Five Green Winter Holidays
From snow-shoeing in the Pyrenees to fox-tracking in Sweden, here is our pick of some of the best responsible ways to enjoy the snow whilst preserving the piste...
Snow-shoeing in the French Pyrenees
Based at an 18th-century guesthouse in the central Pyrenean village of Barèges, you’ll trek for four to six hours a day with a qualified mountain leader, exploring the spectacular peaks of the Cirque de Gavarnie, Pont d’Espagne and the Marcadau Valley. www.mountainbug.com, +33 562 921 639
Hut-to-hut across the Spanish Pyrenees
Starting on the French side of the Pyrenees, cross over the border to the Refuge de la Restanca at Encantats Nature Park and stay in mountain huts for six nights, walking in pine forests and passing the frozen lakes of Cirque de Colomers before circling back to France.www.pyrenees.co.uk, 01635 297 209
Ski-touring in the Alps
Skin and ski your way over the French Alps to Italy and back again, staying in mountain huts and refuges as you cross cols and glaciers, including sections of the Haute Route and the final day’s descent of the superb Ferpècle glacier to La Forclaz and Les Haudères.www.skifreshtracks.co.uk, 020 8410 2022
Track red foxes in Sweden
From the Vålådalen mountain station at the foot of Ottfjället Mountain in western Jämtland, join two Swedish biologists on snow-shoeing tours through the pristine forests of the Vålådalen Nature Reserve, where you’ll camp out at night and investigate animal tracks.www.mountainexperience.se; + 46 6473 5253
Cross-country skiing in Kuusamo, Finland
Develop the art of kicking and gliding across fl at terrain at the resort of Kuusamo in northeast Finland, which has more than 500 kilometres of prepared tracks. In the Kero Wilderness Camp in Oulanka National Park, you’ll learn how to read animal tracks and learn survival skills.www.northtrek.net; +358 404 182 832
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An edited version of this article, by Richard Hammond, was first published in his column ‘The Responsible Traveller’ in the November issue of Geographical magazine, available in WHSmith and many independent newsagents. Subscribe online or order your copy by calling +44 (0)1795 414 881.
