Hiking for children & kids in the French Alps

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Category: Kid ages 8-12

Duration: 6 days

Level:

Price from: 850 €

The Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix has developed a collection of tours and summer camps especially for children aged 9 to 13. Based around different daily physical activities, they allow your children to meet new people, improve their self-confidence and develop an awareness of environmental issues while exploring the mountains of the Mont Blanc Massif.

- 6-day summer camp: Outdoor and hiking activities with accommodation in tents and mountain huts
- 6-day Tour du Mont Blanc: Route specially developed for children with accommodation in tents
- 6-day Crossing the Giffre: Hike in the heart of the Giffre nature reserve with accommodation in mountains huts and gîtes

The Giffre crossing is a trek requiring experience in hiking. The stages are adapted for children but it will be necessary to carry one's gear for the week. The objective is clearly a reconnection to the outdoors. Far from the crowded paths, we come back to the essential with this stay in the beautiful Massif du Giffre.

To meet the needs of the children, the group is supervised by two mountain professionals.

The Traversée du Giffre Kid is aimed at children who regularly hike and wish to discover the world of mountain huts. It is a perfect complement to the the Kids Tour du Mont Blanc.

Day 1 : Chamonix - Moede Anterne
We take the cable car to reach Planpraz at 2000m. This is the beginning of a wild stay. We first climb the Col du Brévent to reach the entrance of the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve. The path that leads to the Pont de l'Arlevé is typically alpine, between lawns and Ericacées, we will reach the bridge that allows us to cross the Diosaz' gorges and allows us to enter the nature reserve of Passy. We will then have to go up to the Moëde hut (2000m), where we will spend the night.
Elevation gain: 860m - Elevation loss: 930m

Day 2 : Moede Anterne - Refuge de Sales
We leave early in the morning to climb the Anterne pass. This pass allows us to have a sublime view on the Mont-Blanc and on the Fiz chain. We will then go down towards the lake of Anterne on which is reflected more than 800m of limestone rock in a turquoise blue water. Under the lake, Alfred Wills will welcome us for lunch. In the afternoon, we will cross the green valley to reach the path of the waterfalls and go back up to the refuge of Sales, where we will spend the night.
Elevation gain: 900m - Elevation loss: 1025m

Day 3 : Refuge de Sales - Refuge de Gers
Today, we will discover the heights of the clos de Sales. Sometimes on paths and often on animal trails, we go up to tête Pelouse (2349m). From there, we see the valley of the Giffre and the combe de Gers. The descent is made according to the animal and plant encounters to reach the lake of the same name and the refuge which will welcome us for the night.
Elevation gain: 600m - Elevation loss: 920m

Day 4 : Refuge de Gers - Samoëns
This is a transition day that will take us down to the Giffre valley. We will cross beautiful forests of spruce trees, true vestiges of the past, before reaching the beautiful waterfall of the Nant d'Ant where the waters of the lake of Gers flow which we left earlier. In the afternoon we will reach the village of Samoëns where we will spend the night.
Elevation gain: 215m - Elevation loss: 1050m

Day 5 : Samoëns - Refuge de Bostan
Here we go to visit the last massif of our trek. The ascent to the Bostan hut is firstly forest, allowing us to see the different vegetation in one day. We finally reach the mountain pastures with the south-western part of the Dents Blanches in view. The site is sublime and allows us to see the path we have taken so far. Night at the Bostan refuge.
Elevation gain: 970m - Elevation loss: 100m

Day 6 : Bostan hut - Col de Joux Plane
It is already the last day, depending on our shape, we can consider several routes to get to the Col de Joux Plane : By the Col de la Golèse and the Pointe D'angolon, a very alpine and demanding route requiring a physical and technical level that only the guide will be able to judge. Or by the Bourgeoise, summit overhanging Samoëns and Morillon which will allow us to join the well known pass by the cyclists of the whole world where our transfer to Chamonix awaits us.
Elevation gain : 1115m - Elevation loss : 1015m

This programme is meant as a guide only. Depending on the abilities of the group and the conditions in the mountains, your mountain guide may alter the route.

Group session associates several people who don’t know each other. It allows for a planned program to benefit from an attractive price on fixed dates. This formula is ideal for people looking for the friendliness of a group.

Dates : Find all the dates available in the drop-down list below

Price 2023 : 850€ per person - based on a minimum of 10 participants

This price includes :
- the organization and supervision by 2 state qualified trekking guide
- full board in hut and gîte
- picnics
- The ski lifts
- Transfer Day 6

Not included in the price :
- drinks and personal expenditure (bring Euro)
- repatriation insurance (compulsory)

In this section, find all the information about this activity. For further information, please contact our advisor (contact details above).

