- Grade:
- ?
Moderate
- Duration: 6 days from the UK
- Walks on: 6 days
- Private Departures Available
Flight inclusive from £2045, Land only from £1795
Explore wild mountains, alpine meadows and glacial lakes on this week-long walking holiday based in a tranquil French valley.
Highlights
- Explore stunning Alpine mountain scenery on satisfying, high level daily walks
- Discover the diverse wildlife of this protected area of the Alps,
- Immerse yourself in the peace and tranquility of the Claree Valley with its ancient cultural heritage, distinctive local architecture and lack of modern-day development.
- Stay in a traditional, family run hotel where you will enjoy a warm welcome, delicious regional dishes and comfortable rooms.
The beautiful Clarée Valley is situated in France near the Italian border; a hidden Alpine gem that has remained remarkably unspoiled. With an abundance of wildflowers, variety of wildlife, traditional Névache architecture and a network of mountain trails, the protected Clarée Valley is a hiker’s paradise.
The Clarée valley was saved from over development through the efforts Emilie Carles, daughter of a local farmer and author of ‘La Soupe aux Herbes Sauvages’ – a fascinating and evocative account of her life in the region. Emilie’s efforts halted the building of a motorway and ski lifts in this beautiful remote region, and all mountain activities must be made on foot – trekking in the summer and snow shoeing or ski touring in the winter.
On this excellent, newly improved walking holiday you will discover the full splendour of the Clarée Valley through a comprehensive programme of well-paced day walks in the company of a knowledgeable and highly experienced local guide who will readily identify the many different flowers, animals and birds you encounter. You will explore the varied landscapes, see several well-known peaks such as the Black Needle and the Hand, and immerse yourself in the spectacular scenery which rises from verdant valley floor to the towering backdrop of the Écrins mountains at over 4,000m.
Visit in early summer to see the Clarée Valley carpeted by a dazzling kaleidoscope of wildflowers alongside glittering, blue, glacial lakes. Whilst in the autumn months, the larch trees change to a gorgeous bright yellow, the mountain lakes freeze and, although rare, you may even enjoy a sprinkling of snow.
Throughout, your holiday you will stay at the welcoming family-run L’Echaillon hotel in Névache where you will find a well-equipped spa, comfortable accommodation and superb food with a daily menu of delicious local dishes; in fact everything you need to relax and replenish after a good day out on the trail.
Please note that this itinerary may vary based on weather conditions and/or the recommendations of your guide.
At a glance
Moderate
Duration: 6 days from the UK
Walks on: 6 days
Max. Altitude: 2,753m/9,032ft, Gardiole Peak, Day 6
Private Departures Available
Guaranteed to run for a minimum of 4 clients
Maximum group size: 12
Accommodation types: Hotel
Meal arrangements: All breakfasts, picnic lunches and evening meals are included: 7 x breakfasts, 6 x lunches, 7 x dinners.
Itinerary overview
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fly London to Turin. Single group transfer across the border to your hotel at Névache. |
| 2 | Walk the Muandes Valley and lakes. |
| 3 | Hike the Chardonnet Valley to Col du Chardonnet. |
| 4 | Gardioles Valley and lakes walk |
| 5 | Walk along the Claree river to Nevache. Explore Névache and continue to Les Combes. |
| 6 | Hike around the Oule and Cristol valleys. Optional climb of Gardiole Peak. |
| 7 | Trek the Cerces Valley to Col des Cerces. |
| 8 | Single group transfer to Turin airport for your flight back to London. |
Leader: Local leader, Claree Valley
You will be met on arrival at Turin airport by your French guide, Antoine Allier. Antoine is a fully qualified mountain guide and has been guiding walking groups for over 18 years across France, Spain and Scotland. He lives in Névache with his family throughout the year and is very passionate about exploring the mountains. He is extremely knowledgeable about local history, mountain flora and the wildlife of the valley.
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1 - Fly London to Turin. Group transfer to hotel.
You will be met at Turin airport by either your guide or a driver and transferred to your hotel in a private minibus across the border in the south-eastern part of France. This will be a group transfer and takes approximately 2 hours; if you are booking your own flights please contact us to confirm arrangements.
Once you have passed the French-Italian border you will enter the Névache district and start zigzagging your way down to the base of the valley, passing through short mountain tunnels and getting your first tantalising glimpse of what the week has in store. The Clarée Valley is a glacial valley in the French Alps situated at 1,600m above sea level and entering it is rather like stepping back in time. Indeed, as you drive into the valley you may even find yourself delayed by the local shepherd and his herd of sheep, goats and donkeys.
Overnight: L’Echaillon Hotel, Névache
Day 2 - Snowshoe instruction. Walk to Plateau and Col des Thures, 2,289m/7,506ft - 600m/1,980ft ascent, 12km, 5-6 hours.
The first half hour or so this morning will be spent getting used to walking on snowshoes. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you head off on your first walk. Your route initially leads gently uphill straight from the hotel, heading north through a pine forest with glimpses of some very interesting landscapes. You then zig-zag uphill on a good path to the Plateau des Thures. Here there are fabulous views ahead on the vast snowy plateau, and time permitting you can walk on gently undulating ground to the far end of the plateau where there are far reaching vistas down to the next valley.
After a picnic lunch on the col, you return via a different route to the hotel.
Overnight: l’Echaillon Hotel, Névache
Day 3 - Snowshoe to Refuge Buffére, 2,076m/6,850ft - 400m/1,320ft ascent, 8km, 4-5 hours.
