Guided, multi-day treks, French Alps

Our alpine multi-day treks are some of the most challenging holidays we offer, graded either 3 Peak or 4 Peak dependant on the week. Refer to Dates & prices page to find out the specific grading for each week. The severity of the walks and the terrain increase with the grading.

Grading: 3 Peak weeks
Our 3 Peak weeks consist of a two day walk and a three day walk with two nights in chalet accommodation in between. There is four nights in comfortable chalet accommodation and three nights spent in mountain huts, with one rest day between the two treks. On the longest day, expect to be on the mountain for up to seven to nine hours each day, with up to 1,200 metres (4,000ft) of vertical ascent, which is equivalent to climbing Snowdon on the Watkin Path. Certain walks may involve some scrambling and walking in difficult terrain (scree, blocks, snowfields, etc), including passages equipped with chains and cables. You need to be fit and a fairly regular walker, with a reasonably good head for heights.

Grading: 4 Peak weeks
Our 4 Peak walks involve a two day walk, followed by a night in the our chalet and then a four day walk. This involves three comfortable nights in the chalet and four nights in mountain huts.On the longest day, expect to be walking for up to a maximum of between nine and eleven hours, including up to 1,500 metres (5,000ft) of vertical ascent, which is equivalent to climbing Ben Nevis from Fort William. This may involve considerable scrambling, walking in difficult terrain, snow encounters and sustained exposure to height. You need to be a fit and regular walker, capable of running 10 kilometres in under an hour.

Note that for all grades, the pace is always leisurely and we stop regularly to admire the views and discuss the environment around us. Within reasonable limits the pace will be adjusted to suit everyone within the group. Contact us to discuss these grades in detail.

Spending more than one day on the mountain allows us to reach further afield - compared to our day walks - and gives us access to wilder and more untouched terrain. Also, the chances of seeing wildlife, although high during our day walks, are further increased when going deeper into the mountains.

The treks take us to the very core of the most untouched parts of the northern French Alps, as well as the Swiss Valais Canton. We will walk where wolves roam and eagles soar, and there are even fossilised dinosaur's tracks, discovered only recently as the glacier previously covering them was receding. We will discover the different landscape formations as the geology changes dramatically from the prealpine limestone to the granite of the Mont Blanc massif.