Meeting point : meet at 8.30 am at the Compagnie des Guides office, 190 Place de l’Eglise, 74400 Chamonix

Ability level : 3/5. Crossing the Giffre Kid hiking trip is a moderate trek. A minimum of 500m (2350ft) to 1100m max vertical gain and about 5 to 7 hours of hiking daily. Hiking on generally well-maintained mountain trails, sometimes including easy out-of-trail sections. The children must be sporty and have a regular practice of hiking. They must be able to follow instructions and live independently in a group.

Guiding policy : minimum of 10 and a maximum of 14 children per group. The Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix's guiding policy is one of the strictest in the mountain guiding business. It guarantees the most balanced groups as possible as well as high-quality personalised advice.
- 2 state qualified trekking guides (1 man, 1 woman) for each group are dedicated to our junior tours

Accomodation : 5 nights in a refuge and 1 night in a gîte in a mixed dormitory.
The guides sleep with the children.

Meals : our guiding team prepares healthy balanced meals daily, using fresh local products as much as possible. Naturally, food preferences of the children are taken into consideration.

Documentation :
- Be between 9 and 13 years old
- Participants must have sports insurance with repatriation cover. We strongly recommend that this also includes cancellation cover. You can take out insurance offering both of these types of cover when you sign up.
- Participants must also take valid ID with them.

Preparing for the trip : There is an information meeting with your mountain leader the day before departure at 6pm at the Compagnie des Guides Office.

For the attention of the legal guardian of the registered minor : The legal guardian is aware of the sporting and risky nature of the activities offered as part of this service. Failure to comply with safety instructions and level requirements can lead to accidents

We recommend that you take special care in choosing your equipment because it contributes greatly to the success of your trip. As alpine conditions can be highly variable with sudden changes, it can get very cold in altitude, it is preferable to have numerous layers rather than one thick piece of clothing. It is not uncommon to have snow in the middle of summer, do not skimp on warm clothes even if the weather seems favourable. Contrarily, the sun can be scorching hot. Without weighing too much, you should always have sufficient equipment in your backpack to deal with the capricious and severe weather.

Equipment
- A comfortable backpack with sufficient volume for the days belongings which is properly adapted to the childs morphology. . Make sure you have enough space for the picnic. A small tip in case it rains : even if you have a backpack cover, always protect your belongings in a plastic bag (a big rubbish bag) inside your backpack.
- A compact and solid travel bag, maximum 15kg, with the childs name. If the sleeping bag is too latge place it in another bag.
- A pair of hiking boots with Vibram or Contagrip soles. For new shoes, we strongly suggest that you wear them beforehand to mold them to the shape of your foot. If you are prone to blisters : talcum powder applied to dry feet and in your shoes before you start your days hiking. Provide elastoplast to put on their heels and sides of their feet.

Clothing
For added comfort regarding underwear, (t-shirts, boxers, socks), avoid cotton which is heavy, cold and dries very slowly. Opt for synthetic technical fabrics or wool, which is making a comeback. They are warmer and dry quickly.

For the hike:
- 1 short-sleeved t-shirt
- 1 long-sleeved t-shirt (technical fabric)
- 1 polar fleece
- 1 pair of shorts
- 1 pair of hiking trousers
- 1 pair of hiking socks (technical fabric/terrycloth)
- 1 Goretex jacket (waterproof windbreaker)
- 1 poncho (large rain cover that fits over your pack) or 1 pack cover
- 1 pair of waterproof trousers (although light Gore-tex trousers are expensive, other types of light waterproof trousers will do)
- Sun hat or baseball cap
- 1 warm hat
- 1 pair of gloves
For the entire trip (change of clothes available on day 2)
- At your convenience

Accessories
For the entire trip:
- Sunglasses
- Sun cream and lip salve
- 1 water bottle (minimum 1 litre but 1.5 litres is better)
- 1 knife
- 1 fork (type "spork")
- 1 pair of telescopic poles
- 1 sleeping bag liner
- Flashlight or headlight
- Personal pharmacy : elastoplast, (stretchable strapping tape), band-aids "second skin" kit, compresses, medicines for common ailments : diarrhea, constipation, sore throat, headaches, pain relief, allergies and any prescribed medication. The mountain leader always carries a first aid kit with them. Remember that packing light is essential.

Our Rental Partners : You can rent your equipment with our rental shops partners and benefit from special price Sanglard Sports, Ravanel & Co & Concept Pro Shop
Our Equipment Partners : Millet, Dynastar, Julbo, Grivel & Monnet

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CO2 emitted per person for the activity: 86 kg. In order to limit global warming to +2°C by 2100, the COP-21 agreement stipulates that each human should emit no more than 2t of CO2 per year. According to the French Ministry of Ecology, today European citizens emit an average of 11t per year, and American citizens emit an average of 21t annually.

CO2 emitted per person for this activity & journey(s) = 0 kgIn order to limit global warming to +2°C by 2100, the COP-21 agreement stipulates that each human should emit no more than 2t of CO2 per year. According to the French Ministry of Ecology, today European citizens emit an average of 11t per year, and American citizens emit an average of 21t annually., or 2.5€ to offset.

Find out more about our zero impact strategy.