys from London take around seven-and-a-half hours, changing in Paris. Find recommended journey schedules at snowcarbon.co.uk.