Guided, hybrid trek, 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.

Grading: 3 Peak weeks
Our 3 Peak weeks consist of a two day trek and a three day trek with two nights spent in chalet accommodation in between, allowing for a rest day. There is a total of four nights spent in comfortable chalet accommodation and three nights spent in mountain huts. The rest day allows you to recharge your batteries and to carry less gear, with little more than a day pack required.

On the longest day, expect to be on the mountain for up to seven to nine hours, with up to 1,200 metres (4,000ft) of vertical ascent. 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 weeks involve one continuous six day trek through the French Alps, close to the Chamonix valley and with a possible hop over the border into the Swiss Alps. The first and last nights are spent in comfortable valley accommodation with the other five nights being spent high up in the mountains, in mountain huts. Although all food and bedding is provided in the huts, you will need to carry slightly more clothing than on the 3 Peak weeks.

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. 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 to enjoy these 4 Peak graded treks.

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.