Alpine adventures to light up your winter!

Snow sports always have plenty of new sensations to offer. The Sled Dogs Snowskate (in Vars) is an exciting new activity, promising downhill thrills interspersed with nifty turns. Fancy trying your hand at some freestyle tricks? The Splitboard (Isola 2000) – a snowboarding version of the traditional cross-country skis – consists of a board split in two, which can be magicked into a pair of skis complete with fixtures and skins for uphill climbs. The Snowsnooc (in Pra Loup) is something akin to a snow scooter, while its cousin, the Snooc, offers a seated ride on a cross between a ski and a toboggan. There’s nothing new about Nordic skiing, but it’s in the spotlight this year: the Nordic Pass Alpes allows you to ski and enjoy a whole range of Nordic activities at friendly prices in the Southern Alps’ 32 designated ski areas. If you’re more of a snowshoeing, tobogganing, fatbiking or dog sledding fan, opt for the Nordic Pass Evasion. Perfect for hikers too!

You’ll find a plethora of sensational activities on offer in the Southern Alps – and not just on the snowy slopes! Slip into your crampons, grab an ice axe and tackle the face of an ice waterfall (in Aiguilles and Freissinières, where you can even enjoy the experience after dark!). Or fly skywards with a partner on a ski paraglider and drink in the silence as you gaze down over the rocky needles of Les Aiguilles de Chabrières and great expanse of Serre-Ponçon lake. Let’s stay up in the air for a moment: Le Sauze and Réallon are both offering heart-stopping giant ziplines this year, for the promise of an adrenalin-packed flight to remember against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery. Alternatively, hop on a snow groomer (in Val d’Allos) and rumble up the slopes at a giddy angle as the sun sets over the horizon… Lest we forget, the Southern Alps also boasts some of the world’s purest starry skies. Part of the Alpes Azur Mercantour International Dark Sky Reserve, Ubaye Valley now boasts its very own Observatory, located in the town of Barcelonnette and home to Europe’s largest amateur telescope!

Fun, laughter and togetherness… An XXL exploration game designed in collaboration with the Nice-based startup “my Explore Bag”, My Adventure (available online and at tourist offices) features 21 four-seasons adventures (in La Bollène-Vésubie, Isola 2000, Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée, Saint-Martin-Vésubie and Valdeblore). What better way to boost team spirit? If sledding and tobogganing are top of your wish list, you’ll want to head to Praloops in Ubaye Valley (Pra Loup) for a four-seasons ride on rails, or tackle the palpitating Ripaa run in Réallon, cruising four kilometres down a natural slope, with a dizzy 590-metre drop. After all the effort, reward yourself with some sweet treats: in Serre-Chevalier, you’ll find Canadian-style sugar shacks handily located at the edge of the slopes. Yum! Time for a cuddle? Head to the “Maison des bêtes à laine” (in Cervières), where you can hug a sheep and learn all about old-fashioned wool spinning. A guaranteed hit with all the family!

Wild, majestic and raw… Some of our mountainscapes wouldn’t be at all out of place in the Great North! Gaze upwards from the foot of a high Alpine waterfall, or meander through the wilderness of Valgaudemar Valley in the heart of Écrins National Park – you could easily be fooled into thinking you’re in Iceland. Drive a dog sled and set up a bivouac in the immaculate wide-open spaces of Queyras for a guaranteed voyage to Lapland. Meanwhile, Cians gorge, near Valberg, is strangely reminiscent of the flaming red canyons of Arizona – with frozen rivers to boot.