Larger Groups

WHITE WATER RAFTING

The Hautes Alpes is the centre of white water rafting and kayaking in France, offering some of the most exciting rivers in Europe. The region has rivers of every grade so there is something for every group. Our team of highly experienced raft guides all work under the expert leadership of David King, one of the most highly respected guides in France. Our instructors encourage and train their students to navigate their inflatable bucking bronco through the thrills and spills of the Durance’s turbulent rapids. A full-on rollercoaster of a ride!

Split into teams of seven, students are first equipped with wet suits, neoprene footwear and helmets, plus a rash top if conditions necessitate. Then a full safety brief from David and his team, before the off! It is always the most favoured activity and allows a ride not to be forgotten.

I AM INTERESTED

MOUNTAIN TREKS

The Hautes Alpes, located in the Southern French Alps, where the AlpBase Academy courses are run, offer some of the best “undiscovered” alpine scenery in Europe. The region is literally a giant mountain playground, and encompasses an area just smaller than the combined total size of the UK’s Lakes District, The Peak District and the Snowdonia National Park. Yet it only experiences 2 million visitors a year compared to the combined 40 million visitors that the Lakes, Peaks and Snowdonia receive annually!

The Hautes Alpes really are the alps as they used to be. The mountain treks and hikes offer our students the opportunity to enjoy breath taking views with zero people pollution in a dry mountainous region that benefits from 300 days of sunshine per annum. It is a stunning part of the world and walking through this alpine landscape our groups come face to face with “real” nature. Here they can enjoy some of the most spectacular alpine walking anywhere in Europe complete with stunning peaks, huge glacial mazes, deep cut valleys, alpine pasture land, sub alpine woodlands and deep-filled mountain tarns.

The Hautes Alpes also has abundant wildlife. Look out for eagles, chamois, Ibex, willow grouse, and the ubiquitous marmots – always a favorite with our children. In all there are 167 rare and valuable species of fauna and the flora is equally diverse with over 1,800 varieties. Away from the traditional lavender fields of Provence you might find blue thistles, lilies, and alpine orchids as well as high altitude plants such as androsace, and edelweiss.

All our treks are run by local International Mountain Leaders who will not only guide but educate about the area including its geology and geomorphology, and so help our students get the most out of this awesome mountain arena.

I AM INTERESTED

STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING

Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is a new and exciting paddle sport where students learn to paddle specially constructed floating boards, like giant surfboards, enjoying new skills and balance.

SUP is an offshoot of surfing that originated in Hawaii. Unlike traditional surfing where the rider sits until a wave comes, stand up paddle boarders stand upright on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water. We use SUP to teach our eager students how to navigate open Lakeland waters; it’s a great way to quickly engage students as they learn to navigate and propel their 3-meter-long boards.

Our Stand-up paddlers wear wet suits and stand bare footed on the boards. They start from the shore kneeling on one leg and quickly learn to stand and turn. SUP is a fun sport and is quick to pick up with endless tricks and skills to learn and master. All our SUP courses are run at Serre Poncon. At 25km long, it is the biggest man-made lake in Western Europe. Our SUP base makes full use of a small protected inlet, where students learn to paddle the boards and try out some of the many tricks, complete with lots of falling in and ubiquitous laughter!

I AM INTERESTED

LAND ART

Land art, or Earth art, is an art form in which landscape and the work of art are inextricably linked. It is an art form that is created from nature, using natural materials such as soil, rock (boulders, stones etc.), and organic media (logs, branches, leaves). Sculptures are not placed in the landscape, rather the landscape is the means of their creation.

Using fully qualified “Land Art” teachers, our courses allow students to fully engage with their natural surroundings. This is an ideal chance for children age 10 and upwards to get creative, working alongside and inspired by our artists, using only natural materials that students often find by foraging. They learn to create three dimensional sculptures, and create art from materials they find in the forests and mountain terrain that surround them. Land art provides the perfect environment for learning about nature and represents one of our more relaxed activities, sometimes used as a welcome chance to use their mental skills, at the end of a super charged week of physical activities

I AM INTERESTED