Snowshoe & Snowmobile

All the guides working on our courses hold the International Mountain Leader (IML) qualification, which is equivalent to the French ” Accompagnateur de Montagne”. The snowmobile giudes are also all qualified instructors.

We will fill water bottles before we leave Vielha. There is drinking water at the hotel.

The food in the hotels 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.

We would advise you bring enough snacks for the snowshoeing expedition with you, though it is possible to buy additional at Banhs de Tredos.

The Banhs de Tredos hotel is simply beautiful! Rooms are simple and cosy, and the spa facilities a welcome break after a long day out in the snow.

Yes, hot showers are available.

Your 360 guides are suitably qualified for such situations and have access to rescue services.

We do not go to significant enough heights on this trek to worry about any effects of altitude sickness.

Toulouse centre is easily accessible from the airport by buses which run every 15 minutes. There are left luggage facilities at Toulouse train station, where the bus drops you. Toulouse is a beautiful city to explore. If you would prefer to arrive a day earlier, let the office know and we can assist with additional transfers or night in Vielha.

This is a fun few days of adventure! Of course, the fitter you are before coming out you’ll enjoy it far more than if you are struggling, but the days aren’t long, and the weekend is designed for all levels of experience.

A rucksack of around 40-60L should do you just fine – it’s better to have a bigger bag with space, than a smaller one with everything crammed in!

Your day sack should contain only the essential items you will need for the day and activities and your aim should be to keep it as light as possible. When out snowshoeing, we recommend you carry at least: a warm layer, waterproof jacket, your packed lunch and snacks, , water, camera, sun cream and personal medication.

If you are borrowing or buying a rucksack, ask someone to help you adjust it to fit your back. And ensure you are making these adjustments with weight inside it, not empty. Generally, it should sit reasonably high on your back so that the weight is acting vertically downwards, not forcing your shoulders back or drooping past your backside. Again, it’s about how you feel comfortable wearing it and important to get right.
Make sure too that it is either waterproof or you have a waterproof cover for your rucksack.

Snowshoes will be provided, so standard walking gear outlined in the kit list should suffice. For the snowmobiling, all safety equipment necessary will be provided – though you will need warm trousers, coat and snow goggles.

No, you’ll be in accommodation throughout and bedding is provided.

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.

The climate of the Pyrenees is generally better than the UK, lovely and sunny, and reasonably warm (pretty hot lower down).  But, there is still the risk of inclement weather, so we advise in the kit list to pack accordingly). And just like any other holiday, having a quick last minute look at the forecast before you come out can be a useful pointer of what’s in store!

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.

Vielha is 1h 40 mins drive from Toulouse Airport.

For this expedition, you will need to book flights to Toulouse Blagnac Airport.  You can fly with any of the following airlines from several major airports in the UK: Easyjet, RyanAir and British Airways.

360 will meet you at a fixed pick up point at Toulouse airport with a meeting time that coincides with British Airways (BA), RyanAir (FR) and Easyjet (EZY) flights arriving from London.

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, at a minimum, 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, though we would always suggest having cancellation insurance in place at the time of booking. 360 Expeditions will be requesting your insurance details 8 weeks before your departure if we have not received them prior to this.

We have a partnership with True Traveller and recommend them as an option when looking for travel insurance for your trip with 360. Many other insurance providers are of course available and we do recommend that you shop around to get the best cover for you on the expedition you are undertaking.

If you are eligible and it is available, as the trip is based in France it is also worth having a UK Global Health Insurance Card or GHIC (which replaces what was the European Health Insurance Card / EHIC). If you don’t already have one, details to apply for one are here.

Do check with your insurance whether your medical costs would be paid, in the unlikely event that you need medical treatment whilst you are away, if you are not covered by a GHIC.

For this snowshoeing weekend we advice you to spend time on general fitness training for walking. With some hill training.

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.

You can buy beverages at the refuge a beer will be around 3 euros. They will not except cards so please bring cash.

There is also an honesty bar in the accommodation at Lesparrou, beer and wine are 2 euros each.

There will be plug sockets in the rooms in your hotel. We often advise bringing a powerpack (we recommend PowerTraveller) to ensure your phones / cameras / other electronics are charged throughout!

The voltage is 220v / 50Hz like the UK. Rectangular or round three-pin plugs are used.

In the cities, yes, out in the countryside, likely on and off! Most UK providers will provide coverage as part of your plan in France and Spain, but do check before you travel.