Holidays reachable by train
Green places to stay
Snowshoeing holiday in the French Pyrenees
Snowshoeing is the perfect guise for relaxing in the mountains without strenuous physical exercise ruining your day. Yes, it’s fun to hurtle down mountains on skis, and I see how it could also be rewarding marching around on bouncy snowshoes – for the amazing views and total peace and quiet, if nothing else - but it’s also rather pleasant to curl up next to a roaring fire and drink hot chocolate. So when my mother and I discovered spring had come early in the Pyrenees, melting most of the snow, we were only briefly disappointed. We had carte blanche to do exactly what we felt like, which was mainly to enjoy our hosts’ unusual home and scrumptious cooking.
We were staying with Jonathan Peat and his French wife Myriam, who live in a remote corner of the Pyrenees, an undiscovered region called L’Ariege, directly above Andorra in Spain, and one of the least populated in France. They live with their three sons in a rambling 19th Century manor house with a vast garden that leads down to orchards and a river. Called Le Clos Enchante, which roughly translates as the enchanted enclosure, it has the most unusual bedrooms I have ever seen. Ours was called la chambre des curiosites, due to antiques and family heirlooms.
When we arrive (by train - first the Eurostar to Paris, followed by a swift TGV to Toulouse, to be collected by Jonathan), no sooner have we laid our suitcases in the hall and Myriam is ushering us in for soup, quiche and salad. The following day, we hunt for snow, keen to experience a winter sport that is not only green (no lifts, snow-machines or overdeveloped resorts) but also growing in popularity.
Accompanied by a mountain leader called Phillippe, we arrive at a sunlit mountain where patches of snow still remain. We click into our paddles and tentatively take our first steps. Jonathan encourages us to pick up speed when we launch ourselves downhill, showing us how to dig in our heels so we don’t slip. It’s exhilarating, taking great leaps and wondering if you’re going to be able to stop at the bottom. When the snow peters out, we simply remove the snowshoes and carry on in our walking shoes - you can’t do that when you’re skiing. Then it’s home with glowing cheeks for a fabulous three-course dinner laid on by Myriam.
On our final day, we hang up our snowshoes altogether and explore the colourful market at St Girons, where Jonathan introduces us to local producers selling honey, cheese and a local pudding called millas. Made with cornflour, milk, butter, vanilla and rum, it is traditionally simmered for several hours in a copper pan. Phillippe tells us that many dishes in the region are based around flour, corn and fat.
“We talk all the time about gastronomie, but this is a poor region,” he says. “We have found ways to create dishes from cheap ingredients.”
By the end of our trip, I realize that while snowshoeing has given us a focus, but I could take it or leave it. What makes our time here special is the opportunity to experience a slice of mountain life – something you don't get on most skiing holidays.
Getting there: I travelled with Eurostar from London to Toulouse (the cheapest fares start from £109 return for 2nd Class).
Activities: Jonathan’s Tours offers snowshoeing breaks, as well as walking holidays. Prices include hire of snowshoes, transport from Toulouse, bed and breakfast, packed lunches and lots of wine. Prices start at £355 for four nights (450 euros) and £510 (645 euros) for six nights. For more info, see www.jonathanstours.com.
For more snowshoeing holidays, see:
Our expert contributors