Your guide will have given you advice the evening before on what to pack for your night in the hut. Weather depending, he will decide which route you are taking, but one possibility would be a short 10 minute road transfer to the ancient village of Névache, which is a fantastic sight in the snow. From here you follow the Clarée river upstream. The river itself is unlikely to be frozen but the narrow trail should be snow covered, with glistening snow sparkling in the sunlight, only disturbed by bird and animal tracks. After about 2km you turn up the side of the valley, again with superb views through the forest. The refuge is a welcome sight, situated at the start of a side valley. You may well explore further up the valley after leaving your pack at the refuge. You night will be spent in the cosy hut where you can enjoy a warm welcome and a good, hearty meal.
Overnight: Mountain Hut In The Claree Valley
Day 4 - Snowshoe via the Refuge Ricou back to Névache, 2,680m/8,792ft – 300m/900ft ascent, 12 km, 5-6 hours.
Today you descend to the valley floor, either via the track or, snow permitting, via the more exciting woodland route. You will then walk further up the valley, ascending up the opposite side to the Ricou Refuge. You may well stop here for a hot chocolate or vin chaud. There are superb views across the Ècrins range from here.
You will then make your way back down the valley possibly taking the wide track (a road in summer). Again there are wonderful views as you approach the village of Névache and the vehicle that will take you the 10 minutes back to the hotel.
Overnight: l’Echaillon Hotel, Névache
Day 5 - Free day in the valley.
You are free today to do a self-guided walk in the valley. There are numerous options from the hotel, and you can choose to use snowshoes or walk with yak tracks. For the more energetic there is the option to try cross country or Nordic skiing or to go on a husky sledding trip (extra local payment required for the latter options).
Overnight: l’Echaillon Hotel, Névache
Day 6 - Transfer to Turin airport. Fly to London.
After breakfast there will be a group transfer back to Turin airport for your flight to London.
Map
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Optional supplements
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Single Room Supplement
From £220
No Surcharge Guarantee
No surcharges will be applied to your holiday after you book. Prices on this website are updated regularly. The Flight Inclusive holiday price, or Land Only holiday price, will be confirmed to you at the time you make your booking. There will be no surcharges after your booking has been confirmed.
Flight inclusive holidays
The 'flight inclusive' holiday prices shown on this website are based upon our preferred airlines and the best priced economy class fares we are able to secure at the time of publication.
We will be able to advise on fares with alternative airlines, upgrades to Business Class, and the options for flights from regional UK airports, please contact us for more details.
Booking your holiday
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Deposit
From £400.00
For the majority of our holidays, a deposit payment of £400.00 per person is required to secure your place(s), however a small number of holidays require a higher deposit - please refer to the holiday itinerary for more details. If the holiday departs within 60 days, a deposit of £1,000.00 per person is required.
Book now!
- Book your small group holiday securely online – click the ‘Book’ button next to your chosen departure or visit our How to Book page
- Complete and return a Booking Form available to download here.
- Call us on +44 (0)1453 844400 and one of our travel specialists will talk you through the booking process.
What’s included
- 7 x breakfasts, 6 x picnic lunches, 7 x dinners.
- Good quality hotel on a twin-share, full board basis
- An experienced English-speaking local walking guide
- Economy class return air fares from the UK (if booking our (flight inclusive option). If you are travelling land only, check with our office for transfer times at the airport.
- Single timed group transfers to/from Turin airport at the start and end of the holiday
- Carbon offsetting with the Ecoan Tree Planting Project (for clients taking our flight inclusive option)
- A free Mountain Kingdoms Water-to-Go bottle
What’s not included
- Travel insurance
- Bar bills
- Tips
Private Departures
Clarée Valley - Walking Holiday in the French Alps - Private Departures
If you would prefer to travel just with your partner, friends or family, we can arrange a private departure of this holiday. You follow the same itinerary, but travel on dates that suit you. Alternatively we can include elements of this holiday in a bespoke Tailor Made itinerary. Contact our friendly team for details and prices, and to make a booking.
Video
Read holiday reviews by Mountain Kingdoms travellers.
Overall score: 4.75 (Based on 4 reviews)
If you like alpine walking, and have any interest in the flowers, this is the trip for you. The walks are satisfying in their own right, but there is also enough time to find out about and photograph the stunning variety of flowers that you will see. The guide, Antoine, has an encyclopedic knowledge, great enthusiasm and perfect English. The hotel is friendly, with good food. We visited the Claree Valley last October for the autumn colours. The change of season complemented this experience.
The Claree Valley far exceeded my expectations as a walking destination. Every corner we turned revealed another astonishing vista. The autumnal colours were so bright, the trees seemed to glow. The trip covers two valleys and each day begins in a different area. There are walks in the valleys, along the ridges, down through gorges and to high mountain ponds. The paths were well marked, if challenging in places. Our guide Antoine Allier was excellent - enthusiastic and knowledegable.
A beautiful unknown valley. We discovered so many wild flowers - new ones each day. Our guide, Stephanie, was very knowledgeable and friendly, adapting our itinerary due to changeable weather. The hotel was very good - excellent food and friendly staff.
This was such a wonderful trip and a very special place! The Clarée Valley has got to be one of the most beautiful areas I have been to. It is hiking and photography heaven. Antoine is a brilliant guide, very friendly and a fountain of knowledge. I would love to go back!