Snowshoeing

All the guides working on our courses hold the International Mountain Leader (IML) which is equivalent to the French ” Accompagnateur de Montagne”. We are all also registered to work in France which is a legal requirement in France.

All drinking water is from the refuge or can be bought at various stops on the way to the national park.

The food at the refuges is plentiful and of very good quality, often using locally sourced ingredients.

Breakfasts consist of pastries, fresh bread and jams and you can expect a three course meal in the evenings.

Absolutely, please inform the office of any allergies or intolerance’s and we will ensure that these are taken into account on the trek.

360 provides some snacks for your days on the mountain, however do bring some of your favourite snacks from home, a range of fast and slow release energy snacks.

The pure ‘energy’ style bars which are solid are quite tough to eat on the mountain so go with simple things. Flapjacks, shortbread, sweets, nuts and chocolate are great, snacks that you’re going to really look forward to eating and which will give you energy.

The mountain refuges are dormitory style accommodation but each person will have their own bunk bed.

Yes, hot showers are available. There may be a small supplement for hot water.

360 Expeditions have conducted detailed risk assessments and put the necessary plans in place to cope with any accidents or illness whilst out on the snoweshoeing expedition. Our expedition leaders are highly qualified and experienced mountain leaders who hold expedition first aid qualifications and are used to working in remote environments. Their training allows them to deal with situations quickly and safely.

Should someone find themselves requiring further medical attention,the leader will organise for that individual to be taken from the trail and transferred to the nearest hospital. The leader and the 360 office team will also be on hand to offer guidance and support for insurance claims and contacting next-of-kin.

At this altitude it is unlikely that you will suffer from altitude sickness.

If you have your own snow shoes which you like this is fine. We strongly recommend that you have heel raisers and please also bring some spare items such as straps which are specific to the snow shoe in case you need to repair them. We carry a generic snow shoe repair kit for breakages but the specific ones are much better.

Trekking poles need to go in checked in luggage and can not be carried in hand luggage.

There are regular buses and trams into Toulouse centre from Toulouse airport. They can drop you right outside Toulouse central train station where there are left luggage facilities. Toulouse is a beautiful city to explore and it is definitely worth the 20 minute journey.

During the day temperatures can be warm and can even reach to the mid teens C. In the evening higher up, it could drop to below freezing and with a distinct chill in the air. For early spring or late autumn ascents there can be snow from the refuge up and the temperatures on the summit well below freezing.

As you will be trekking in a mountain environment, the weather can rapidly change for the worse so you need to be prepared for all conditions. Even in good weather it is not uncommon to have short heavy downpours or snowstorms.

We haven’t included flights as this gives you options from the UK. There are many flights that come to Toulouse daily from many different airports.

It’s important that we check flight schedules before confirming a pickup time with you, as we want to make sure you can actually make it to Toulouse on time. We will confirm what time you should aim to arrive in Toulouse as we draw closer to your departure date.

We will also check flight schedules before deciding what time we do an airport drop off.

Once you know the above, please find flights that work for these timings, or plan to have the night before and/or night after in Toulouse.

If there are any issues with booking your flights, please let us know and we will try and help however it might mean getting a hire car/train or taxi to your start / finish point.

Bagneres de Luchon is 1h 40 mins drive away.

You must carry individual travel insurance to take part in the expedition. We cannot take you on the mountain without proof of insurance.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate insurance for your intended trip. To include medical evacuation and coverage up to the maximum altitude of this trip.

Your insurance details are requested on the booking form, however this can be arranged at a later date. 360 Expeditions will be requesting your insurance details 8 weeks before your departure.

As the trip is based in France it is also worth having a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) as this “gives card holders the right to access state-provided healthcare on temporary stays in other European Economic Area (EEA) countries or Switzerland. Treatment should be provided on the same basis as it would be to a resident of that country and is provided either at reduced cost or, in many cases, for free. The EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until the card holder returns home. This includes treatment for pre-existing medical conditions.” If you don’t already have one, you can apply for one here and it is free.  Many travel insurers won’t cover your medical costs in the unlikely event that you need medical treatment whilst you are away which could have been covered by an EHIC.

Some fitness training is a good idea if you do not walk regularly in the mountains. Any cardio vascular training and hill work will stand you in good stead and make your holiday much more enjoyable.

Please read our terms and conditions careful before you depart. 360 Expeditions highly recommends trip cancellation insurance for all expeditions. Due to the nature and heavy costs of government and operator permits we must adhere to a stringent refund policy.

The refuges do not have WiFi due to remoteness.

You will be able to get WIFI at the Luchon based accommodation at the start and finish.

On and off, don’t rely on it but there could be exposed points where you get a signal, notable higher up.

The refuge does have electricity so you will be able to plug things in to charge, but depending how busy the refuge is, you might find yourself competing for a socket with other guests.